Why can't they get it right?!

I never really noticed until I got into snakes just how wrong TV Shows/News are about snakes and snake species. I just watched the new episode of "Python Hunters" and they started taking about boas and started off showing a boa, but then while they were still taking about boas and showed a normal ball python. :mad:

Why can't they get it right? I can forgive the news because they get things wrong all the time, but a Nat Geo show about reptiles and invasive speices in FL should be able to get it right! :rage:

The guys in the show KNOW WHAT THEIR DOING.. Its the editors doing everything that might be off.

The guys in the show are well known in the industry..

Greg Graziani
Michael Cole
Shawn Heflick

I actually really enjoy watching that show. Greg, Mike, and Sean are hilarious and have been in this hobby most of their lives. I'm sure it was just a mistake from the producers or someone who isn't quite knowledgeable about snake species. It doesn't really anger me at all. I think it is a great, educational show that portrays this hobby better than any other snake related show I've seen on t.v. They often go back to the point of explaining that it was most likely the hurricane in 1992 that has caused invasive species to flourish, the majority were likely not releases from stupid people. It may just be my personal opinion, but I find this show enjoyable.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

The guys in the show KNOW WHAT THEIR DOING.. Its the editors doing everything that might be off.

The guys in the show are well known in the industry..

Greg Graziani
Michael Cole
Shawn Heflick

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I wasn't blaming them, but Nat Geo should have known better. I think those guys are awesome.

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Originally Posted by Kinra

I wasn't blaming them, but Nat Geo should have known better. I think those guys are awesome.

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No producer or any National type show will know better.. They get paid to film and edit nature. They aren't paid to know species and what their doing. Thats why most shows are garbage as no one knows what their doing. This show has proper information.

I agree, the three python hunters are ambassadors for this hobby!!! They are very well known hobbyist and breeders.

It is TV!

You can't expect the producers and others in charge to be well-educated in any species of animal.. They usually get into that business for the money, just look at Animal Planet and how it has evolved over the past decade alone. It has adapted it's shows to be "entertainment" not "educational" because entertainment draws in more viewers, therefore more money. Nat Geo has some greats shows and is one of the only channels I watch, but regardless, it is still just a television station hungry for money. They aren't as concerned about accuracy as they are revenue.

I believe i seen this episode, was it the one where they were trying to catch monitor lizards? if so i believe the part you are talking about is when they were talking about the thing they did when they took in unwanted reptiles. they were saying how they take any sort of unwanted pet, and it showed a boa, then a ball... then i believe some turtles?

i could be wrong, but i think they were just generally showing what species people surrender... like i said, i could be wrong. Very good show though!!

The episode the OP is referring to was first aired just a few hours ago. The guys found a dead Boa and the narrator went into a description of Boas, showed one, then showed a normal BP crawling across a branch.

I have to admit I get annoyed sometimes too. I've seen several NatGeo and Animal Planet programs that show boas when the narrator is talking about pythons and vice versa. I know that the producers and editors might not know as much about snakes, but it still doesn't keep me from yelling at my TV that they got it wrong haha :P

Python Hunters is awesome though :gj: I watched the episode last night too.

Probably Just glitch in editing.. I was watching Swamp Brothers on discovery one day and facepalm hard when in One moment Narrator call Hognose : "Hognose Python" :rofl::rofl::rofl:

I do get annoyed with editing glitches because it means someone who doesn't know better could see a ball python and later think it is a boa because of the tv show! But I do love python hunters, and it's a million times better than anything on animal planet now!

:D You want to see something that'll REALLY drive you nutty? Watch the movie "Snakes on a TRAIN"..yes it's a real movie... starring the deadly venomous... BALL PYTHONS and GARTER SNAKES!! Bwahaha... It's awesome. :) Snakes maul people like bears apparently.

I had a chuckle when i watched that last night. That was a pretty big goof. They hire experts to help with that sort of thing. Somebody goofed...

Most TV program producers probably wouldn't know a 15 foot Burmese python from the linguine they had for dinner last night...

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Originally Posted by ER12

Most TV program producers probably wouldn't know a 15 foot Burmese python from the linguine they had for dinner last night...

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I got a bad bite from a venomous linguine once.

I agree. I absoutley hate it when they are talking about ball pythons or other non venomous species of snake and show on the screen rattlesnakes and gaboon vipers...what the hell?

While it is mildly annoying, I can let a python/boa mix up slide. It's when they show a ball python while talking about vipers and cobras and other hots, because THAT'S what will get harmless snakes killed. People will see an escaped ball python, remember that time they saw one on the show when the word "viper" was mentioned, automatically make the association, and if they're stupid enough (which let's be honest, they probably are), try to kill it.

But yeah. Python Hunters is great. Unfortunately I've only managed to catch a few episodes, but I saw one the other day where one of the guys was hiring someone to help around his facility. He made a personal house call to come see her animals and make sure they were healthy and their cages were clean and whatnot. Not only was I impressed by that endeavor, but I was impressed that the hobby was portrayed accurately for once, with a good, responsible keeper with nonaggressive animals. Major points, NatGeo.

You want a show that has bad information just watch Billy the Exterminator.... remember the one when he found the ball python and went on to tell the lady how she was lucky because they get massive haha

Did anyone catch that recent episode of "Swamp Wars" on Animal Planet with the VenomOne team? I liked how they kept showing footage of a ball python whenever they were mentioning "Giant, Killer Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades".

Stupidity and Incompetence must have their own over time departments at Animal Planet/Discovery Communications...