So Disgusted ( saw a horrendous TV show tonight)

Tonight I was clicking around and saw a show on animal planet "worlds biggest pets". First segment was on a dude keeping a buffalo in his house, second, was a giant rabbit, but the third featured a burmese python at (supposedly) 16' and about 120lbs. What was horrendous, is how they played up how dangerous it was, how the owner obvisouly didn't know how to handle a large snake safely, and most-of-all how they made up a fact about it.. the claim was "pythons smaller than her have suffocated and EATEN their owners". It just disgusts me how they can make up "facts" out of the air with such an obvious agenda... They emphasized the danger of the python MORE than the danger of having a buffalo in your house. *sigh* There's even a lovely segment with the snake striking her (and biting) at the vet's where they claim that the wound will require immediate medical attention. The owner was obviously not experienced with large snakes (didn't even use a hook), so it was all a lesson on how not to handle a large snake.

I found a copy of the full show on youtube, so if you would care to watch, the python segment is at 16:31.

Just thought I would vent and share. :/

While I agree on most of it, just because he didn't use a snake hook doesn't make him inexperienced. I never have used a hook on my Rosey my 6' BCI. If the snake knows you and you don't reach in face first and grab the snake out of the blue, there is no reason it should bite you out of the blue. 90% of the time I can reach in fine and just grab Rosey. Its just when she's in shed that she gets cranky and during those times, if I need to take her out for whatever reason, I will always pet her back 1/2 to let her know im there. She will usually perk up and sniff the air with her tongue and once she catches my scent, she just lays back down and lets me do whatever I need to do. I saw a video on YouTube of a guy with a huge retic who doesn't use a hook either and just lets it out to wander around. Now don't get wrong, any large snake that you aren't comfortable with or know, you should definitely use a hook unless you just got big cojones or want to possible get one heck of a bite. I don't think I've seen a snake show yet that shows snakes in a good light except an Anaconda show I saw on one of those channels. It actually made them out to be fairly calm snakes once they get big. Said something about along with the size comes confidence so they mellow out. But you're right, most shows seem to make them all out as evil creatures that specifically search out humans to eat which is rather funny as most snakes would rather get away from humans.

Shame on animal planet. They should be more responsible. I guess that is one of the reasons I quit watching them years ago.

sad. The owner has extremely well kept facilities it would appear, and takes great care of the animals. But of course they are demonized and she is playing it up - I don't think she really feels the way it shows her feeling. I'm guessing its almost all scripted.

And that Burmese is maybe 13' . . . sigh . . . more propaganda to hurt the community at any cost.

Sauzo- Did you watch the clip? It wasn't just that she didn't use a hook, she approached the snake incorrectly and wasn't using typical handling protocall.. It came off very much like she was "terrified" and nervous around her own snake.

reptilexperts- I agree.. Her other enclosures and everything were great... I'm just wondering if she really don't need to have a giant snake. It appears as if she doesn't have very willing people to help with the snake (which isn't good with a snake that size) and she just doesn't seem confident. I hope it was scripted, but who would want to make their pet out to be a scary monster? I compared it, with my husband, to a handling video by Kevin McCurly and he agreed (he is not a snake person btw) that the snake community would have been much better served by someone that knows how to handle correctly.. Of course, that wouldn't have been as dramatic. :/

She was probably an actress, and most likely it wasn't her snake. Hence the "scripted" part.

Animal Planet is a joke. At best it's infotainment, at worst it's yellow journalism on the goggle box.

My life improved immensely after I dumped CATV & DISH.

Yeah... I hardly ever watch it. We actually don't watch much TV, I was just clicking around and happened across it.

Nah Artgecko, I didn't watch it, I generally don't watch that stuff as most of it is depressing and just casts constrictors in a bad light as purely killing machines that just will seek you out and kill you just because they can. I thought you were just making a general statement about people not using hooks are inexperienced, I apologize.

No problem. :) I'm sorry you took it that way. There were many, many things wrong with how she was handling the snake, the hook was the least of the issues (but easiest to explain in a post).

This is animal planet, the network for animals with several non animal related shows such as tree house bladders and the pool blaster. If I wanted to be lied to by a television network I would unblock Fox News.


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Originally Posted by Citrus

This is animal planet, the network for animals with several non animal related shows such as tree house bladders and the pool blaster. If I wanted to be lied to by a television network I would unblock Fox News.


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Lol so true.

it just makes me angry because the python segment wasn't edited with nearly as much care, love and cutsey light-hearted music as the others. in other segments they talk about special accommodations, attitudes and shows them in a happy environment. the python segment was more along the lines of "people actually keep these large wild animals as pets!"

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

it just makes me angry because the python segment wasn't edited with nearly as much care, love and cutsey light-hearted music as the others. in other segments they talk about special accommodations, attitudes and shows them in a happy environment. the python segment was more along the lines of "people actually keep these large wild animals as pets!"

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When you were little were you taught about reptiles, or did the teacher discuss traditional mammals and maybe a bird or two? I don't know if this (and also I'm unfamiliar with it) is the cause but wasn't a snake portrayed as bad or evil in the bible? Tempting them to eat the forbidden fruit? Sort of like the worlds oldest media lie (not align out any religion, don't get offended just making a point) in that 75% of people are disgusted by reptiles because they are continually portrayed as these evil creatures and seem to have always been. Maybe it's because of the venomous ones which give them all a bad rep among the mentioned 75%


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Citrus

When you were little were you taught about reptiles, or did the teacher discuss traditional mammals and maybe a bird or two? I don't know if this (and also I'm unfamiliar with it) is the cause but wasn't a snake portrayed as bad or evil in the bible? Tempting them to eat the forbidden fruit? Sort of like the worlds oldest media lie (not align out any religion, don't get offended just making a point) in that 75% of people are disgusted by reptiles because they are continually portrayed as these evil creatures and seem to have always been. Maybe it's because of the venomous ones which give them all a bad rep among the mentioned 75%


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when I was young, my third or fourth grade teacher took us on a class field trip to a houston-area "wildlife preserve." given that houston consists of roughly 2.5 million people and a commensurate amount of concrete, the nature walk didn't last long. what stuck with me, however, was the guy at the end of the tour pulling snakes out of tupperware containers and letting me hold one after the next. enthrallment ensued.

I only mention the anecdote because my secondary school has "baptist" built right into its name on its articles of incorporation, and all teachers are required to be self-described practicing christians. we were definitely taught that a serpent was responsible for convincing lady Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, thereby ensuring man's expulsion from paradise and the world's first case of PMS. I'm not trying to be flippant or denigrate any religion, but I think it's safe to say that a good deal of reptile antipathy has legs in the book of Genesis (although I do think the bible could have done a bit better than blaming a carnivorous, limbless serpent for "handing" a piece of fruit to a human. dunno, maybe lizards, salamanders, newts, and frogs were all busy using their arms for other things that day). point being, despite my personal misgivings about organized religion and the institutionalization of certain beliefs/world views, no one ever tried to make me hate reptiles as a child because of christianity. I think a lot of people just believe snakes are slimy, subjectively gross, and afraid that they're all somehow venomous. I absolutely despise roaches without anything to back it up other than "gross, kill it with fire."

moreover, I'll always be thankful for that day when I got to hold a half dozen snakes on a christian school field trip. it was directly responsible for a lot of aquaria, tubs, racks, and enjoyment over the years. and lastly, in defense of the Good Book, cloven-hoofed animals get at least as bad of a rap as reptiles. probably worse.

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Originally Posted by wwmjkd

when I was young, my third or fourth grade teacher took us on a class field trip to a houston-area "wildlife preserve." given that houston consists of roughly 2.5 million people and a commensurate amount of concrete, the nature walk didn't last long. what stuck with me, however, was the guy at the end of the tour pulling snakes out of tupperware containers and letting me hold one after the next. enthrallment ensued.

I only mention the anecdote because my secondary school has "baptist" built right into its name on its articles of incorporation, and all teachers are required to be self-described practicing christians. we were definitely taught that a serpent was responsible for convincing lady Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, thereby ensuring man's expulsion from paradise and the world's first case of PMS. I'm not trying to be flippant or denigrate any religion, but I think it's safe to say that a good deal of reptile antipathy has legs in the book of Genesis (although I do think the bible could have done a bit better than blaming a carnivorous, limbless serpent for "handing" a piece of fruit to a human. dunno, maybe lizards, salamanders, newts, and frogs were all busy using their arms for other things that day). point being, despite my personal misgivings about organized religion and the institutionalization of certain beliefs/world views, no one ever tried to make me hate reptiles as a child because of christianity. I think a lot of people just believe snakes are slimy, subjectively gross, and afraid that they're all somehow venomous. I absolutely despise roaches without anything to back it up other than "gross, kill it with fire."

moreover, I'll always be thankful for that day when I got to hold a half dozen snakes on a christian school field trip. it was directly responsible for a lot of aquaria, tubs, racks, and enjoyment over the years. and lastly, in defense of the Good Book, cloven-hoofed animals get at least as bad of a rap as reptiles. probably worse.

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Lol like I said, I'm uninformed on religion. I wasn't attacking it but trying to make a connection to why most people don't like reptiles. Here's a better one: I forget the exact place and tribe name, but there are rainforest Indians that teach their young to stay away from all snakes. The herpetologist was searching for a cobra. They claimed to have captured one. Turned out to be a vine snake or some sort of rat snake. They know there are lethal ones and don't want to chance it. (Although one of them caught a snake regardless :) ).
Edit: I just remembered my childhood friend with ultra religious parents had all kinds of snakes as pets. I even went to his church once and there were lizards and snakes in vivariums.


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