25,000 Pounds of Rattlesnakes Caught in Texas
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Rattlesnake Roundup
Over 12.5 tons of snakes were caught for a rattlesnake festival in Sweetwater, Texas! The Sweetwater rattlesnake roundup is said to be the largest one in the world. Every year, about 25,000 people gather to watch and participate in the capturing and beheading of thousands of diamondback rattlesnakes. No part of the snake goes unused—the skin is turned into leather, the meat is fried up to be eaten, and the venom is collected for research purposes. The live rattlesnakes are kept in a giant pit, where they must be “stirred” to keep them from suffocating.