error - object already exists in database

I'm trying to create tables via my Perl script, working against a remote
database.  The error returned is:

 

DBD::Sybase::db do failed: Server message number=2714 severity=16 state=6
line=1 server=GILGAMESH\BIRDWEB text=There is already an object named
'abundancies' in the database. at sql_server.pl line 74, <WORK> chunk 1.

 

The SQL being executed is:

 

CREATE TABLE  abundancies (

        bird_id integer not null,

        ecoregion_id integer not null,

        abundancy_notes text,

        january char(1),

        february char(1),

        march char(1),

        april char(1),

        may char(1),

        june char(1),

        july char(1),

        august char(1),

        september char(1),

        october char(1),

        november char(1),

        december char(1),

        PRIMARY KEY (bird_id, ecoregion_id)

)

 

The code looks like:

 

sub do_command {

            my $sql_command = shift;

            

            my $dbh = DBI->connect('DBI:Sybase:server='. $server, $user,
$pass, {RaiseError=>1, AutoCommit=>1})

              or die "Couldn't connect to database: " . DBI->errstr;

 

            $dbh->do($sql_command);

 

            $dbh->disconnect();

}

 

The reason I'm posting to this list is that if I execute the same command
from other tools (e.g. Query Analyzer) it works.

 

Any ideas?

 

- Alan