Amid intermittent rain, clouds and spots of sun, the Sweetwater Jaycees visited the Texas Capitol this week with three boxes of western diamondback rattlesnakes in tow.
For nearly 30 years, members of the Sweetwater Jaycees, a chapter of the Texas Junior Chamber, have been traveling to Austin to promote their World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup event in Sweetwater, Texas.
In the Capitol’s outdoor rotunda, the group's members drape rattlesnakes over the shoulders of visitors for photos while sharing information about the snakes — from safety tips to answers about how they taste.
“Rattlesnakes are not aggressive. They don’t want to have to bite you, they’re only doing it because you’re there, and in the way,” said Del Riley, Sweetwater Jaycees' public relations chair.
The World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup has been drawing crowds from around the world since 1958. This year's event will be held March 14 to 16. Riley said an average of 4,000 pounds of rattlesnakes are processed and sold each year through the roundup for food, snakeskin products, and anti-venom. There are also demonstrations of snake handling, snake milking, a cook shack that fries the snakes and guided snake hunts.
