The Impacts of Mountain Biking on Wildlife and People -- A Review of the Literature; Implications for Amphibians and Reptiles

On Sun, 09 Jan 2005 19:10:30 GMT, "Bill Sornson"
wrote:

di wrote:
"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
The Impacts of Mountain Biking on Wildlife and People --
A Review of the Literature;
Implications for Amphibians and Reptiles
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.
December 20, 2004

just another long worthless rant,

No, it's that same rant as he has used before. Not only ineffective,
but he thinks that repetition will help his cause.

Well, at least he's not out tearing up those wet CA trails with his
DESTRUCTIVE LUG-SOLED HIKING BOOTS like his fellow "environ mental cases"
this weekend.

Actually, based on his vast experience hiking, he thinks all hikers
have to use smooth soled shoes for all conditions.

No matter that the rescue team that retrieves the person following his
advice will tear up the trail many times worse.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

I'm a bit intrigued by the -the width of the wounds matched the width of
a mountain bike tire.-

I know from personal experience that it is fully possible to ride a
bike across someone's bare foot without breaking the skin, leaving only
a quicky fading reddened tire pattern impression, yet he's talking about
"wounds matching a tire". I don't see how that could happen, unless
we're talking about someone trying to rooster tail at the exact moment
the snake passes underneath. Even if that was what happened I'm more
inclined to believe that the snake would simpy be spun free from the
tyre without splitting open. It might still very well be dead due to
spinal and/or internal injuries, but that's a different matter.
Either way something like that would qualify as a deliberate act and
not an unfortunate accident. And people who deliberately set out to
hurt wildlife shouldn't be considered as a representative sample of
human-animal interaction.

It seems reasonable to assume that it's possible to kill a snake by
running it over, but for breaking the skin on it one would have to
apply some serious force. It might be possible to cause wounds matching
the rim width, but that's not what he's saying here.
If one wanted to go forensic on this I guess one would have to skin the
snake and look for a bruising pattern to determine what's happened.
(assuming snakes bruise as other animals do...)


--
dabac