Monsterquest show tonight

http://www.history.com/global/feedba...m&NetwCode=THC

Please be polite. Maybe if some of us write about the show, and how this issue is going before Congress, they'd be interested in filming a show "from our side". Maybe have some real scientists and reps from USARK, PIJAC and such give some REAL information.

left a comment for the History Channel. This is it.

The information that was on the new MonsterQuest was awful. The "experts" barely knew what they were talking about. This show only made the situation that us as reptile keepers are trying to fight, so much worse. The idea of burmese pythons, Boas, and African Rock Pythons being able to live in NY is ignorant. These species live in areas of the world where they need constant warm temperatures. They have not evolved to hibernate in sub-zero temperatures and to think they will is ignorant. The so called "science" that was on the show was humiliating. There was no reason to think that our pets could live in NYC. The tens' of thousands of us that keep reptiles are responsible owners and we are pasionate about our pets. For this show to be aired is a disgrace. It made us, as a community, look incapable of keeping our pets. We do not release our burmese pythons, african rock pythons or reticulated pythons in the wild. Irresponsible owners, and owners we do not associate with, do this. We love our pets too much to risk their health, and we respect the other keepers in America too much to risk their chance of owning reptiles. Then for the "experts" to call the burmese pythons in the everglades an "infestation" is completely wrong. After several months of searching the everglades of Florida, only around 11 burmese pythons were found. Yet these "experts" found two in one night? And the handling of the injured burmese python was deplorable. The python's tail was cut off and looked to be infected. Then the horrible gashes on its head were clearly painful. The animal was being defensive, as would just about any animal that has been injured so severly. Yet these "experts" grab it and wrestle with it. There was no need for this. The poor animal clearly needed to be seen by an experienced veternarian. I am offended by the material and "facts" that were presented by this episode. The "experts" should be ashamed as they has misrepresented us. Scientists have said that the information out there is not scientific, and the "science" in this show was far from scientific. If there is a breeding population in the everglades it is not due to us, as a reptile keeping community, but to the zoo's that keep the breeding size burmese pythons. Our animals are worth too much to us to let them suffer in the wild. What was presented on this episode was awful. The deplorable "facts" that were presented should be considered slander against our community.

I'm not sure what zoos have to do with it, though...I'm afraid that part may not have come across very well. The Burms released into the Everglades probably came from a large shipment imported for the pet trade. They were most likely in a warehouse that was blown into the swamp by a hurricane. Zoos were never involved at any point. Most CBB Burms in the US come from private breeders and small businesses--Burmese aren't bred by zoos. Any responsible owner who keeps a Burmese is eventually going to have a breeding-sized Burmese.

Yeah, Sorry. That didnt come off the way i wanted. I was just trying to state that its not just the pet trade and pet owners that have caused this "problem". The zoos may not breed the burmese, but they do have breeding size burms that could have gotten loose during the hurricanes.

I'm glad I forgot about this show. I knew it was going to be complete BS.
When I saw it advertised I pictured them staging a dramatization of a "50 foot python" doing things to a family and their family pet that would parallel the stuff of nightmares.

It was absolutely some of the worst television I have ever seen, and I grew up with the Brady bunch.....

I have deprogrammed A&E from my television, and the history channel goes too.

If they will put a show on with this amount of lies and bs then anything they produce is suspect in my mind :mad:

Yes I've lost a lot of respect for the channel as well, and can't help but question everything else they've done shows on after all the misinformation. I was in a pretty relaxed state of mind when watching but I couldn't even sit through all of it. Made it approx 20 minutes in before have to turn it off.

Here is the email address I sent my email to, feedback@aetv.com

Here is what I sent.
To whom it may concern,

I recently watched a program airing on January 27, 2010 on the History Channel titled "Monster Quest: Giant Pythons in America" and "Monster Quest: Giant Killer Snakes". I must say that these two programs were likely THE WORST cases of hype, misinformation, and outright speculation I have thus seen aired on the History Channel.

Both programs referenced the recent USGS report by Rodda and Reed on the expansion of the Burmese python and other 8 species of constrictors in the United States based on climate changes. However, these reports are fundamentally flawed in that they examined ONLY climate as a factor, when in truth, there are many other factors that would significantly influence and limit the distribution of exotic species of snakes in the US. Furthermore, this USGS report has in fact been deemed "unscientific" by an independent panel of 11 herpetologists and other scientists. Please review these documents by Dave and Tracy Barker regarding Burmese pythons in South Florida:
http://usark.org/uploads/Tympanum.pdf
http://usark.org/uploads/DistributionBurmesePython.pdf
http://usark.org/uploads/Burmese&Flo...ompressed).pdf
http://usark.org/uploads/ReedRodda_R...Barker2010.pdf
http://usark.org/uploads/ComeOutOfCold_BCHS.pdf


The amount of false information, outright speculation, and scare tactics utilized in the programs was absolutely astounding and completely unacceptable to myself and many History channel viewers. For example, It is entirely ludicrous that anyone, much less Joe Wasilewski, would firmly believe that Burmese pythons, or any other exotic boa or python species, could possibly survive, thrive, and reproduce in New York City's central park or elsewhere in the US based on the flawed and unscientific USGS report. Another astounding example of blatant lies and misinformation was when the narrator stated that pythons and cobras could hybridize! It does not take an expert herpetologist to realize that this statement entirely false. While snake hybrids of similar species in a same genus have occasionally hybridized in captivity, NO evidence of such hybridization in snakes has been so far been documented in South Florida or any other location in the United States. As it stands at this point, the issue of hybridization in the Everglades is purely speculative. Even if such hybridization did occur, the offspring would likely be sterile or infertile and certainly not the "super snakes" that the programs wildly claim. The program also wildly speculates that King Cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) are thriving in South Florida based on the capture of only ONE known escaped specimen. No other king cobras have been found to my knowledge surviving and reproducing outside of captivity in Florida.

Very little factual information at all was conveyed in both of these programs, with the possible exception of mentioning Hurricane Andrew as a factor for the snake's release and Wasilewski's statement toward the end of the program that venomous snakes and pythons could not possibly hybridize. After watching these two programs, It seems to me that the primary intent behind the programs is to simply incite even more fear and misunderstanding towards snakes by the general public rather than to provide quality, educational programming. I am most disappointed to say, that if the History Channel does not provide the informative quality programming that many of its viewers expect and deserve, I WILL NO LONGER be patronizing your channel. Thank You.

I agree, i didn't like the show especially when they never stated as to which python species they were showing. simply saying all pythons are "large, deadly beasts" is an insult to snakes. i agree that the show was aired simply to instill a sense of greater fear towards snakes.

Is it just me or was that hook used on that blood just insanely un-neccessary? They tossed it around like they wanted to knock it onto the green over there.