Rattlers
in the
Rotunda As sure as physicians descend on the
Texas Capitol on the first Tuesday of
February, so, too, do the Sweetwater
rattlesnakes. Their appearance
is to publicize the world’s largest
Rattlesnake Roundup in March, an
event that began in 1958.
Physicians new to a February First
Tuesday are surprised to pass the
glass doors to the outdoor rotunda and
see formidable men wrangling wriggling
rattlers. The Sweetwater Jaycees
closely watch the snakes, as do the
bystanders. Physicians’ reactions
ranged from “I don’t need to see that
up close” to “Sure, you can hold that
snake around my neck.” See page 5.
28 Dallas Medical Journal March 2019
The balcony is a popular vantage point from which to view the rattlesnakes in the
rotunda below.
First Tuesday first-timer Sam Chantilis, MD, visits the rotunda-turned-snake-pit
with First Tuesday veteran Rick Snyder, MD, and chats up the snake handlers.
Gary Weinstein, MD,
was satisfied with
taking photos of
the snakes, while
his wife, Donna
Casey, MD, declined
to approach them.
“I treat enough
snakebites in my
practice,” she said.
The Sweetwater Jaycees are easy to
distinguish from other Capitol visitors.