"Boa Constrictor" found inside hood of cadillac

The video of the "boa constrictor" is clearly a ball python. It's one of my major pet peeves that the media often will mislabel snakes or simply write "python". Come on, what type of python? There are a lot of different types so it's important to specify! Anyway, I'm annoyed that they just released the ball python into some bushes. It's likely someone's pet! Also, a lot of the comments on some websites regarding this story say "Kill the boa, it's invasive to Florida". For one, it's a ball python not a boa. Two, you are confusing it was burmese pythons. Three, the worst a ball python could do is kill some rats and mice so put down the pitchforks.

https://abc7news.com/pets-animals/fl...illac/5069345/

"Boa CONSTRICTOR"
"His FEARLESS neighbor."

I cannot anymore. Ignorance like this makes me speechless but I know we're all collectively face palming right now so that's a comfort haha.

After all the publicity, you'd think that a resident of Florida would know better than to just release the snake into the bushes...:O (Biting my tongue!)

Can't fix stupid. Problem is, stupid is everywhere!

Plus it was reported by a news channel so you know right there it's probably not true. :O I won't go further.

Florida is overrun with constrictors, iguanas and who knows what else.
You don't need to purchase a snake....go to Florida and get one for free! AND help save their wildlife at the same time [emoji16]

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

I'm astounded that they're so freaked out by one THAT small, regardless of the misidentification. That's, what.. a 2 foot snake? Maybe 2.5? And at no point did the snake appear to hiss or strike... major face-palm for me.

There is a "report a typo" button at the bottom. Maybe if enough of us report the "boa constrictor" typo, they will fix it. May help educate some people correctly if it gets fixed. It just has you send an email IDing the typo. I added links to pictures of a ball python vs boa as proof to mine.


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Perfect example of public overreaction to reptiles...

now imagine what happens when we as keepers don’t take the proper precautions to not let a real story occur.

if they can run with this they can run with anything...

I'm sure this is fake/staged. There's not a population of ball pythons here so it would be rare to find someone's pet. Plus he just "happened" to check under the hood of his car while it was there? :rolleyes: most people don't look under the hood unless there's a problem... and usually not even then unless they know something about cars.

This makes me so mad.

The misidentification is one thing. But we all know it wasn't just an accident, but a dramatic choice of branding for the snake to evoke more fear.

I saw that too. You would think a reputable source like CNN would put in the two minutes of research it would take to determine the species.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ball Pythons have now evolved into using transportation to find rats....he was hoping to get a ride to the KFC dumpster.

Find that snake and name him Caddy!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

I saw that too. You would think a reputable source like CNN would put in the two minutes of research it would take to determine the species.

---

HUH???:fishslap:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kira

The video of the "boa constrictor" is clearly a ball python. It's one of my major pet peeves that the media often will mislabel snakes or simply write "python". Come on, what type of python? There are a lot of different types so it's important to specify! Anyway, I'm annoyed that they just released the ball python into some bushes. It's likely someone's pet! Also, a lot of the comments on some websites regarding this story say "Kill the boa, it's invasive to Florida". For one, it's a ball python not a boa. Two, you are confusing it was burmese pythons. Three, the worst a ball python could do is kill some rats and mice so put down the pitchforks.

https://abc7news.com/pets-animals/fl...illac/5069345/

---

good job everyone! i think someone used the typo link in the story to report their error and they at least changed it to "snake" in the story text. it's a small victory. it's still "boa constrictor" in the vid and hot link tho.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/kteP8JX.png


Edit: also the thumbnail they use for this story is redic!
https://www.bing.com/th?id=ON.DC92E1...5B3DB9BB757228

look at that guy. i would expect nothing less than a wolverine under the hood if that were my reaction.

Misidentification is always annoying, however, I let it slide. I'm glad they revised it to generic 'snake'. If someone were to say "daisies were given to someone" but they were in fact a black eyed susans, the lay person isn't going to care or know the difference. When most average people think snake it's either python or a boa, let alone trying to get into the specific sub-species.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kira

Also, a lot of the comments on some websites regarding this story say "Kill the boa, it's invasive to Florida". For one, it's a ball python not a boa. Two, you are confusing it was burmese pythons. Three, the worst a ball python could do is kill some rats and mice so put down the pitchforks.

---

Technically it is invasive and may kill native rodents or birds. If they really released it into the bushes and it isn't some staged event (happens so often) that's a shame. Hopefully the ball python is okay.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ax01

...



https://www.bing.com/th?id=ON.DC92E1...5B3DB9BB757228

look at that guy. i would expect nothing less than a wolverine under the hood if that were my reaction.

---

:rofl: He's ready to run a 50 yard dash. :rofl:

This looks way too staged.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SquirmyPug

I'm sure this is fake/staged. There's not a population of ball pythons here so it would be rare to find someone's pet. Plus he just "happened" to check under the hood of his car while it was there? :rolleyes: most people don't look under the hood unless there's a problem... and usually not even then unless they know something about cars.

---

It also could have been someone deliberately messing with the car's owner. But snakes of various kinds are occasionally found under the hood, having been dumped
& attracted by the engine warmth. The other thing that would attract a snake to investigate under the hood of a car is the smell of rodents. I've lived places where
wild pack-rats try to move into cars parked in the open...they chew up wires & try to carry off whatever they can for nest material, so that's another possibility here.
Unless BPs learn to talk, we'll never know for sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

It also could have been someone deliberately messing with the car's owner. But snakes of various kinds are occasionally found under the hood, having been dumped
& attracted by the engine warmth. The other thing that would attract a snake to investigate under the hood of a car is the smell of rodents. I've lived places where
wild pack-rats try to move into cars parked in the open...they chew up wires & try to carry off whatever they can for nest material, so that's another possibility here.
Unless BPs learn to talk, we'll never know for sure.

---

Oh no, some of us know!

Snakes end up in car engines for the same reason they end up in couches or the crawl-space under kitchen cupboards: they're crawling
on the ground, & see a dark cave just above them that beckons them in.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Snakes end up in car engines for the same reason they end up in couches or the crawl-space under kitchen cupboards: they're crawling
on the ground, & see a dark cave just above them that beckons them in.

---

So Boogie Two Shoes, were you a snek in a previous life?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MR Snakes

So Boogie Two Shoes, were you a snek in a previous life?

---

"....previous"??? :snake:

I like how the article edited out boa constrictor to "snake" now and removed the comments section. LOL

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

"....previous"??? :snake:

---

I knew I was right!

Hopefully the snake wasn't harmed. We can only hope the fearless neighbor did the right thing. I didn't read the article. Just watched the vid. Might have missed it...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cletus

Hopefully the snake wasn't harmed. We can only hope the fearless neighbor did the right thing. I didn't read the article. Just watched the vid. Might have missed it...

---

Naw, not really...they just 'released it into the bushes' which was really dumb. They didn't outright kill it but they didn't help either. :(