My Rant

:rage::rage::rage:

I'm not sure if this falls DIRECTLY under this category, but I just can't take it anymore and have to get all of this off my chest.

I hope you people who love ball pythons and general reptiles as much as I do agree with what I have to say. First of all, how many people here who love reptiles ever get a chance to sit down and watch Animal Planet, Discovery, TruTV or other stations that talk about snakes from time to time? Has anyone EVER noticed that when watching these channels snakes always get a really bad reputation?? I'm so sick of hearing how awful snakes are and how "deadly" a creature they can be on these stupid programs. ESPECIALLY when they show like a corn snake or something and say it's capable of being a "killer". Of course they are predatory, but they talk about snakes in the sense that ALL of them are a danger to -humans- and a potential threat to our well being!

I went off the edge last night upon watching a clip of a redtail boa being handled in a bar. Supposedly the owner was showing it off and even let it sniff and tongue flick a baby's face. Why a baby was in a bar I don't know, but even I would never stick a baby with a snake no matter how much I trust the animal. The redtail was a rather large size as well. Amazingly nothing happened with the baby and snake encountering one another; HOWEVER, when the snake was passed to a younger girl the snake bit a man standing nearby in the face when he decided to lean in and give it a kiss. The narrator or host of the show starts laughing and comments, "Oh my god. That right there is why no one should own a -snake-," as if you’d have to be stupid/crazy to love a reptile.

Okay....I was beyond pissed. People are probably ten times more afraid of snakes than they should be because of stupid shows like this. I am not sure why the snake got agitated, but who knows for sure. It probably had just had enough of the excitement and large crowd of people. They are animals after all. A cat can and in fact IS usually prone to attack or bite for no reason! What is the difference then? No one on these shows ever comment on a cat being dangerous or "deadly." Dogs could even be considered "deadly" if you had to go by the amount of times people actually HAVE been bitten or attacked by them and YET they are "man's best friend". No offense my furry friends.

On a previous day I also watched a clip about a snake that was loose in a dorm complex on Untamed and Uncut(Animal Planet). The narrator spoke dramatically about the animal being a huge killer and capable of constricting it's prey to death as pythons do. During this they showed a short video of a huge burmese killing a deer and then more quick shots of retics. When they flashed back to the dorm complex they showed the alleged "killer" snake that had wondered into the bathroom toilet....it was a freakin' BALL PYTHON! For crying out loud it wouldn't even be capable of killing a human. They can bite and what-not, but come on...seriously??

As the narrator continued to talk dramatically about the "killer" snake he said that a special crew had to come in and properly removed the "wild animal" so everyone could be safe in the dorms. Upon saying this they showed the "special" group of people just reach in a calmly grab the snake out of the toilet. It didn't even react or attempt to attack anyone....and yet they failed to mention how it put up no fight once so ever and was a docile creature that was probably someone's lost -pet-.

I am just so sick of snake's getting such a bad reputation on the TV. Everyone out there who doesn't actually OWN one of these amazing animals and has no experience is going to buy right into all this crap. About a week ago they had a 2 hour long special on the Invasive Species in Florida. Can you guess who was the main culprit of it all? Of course, snakes. I understand that it IS a problem and that VERY stupid people out there abuse their right to own these exotics, but the way they spoke about the snakes was the same as any other program. Supposedly every known snake in the entire world is "deadly" and a threat to our lives, capable of killing or seriously injuring us. It makes me sick to my stomach listening to such garbage.

You let me know when a ball python or corn snakefor that matter is responsible for the death of a full grown human being. Sure a large python could do some damage if hungry enough, but again…it’s stupid people who aren’t responsible and stupid TV shows that play up how deadly they ALL are that adds to the entire scare of owning a snake or other reptile in the US.

Thus ends my long rant. Hope you enjoyed if you actually read the entire thing. Now please enjoy some pictures of me and my own tame and lovely redtail boa, Eve that I had to add just to show how much joy you actually CAN get in owning a snake! <3

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/100_1240.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/100_1258.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/100_1255.jpg

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...0/100_1254.jpg

Sigh, I don't think anything will ever change.
People would need to quit judging each other before they can quit judging snakes.

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Originally Posted by SK_Exotics

Sigh, I don't think anything will ever change.
People would need to quit judging each other before they can quit judging snakes.

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I really really wish it WOULD all change...

Yeah me too. Tv doesn't do snakes much good, and the shows that tell the truth about snakes just aren't good tv I guess.

Sam

ya whenever something involving reptiles comes on TV i usually end up getting pissed off and yelling cuz people are dumb.
Why was that baby in the bar? LOL
i also hate it how cats and dogs can get away with biting and scratching people. the only dog that has a small amount of fear with the breed is pit bulls, and i love them, they are just big babies. i really dont know of a way to change the way people see snakes, its all psychology, and im not very smart. lol we just have to keep doing what the reptile community is doing and keep educating people and fighting for our rights to keep our beloved pets.

oh ya, and watch out for that boa on ur arm, it looks like a killer:rage:

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Originally Posted by mpkeelee

ya whenever something involving reptiles comes on TV i usually end up getting pissed off and yelling cuz people are dumb.
Why was that baby in the bar? LOL
i also hate it how cats and dogs can get away with biting and scratching people. the only dog that has a small amount of fear with the breed is pit bulls, and i love them, they are just big babies. i really dont know of a way to change the way people see snakes, its all psychology, and im not very smart. lol we just have to keep doing what the reptile community is doing and keep educating people and fighting for our rights to keep our beloved pets.

oh ya, and watch out for that boa on ur arm, it looks like a killer:rage:

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Haha, oh yes, she was ready to bite my face right off! And lol I have noooo clue, but they said they were in a bar on the clip and there was a baby! I found that funny also.

I too really like pitbulls, it all has to do on how they were raised and handled. I am actually a fan of the PitBoss show on TV right now because they are working to IMPROVE the reputation and promote the breed unlike these other things always acting way too dramatic and stupid.

That's what really just pissing me off the most with all this....that someday probably in my life time the snakes and reptiles WILL be banned in the US because of crap like this helping to promote it.

You need to quit watching those idiot shows and watch Bindi the Jungle Girl instead. LOL. She has a pet burm that shows up as a guest a lot in her show and she sleeps with a cornsnake in her room - "Snakes, we love them!" - direct quote!

Yeah, I refuse to watch Animal Planet anymore. I used to enjoy the channel when I was younger, but now at least 90% of their programming seems to be about "killer animals" or "animal attacks." Most of the shows out there on the Burmese pythons in the Everglades just make me angry to watch as well. I've lived in south and central Florida all my life, and it's been a fact of life (albeit unpleasant for me - an individual with a keen interest in biology) that on any given day I'd likely see at least as many exotic as native animals, often more. I find it extremely irritating and hypocritical for people to have only really begun to make a huge deal about invasive species with the Burmese pythons. The one good show I have seen a few episodes of was, of course, Python Hunters on Nat Geo Wild with Shawn Heflick, Greg Graziani, and Michael Cole.

I will tell you, however, that as a biology student at the University of South Florida, most of the people I've talked to majoring in biological fields have had the same opinion of these sort of "shock factor" shows as us, which I see as a good thing. Anyway, I'm sure all of us here share your frustration with this sort of garbage being constantly aired on television, but unfortunately it does feed on the stereotypes people have about these animals. It would be nice to be able to alleviate some of the negative stigma the general population has associated with snakes, and I try to do my part in that by educating any new people I meet about them (showing them pictures of pretty ball python mutations on my phone never hurts). I think any little bit to get people to open their eyes some and not believe everything they see on tv or hear in the news about these animals is helpful.

By the way, beautiful boa you've got there! Can't wait for my Hog Island pair to get around that size in a couple years!

I totally agree, that's ridiculous. When someone I know finds out I keep snakes the first question is about being bitten and then they look at like I'm out of my mind. I like the idea of having pets that most people don't have but just because someone is uneducated on them doesn't mean they have to assume that they're all killers.

Animal Planet has just gotten to the point where they want to get people to watch, so they show "shocking" videos that catch people's attention. Someone will want to watch a snake go "crazy" and bite someone. You notice they dont show someone's killer pet hamster going wild and attacking a 6-year-old girl... even though I know for a fact it happens. Hamsters really -are- evil little buggers...

Dogs bite their owners sometimes, and strangers more often. Cats bite whenever they feel like it, because they're just contrary that way. Rodents bite ALL the time. Even rabbits bite. Horses do too. Lots of lizards bite, like geckos and bearded dragons. But somehow, none of that is as shocking or "deadly" as a baby burmese bite for example (seen on Animal Planet a while back, was only maybe 3-ft-long baby albino burm). Dont your parents tell you not to go up to strange dogs because they may bite? Same goes for going up to a strange snake and poking it in the face.

Personally, I'd rather be bitten by my ball python or even my boa, than be bitten by my dog.

I agree completely!

I know ignorant people that have asked me if my snakes bite me, and they seem dumbfounded when I tell them that, in the 10 years I've kept them, I've been bit only once. :rolleyes:

To them, every snake wants to harm you, kill you if it can.

I've stopped watching dumb TV like Animal Planet, they don't care about the truth, only what excites their myopic viewers.

I was watching "A 1000 Ways to Die" the other day, and there was a segment about a guy taking a "casual" trip to the Amazon, where he is, for no reason, killed by a "monster" boa. In the clip the man was leaning against a tree when a moderate size boa randomly sat on his shoulders, he quickly fell over dead and the snake moved along its way.

Then the narrator and the "experts" began talking about how it is "theoretically" possible for a snake to kill a full grown man. They fail to mention you're more likely to be killed by anything else.

Then there was a video on YouTube I saw, it was titled "Gigantic Snake Attacks 5 Men". The video was of 5 people attacking a large snake that was trying its best to escape their cruel capturing technique.

It's hard to get through to some people that snakes aren't vicious creatures. With all the lies the media uses in a pathetic attempt to make their stupid shows semi-exciting, its no wonder some people are so brainwashed.

Ok, my apologies, the clip wasn't on Animal Planet. I found it and it was a show called Maximum Exposure. I also found the video of the boa bite Coils was talking about, but with different narration as it is on Untamed and Uncut.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT3BwdvMO2U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4UNEpBI4n0

I think that I just try to make it my mission to teach the ppl around me the truth about reptiles. In fact I am in the middle of trying to set up my company. Last year I did a big reptile show for about 400 kids. This year I was contacted to do it again...(smaller version) but I am getting paid for it. I have also been aproached by the city that I live in to teach during their summer camps. Going to take a try at actually making some money out of this. The more ppl I reach the more that I can change their opinions....and so on and so forth. You would be amazed at how many ppl you can touch by just spending a little time with a few kids. ;)

My kids have been doing "Show and Tell" from when they were 5 and 7 year olds! They do at least once a year in their school and once a year at Cub Scouts and every other time they are asked (like when some neighborhood kid's cousin visits from out of state, they end up at my house checking out the snakes).

And here's my kids' favorite show - Bindi the Jungle Girl. Lovely BIG snakes she got there, one chumming with her younger brother and, of course her cornsnake she sleeps with. GASP, she sleeps with a snake! Call in the Child Protective Services! Good thing she's in Australia. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7w5xAgVzQE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

There is one positive show on AP, Snakes Kin.

I'm sorry, but snakes just don't appeal to the "norm". People want to see them biting and want to know that their fears are justified.

On another note, the boa in the bar, I remember reading about that a long time ago. It was an "after the fact" interview with the owner. He said his snake starved itself after it bit him. I wouldn't doubt if the snake said, "I've had enough of this crap" and then bit the owner. The owner believed that the snake felt bad for biting him and went on a hunger strike. The owner also went on to say that they lost a very important family member the day it died. Of course these shows don't show you that part of it. I'm sure you could find the other interview on YouTube.

I can't watch the video posted now, but from the extended version that I saw a long time ago, the owner was parading the boa in a smoke filled bar as an attraction. You could definitely tell near the end of it that the snake was stressed and he was forcing it to stay on peoples shoulders for pictures.

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Originally Posted by jfreels

There is one positive show on AP, Snakes Kin.

I'm sorry, but snakes just don't appeal to the "norm". People want to see them biting and want to know that their fears are justified.

On another note, the boa in the bar, I remember reading about that a long time ago. It was an "after the fact" interview with the owner. He said his snake starved itself after it bit him. I wouldn't doubt if the snake said, "I've had enough of this crap" and then bit the owner. The owner believed that the snake felt bad for biting him and went on a hunger strike. The owner also went on to say that they lost a very important family member the day it died. Of course these shows don't show you that part of it. I'm sure you could find the other interview on YouTube.

I can't watch the video posted now, but from the extended version that I saw a long time ago, the owner was parading the boa in a smoke filled bar as an attraction. You could definitely tell near the end of it that the snake was stressed and he was forcing it to stay on peoples shoulders for pictures.

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Yeah the whole video to me was just stupid....all people want to see are snakes attacking and harming humans. No doubt the snake probably had enough of the crap it went through that day. Not to mention again I would never let a huge boa come face to face with any BABY in a BAR no matter how much I trusted the snake. Anything CAN bite, but of course snakes are ten times more deadly than anything else just because they too can bite. -___- *sarcasm*

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Originally Posted by Salem Purrs

Ok, my apologies, the clip wasn't on Animal Planet. I found it and it was a show called Maximum Exposure. I also found the video of the boa bite Coils was talking about, but with different narration as it is on Untamed and Uncut.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT3BwdvMO2U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4UNEpBI4n0

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I just can't get over in that first video how the woman just flings the snake off and drops it after it bites the girl. In the full video the man says it's very tame...but honestly it doesn't look very happy to me. So of course the little girl sticks her fingers right in its face. The owner should have known better. I have jumped and been shocked after being bitten or struck at, but still I don't just throw my animal afterwards! That's what makes me mad about that one....

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Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

I think that I just try to make it my mission to teach the ppl around me the truth about reptiles. In fact I am in the middle of trying to set up my company. Last year I did a big reptile show for about 400 kids. This year I was contacted to do it again...(smaller version) but I am getting paid for it. I have also been aproached by the city that I live in to teach during their summer camps. Going to take a try at actually making some money out of this. The more ppl I reach the more that I can change their opinions....and so on and so forth. You would be amazed at how many ppl you can touch by just spending a little time with a few kids. ;)

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I also try to educate everyone I know about reptiles. I love telling them they are not vicious killers and seeing the reaction afterwards. My family now loves most my snakes and I have even gotten people to pet them who probably never would have done so before hand. I love taking some of my bps out during the day for photo shoots and having the neighborhood kids come out of their houses just to play with the "cool snakes".

I have a normal male bp who will always be my pet and has never once struck at me...he is the best when it comes to letting younger cousins and neighbors hold a snake. I'm always watchful, but he's so sweet they fall in love with snakes almost instantly after they hold him and have a SURPRISINGLY good experience with a snake.

I even talked my teacher into letting me bring one of my snakes into biology for a day during high school. She let me pretend to go along with class and have the snake hidden in my hoody while doing book-work. As my snake made her way free from my clothing a girl next to me finally noticed....it was hilarious. Had a really cool day of passing the animal around and getting even the girly-girls to like and pet a snake once in their lives. I loved that feeling. I really enjoy telling and teaching people all about these wonderful creatures. :D

Most everyone who loves snakes gets fed up with the media garbage we are subjected to everyday.

About "dangerous" snakes and kids I'll share this true story: Back in 1999, my family drove up to South Dakota to visit relatives. We went to Mount Rushmore and also stopped by the huge Reptile Gardens in Rapid City.

While there, we caught a reptile show. The man handled many snakes, including a few venomous types, but the star of the show was a magnificent albino python I think was a Burmese. She was I believe around 20 - 22' long, and the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. I have an entire roll of film I shot of her. After the show ended, the handler was taking the Burm around the edge of the show ring and allowing people to touch her. Wanting to see her closer, I put my then 4 year old daughter on my hip and squeezed down to the ring. I kept her on the hip furthest from the ring, as I did not want her to be frightened by the snake. When the handler brought the snake close, my daughter leaned over as far as she could and just stroked that Burm's head with both hands, she was enchanted. I too felt the privilege of her silky skin under my fingers. When the handler walked on, my daughter just stared after him, and you could hear her thinking, "I wasn't done with that!"

I was so proud of her, she was as gentle and kind as could be, and much more so than a typical 4 year old acts around animals. Now that she's a teenager, she goes in my room and gets out my snakes all the time, even the balls that are bigger than she is. If I thought for one moment that one of those snakes could seriously hurt her, do you think I am so cruel and/or stupid that I'd let her hold them? She knows what it feels like to get bitten, she's seen me get tagged and just laugh it off. She also knows to be careful about letting them get on her shoulders.

And as to being bitten, I have been trying to trap some stray kittens so they can be turned over to a local rescue group, one of them bit me right through my cotton gardening glove, and I'm here to tell you, I'd 1,000 times rather be bitten by my biggest ball than a kitten, it hurts less!!

Gale

Long post to read but... snakes are the coolest and quite frankly the ignorant people that don't care to learn about their coolness aren't worth the frustration. My snake collection keeps my relatives away(not a bad thing) of course it could be my dogs too. and killers.... ???? if only... I dream of the day my balls are big enough to eat my cat or dog... Just kidding ofcourse!

Also now that Ive seen the videos... Those people dont deserve snakes and their coolness!!!! :snake::gj::gj::gj:

I completely agree with your rant. I get that all the time, how snakes are "killers" and they're dangerous as hell. It pisses me off that they can't see past the media-hype of all snakes being man-eaters.

I also feel though that all "dangerous" creatures get a bad rap. Especially sharks. Snakes and sharks, my two favourite animals, get the worst of things. It's just sad how people watch movies like Jaws or (God forbid) Snakes on a Plane and automatically take these beautiful creatures as extremely dangerous.

It just makes me sad...

yeah i'd say they all demonize reptiles (Snakes the most) to get tv viewings. lately been watching clips about burmese pythons breeding in florida,even tho it is a dumb news reporter talking out of his a$$ , it leaves me in awe to think about burmese pythons taking hold in florida with a wild population ... but yea those kind of shows just wanna paint a picture , that picture ......... snake kill babys:snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake:

I completley agree. I have seen all the shows you are talking about, and it makes me pissed being measure.

Animal Planet has just published a new one sided propaganda piece against the exotics community:
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/fatal...-overview.html

It's no surprise that all of their "sources" come from HSUS and other AR sites.
In my books, They have officially joined the rank stenches of the AR propaganda machine.

I agree with the rant and the problem is nobody wants to take the time and learn the truth, if people think reptiles are dangerous, then it is easier to present reptiles in this light, but there are a few bright spots too. In 2004's Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, a snake is framed for a murder but proven not only innocent but shown as a great animal. Katy Perry's California Gurls video has the sweetest morphs I've ever seen. Again, in this video snakes are shown in a good light. And these two examples just pop into my head, there are more out there like Steve Erwin who was very pro-snake too. It isn't all bleak out there.

Dangit!!

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Originally Posted by Br. Francis

........Katy Perry's California Gurls video has the sweetest morphs I've ever seen. Again, in this video snakes are shown in a good light. And these two examples just pop into my head,........

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You made me go watch that. :taz:

Either there are different versions of that video or your head needs de-popped. :rolleyes:

There were some computer generated candy cane spiral striped snakes in the version I saw but, like Katy Perry's talent, they were not real upon closer examination. ;)


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Dangit!!



You made me go watch that. :taz:

Either there are different versions of that video or your head needs de-popped. :rolleyes:

There were some computer generated candy cane spiral striped snakes in the version I saw but, like Katy Perry's talent, they were not real upon closer examination. ;)


dr del

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It was pun on sweet and candy, but I liked seeing snakes shown as cool, beautiful and part of the perfect land Katy was singing about.

Ahhh! Gotcha, :gj:

I had to go watch some of The Pretty Reckless vids to get some good sounds running round my head. :rofl:

I don't know if it slipped through but I am not Katys biggest fan. :rolleyes: :oops:

It's probably related to her choice of husband in part.


dr del

The Legend of the Guardians movie has a snake as the nurse maid. She is pretty cool and very adventurous and the owls are very protective of her! They even gave her pretty eyelashes!

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Originally Posted by anatess

The Legend of the Guardians movie has a snake as the nurse maid. She is pretty cool and very adventurous and the owls are very protective of her! They even gave her pretty eyelashes!

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I LOOOOVED THAT MOVIE!!! It's now my favorite movie and yes, the fact there was a cool nice snake added in it was awesome! I instantly freaked when I saw her. Think it's the first nice snake in any animated movie??

:D

not much i can say other then people are incredibly ignorant =/