Intersiting info on fatality odds. Very good reads

I read a little chart on Gus from Rio Bravo Reptiles web page about the odds of certain deaths and it got me thinking. We can't legally keep any snake that can get over 8' and any lizard that can get over 5' plus no venomous animals. More people die from DOG attacks than from captive herps every year. In 2006, there were 25 dog attack related fatalities in the US, how many from captive giant lizards or snakes? Damn few.
Dog related attacks
http://www.dogexpert.com/FatalDogAtt...ogattacks.html
Odds of death(look at last one)
http://www.riobravoreptiles.com/care_fatalities.htm
So there you have it, 1 in 2,681,245 in the USA could die from captive reptiles. If you combined all the deaths related to cats and dogs in the USA, the odds are what? So this makes me wonder, why are giant snakes illegal is some areas where cats and dogs aren't?
Please keep this on topic

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pork Chops N' Corn Bread

I read a little chart on Gus from Rio Bravo Reptiles web page about the odds of certain deaths and it got me thinking. We can't legally keep any snake that can get over 8' and any lizard that can get over 5' plus no venomous animals. More people die from DOG attacks than from captive herps every year. In 2006, there were 25 dog attack related fatalities in the US, how many from captive giant lizards or snakes? Damn few.
Dog related attacks
http://www.dogexpert.com/FatalDogAtt...ogattacks.html
Odds of death(look at last one)
http://www.riobravoreptiles.com/care_fatalities.htm
So there you have it, 1 in 2,681,245 in the USA could die from captive reptiles. If you combined all the deaths related to cats and dogs in the USA, the odds are what? So this makes me wonder, why are giant snakes illegal is some areas where cats and dogs aren't?
Please keep this on topic

---

Why are snakes in general banned, or you have to have permit on them?

Good research! i feel this way about the topic.......people are more familar with dogs and cats.......they pretty much call us (people that love reptiles wierd) so it's ignorance......people don't know anything about these animals, so they fear them, and them they make stupid laws up about them! it stinks, but i really hope this starts to die out! :D

the simple fact is that legislation is not usually based on data. there is evidence of it everywhere.

a senator of my state, who is also an engineer (like myself), said in a speech a year or so ago: (I am going to paraphrase it)

Almost all legislators have a background in law. Most are lawyers.
The difference between an engineer and a lawyer is this:
An engineer looks at the facts and uses them to form an opinion.
A lawyer forms an opinion and then hunts for facts to back it up - if necessary.

Many laws are what I call 'feelgood legislation'. The herp laws fall firmly in that category.

A lot of the law could very well be created by the ignorant keepers such as those that enjoy watching the snakes kill or those who release them in the wild when they get too big. Those who make stupid mistakes that cost them their lives are another huge reason I'm sure. My over active imagination just gets me thinking about somethings like this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reediculous

Good research! i feel this way about the topic.......people are more familar with dogs and cats.......they pretty much call us (people that love reptiles wierd) so it's ignorance......people don't know anything about these animals, so they fear them, and them they make stupid laws up about them! it stinks, but i really hope this starts to die out! :D

---

Exactly! Great info, btw.

I could see the requireing of permits to keep ANY venomous snakes and lizards since they pose the biggest risk but I don't even think you could get a permit to keep giants here. I can also see the positive of this law though, I don't have to go to a petstore and see either A.) A young person buying a retic, burm, or afrock without knowing the potential or B.) seeing 20 baby burms crammed in a 10 gallon tank with a heatrock

Sure, I cna see a permit on snakes that get over 8'. And venomous. A cheap one, and a test. But don't put a permit on all the snakes!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stangs13

Sure, I cna see a permit on snakes that get over 8'. And venomous. A cheap one, and a test. But don't put a permit on all the snakes!

---

I really have to agree. The law here keeps me from keeping the species I really want to work with(yellow condas, argentine boas, scrub pythons) but it may be in place for a good reason. In Iowa, the law says no dangerous animals which includes, get this all boa species!!! Read that and see if that doesn't piss you off. I know of a few keepers in Iowa that can no longer work with thei ETB and RTB because of that stupid law
http://kingsnake.typepad.com/kingsna...he_dubuqu.html

I think Wild Bill is in Iowa! Matt Fisher had to get rid of his boas also! I love yellow condas,btw.;)