Owner Kurt Lund of Aquarium Outfitters said a handful of his most valuable items were stolen right out of their cages.

“We had a break in early last week and 15 Red Tail Boa Constrictors were taken,” Lund said.

Lund said the suspect got in through a door in the front of the store in the early morning hours. The person broke the glass and then slithered in.

“Red Tail Boas are the Cadillac of snakes. The person who stole the stakes knows reptiles and knows their worth,” Lund said.

And Lund said these little “beauties” are worth $150 each and the increase in value as they grow bigger and older.

But what makes these little creatures so valuable?

“This snake is very docile and laid back it’s the best pet snake you can get,” Lund said.

And Lund said despite their scaly and somewhat intimidating outward appearance, they are harmless even as adults so they can never get into the wrong hands.

“We wouldn’t sell it if it bit. Anything we sell in this store is nice pet,” Lund said.

Now, Lund is reinforcing the doors and blocking off the front windows to increase security and prevent any more of his merchandise from walking or slithering away.

A $100 reward is being offered to anyone who can help locate this expensive reptilian merchandise.

SWEETWATER — With a glimmer in her jeweled tiara, a newly crowned Miss Snake Charmer 2010 dug the blade of her knife into a fresh rattlesnake Friday, squinting as drops of blood spattered to the floor.

“That’s really gross,” said Brittany Lashinski, a Sweetwater High School junior who was crowned Thursday at the start of the Sweetwater Jaycee’s 52nd annual Rattlesnake Roundup.

She stepped back slightly while Walter Matschek, of Andrews, instructed her on how to continue: First pull out the guts, then separate the meat from the skin.

“A dead snake is never a dead snake,” Matschek said, the stripped-out heart of the rattler still pulsating in his palm.

Several others in attendance during the second day of the Rattlesnake Roundup, which continues through Sunday, gathered to watch the scene, wandering over from the nearby weigh-in pit or stopping en route to the milking area.

The roundup first started, Jaycee Heath Cornutt said, when a group of local farmers and ranchers were trying to get rid of an abundance of rattlesnakes causing problems for their livestock.

From there, he said, it continued to grow with several Jaycee members taking up the snake hunting or handling hobbies from their fathers and others joining in hopes of a little adventure.

By the close of the weekend, Jaycee Ted Thomas said, they expect about 25,000 attendees, or more than twice the number of people who live in Sweetwater, to come through the event.

Visitors included several from Sweetwater and other nearby West Texas towns, but also some from other states and countries including California, North Carolina and Canada.

“We’ve been wanting to come for two years,” said Elsie Hyatt, who traveled with her husband Roger from Robbinsville, N.C. The two had seen clips of the roundup on television and said it looked like fun.

The two watched the milking pit from seats nearby as several rattlers slithered up against the wall. Inside, pit chairman Dennis Scumbie grabbed a snake out of a trash can and squeezed the bones in its neck to gain control. He walked over to a metal contraption and pushed the roof of the snake’s mouth down to squeeze out the venom before dumping it in another bucket.

“You just kind of get used to it,” he said, explaining to a youngster how he picks up the snakes without being afraid.

Nine-year-old Milam Mayfield, of Lubbock, nodded at his answer with wide eyes and then wandered to another exhibit with his dad and brother.

His father Scot Mayfield said he’s always wanted to attend the roundup and thought this year was a perfect time because he could bring his boys, though his 7-year-old son Preston, he said with a laugh, was most impressed by the hotel’s swimming pool.

At the weigh-in and measuring pit, Jaycees held the snakes for visitors to touch, with several jumping back before getting their hand on the dry, scaly skin and others slowing inching forward before grabbing the center of the reptile.

“I’m scared of it,” said Nia Zapata, backing away as the rattler was pushed toward her.

While humans certainly have plenty to fear when encountering rattlesnakes outdoors, said Jaycee David Sager, about 40 percent of bites in the wild don’t contain any venom since the snake knows it can’t eat humans and can scare them away without wasting its poison.

In general, he said, rattlesnakes will leave people alone unless they sense danger or are backed into a corner where they think they’re going to be killed.

Rattlesnakes, he said, have poor eyesight but know when humans and animals are close through sensors on their head that pick up body heat.

For those who didn’t want to spend their day getting cozy with rattlesnakes, there was a carnival, petting zoo and dozens of vendors selling everything from rattlesnake bracelets and key chains to handmade jewelry and purses.

Fried rattlesnake also was offered as a snack for those brave enough to eat the delicacy. Several testing it out Friday afternoon, reported the meat was akin to everything from chicken or fish to turtle or frog.

Before the snakes are killed and skinned, hunters coerce them from their holes with gas fumes, then bring in the rattlesnakes they’ve gathered to be weighed and registered for the Sunday contest.

Cornutt said they have five to six hunters who each bring in 600 to 1,000 pounds of rattlesnakes they’ve caught between the close of last year’s roundup and this weekend.

Several others, he said, register and bring in 50 to 100 pounds of snakes.

Whatever the activity of choice, those in attendance Friday agreed the experience was unlike any they’ve ever had, and, some said laughing, probably unlike any they’ll ever have again.

“Where else are you going to have a chance to skin a rattlesnake?” said Holly Reed, of Dallas. “It’s really fun.”

If you want to experience some rattlesnake roundin’ up…

Sweetwater Jaycees Rattlesnake Roundup

Nolan County Coliseum, $7 for adults, $4 for children younger than 10

Saturday

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Guided hunt registration

• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Bus tours for spectators

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Snake handling shows

• 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Fried rattlesnake meat available

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Girl Scout Salsa Challenge and Brisket and Chili cook-off located at Newman Park

• 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Sweetwater Gun, Knife and Coin Show, located in the Nolan County Coliseum Annex

• 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.: Rattlesnake dance, located at “The Barn” on 4th and Cypress

Sunday

• 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.: Guided hunt registration

• 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Weigh-in of the snakes

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Bus tours for spectators

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Snake handling shows

• 2 p.m.: Rattlesnake meat eating contest

• 3 p.m.: Awarding of prizes

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Sweetwater Gun, Knife and Coin Show, located in the Nolan County Coliseum Annex

and later…

Big Spring Rattlesnake Roundup: March 26-28

Howard County Fair Barns, $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 4 through 11

March 26-27

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Snake shows, demonstrations, races

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Arts and Crafts Fair in the Dora Roberts building

March 28

• 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Weigh-in of snakes

Contests for heaviest snake and snake with most rattles

Fun facts:

• Rattlesnakes have no eyelids and no ears

•  The body temperature of a rattlesnake is about 10 degrees cooler than a human, which helps it to sense the warmth of humans and animals nearby.

•  You can’t de-fang a rattlesnake because new fangs will come down in place of any lost.

•  Only about half of newborn rattlesnakes will survive the first year.

•  Those that do survive typically live four to five years before being killed by a roadrunner or a passing vehicle.

•  Rattlesnakes shed their skin anywhere from one to three times each year.

•  Some rattlesnakes only eat a few times each year. When they do eat, they prey on rats, small rabbits and birds.

• Females are more hostile than males because their survival is crucial for the species to continue.

•  Rattlesnakes don’t mate for life, but have several partners.