You have got to be kidding me...

[pavlovk1025]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090528/...glades_pythons

Here we go...politics driving media instilling fear and creating support for those wanting to crush our hobby. There's at least 100k yokels sitting in their houses checking Yahoo news and saying "We oughtsa do sumin."

I dont even know what to say....

[pavlovk1025]

"With Snow maintaining a strong grip on its head, the massive snake hissed angrily at Salazar and the other federal officials who gathered around it at a recreation area off Alligator Alley in the vast saw grass prairie"


Wonder if Snow would've enjoyed someone squeezing his head with a "strong grip"

[icygirl]

"With Snow maintaining a strong grip on its head, the massive snake hissed angrily at Salazar and the other federal officials who gathered around it at a recreation area off Alligator Alley in the vast saw grass prairie"


Wonder if Snow would've enjoyed someone squeezing his head with a "strong grip"

He's just an ecologist doing his job trying to protect endangered species. It's the news reporters who said the snake was "hissing angrily".

[pavlovk1025]

Fair enough. Still bugs me though.

[Ben Biscy]

Fair enough. Still bugs me though.

burms do not like having their heads held. just about every big one i've seen will react like that if handled improperly like that.

and how exactly do these guys survive the winters down there? it's not like it stays tropical 325 days out of the year.... i think that the numbers are highly exaggerated, the breeding statements scare tactics.

[pavlovk1025]

The Everglades tend to stay pretty hot and humid no matter the time of year. The burm I had didnt mind if you grabbed her head and lifted it to check her out for mouth rot, RI's, etc. This is just a stupid story to have out there. I have never seen anything on Yahoo news about snakes until recently, with the proposed legislation out and all. As far as the breeding stats go, someone on the forum pointed out that it IS possible so I dont know. Either way, the reporters and all opposition to the hobby/lifestyle/business that we all hold so near and dear are all cordially invited to suck it.

[spottysnake]

what is everyone lashing out about? They are an invasive species that need to be dealt with. Just because there's an article on it doesn't mean somebody has it out for the pet snake hobby. There's thousands of invasive species all over the world that are causing harm, and are all deserving of articles about them. Just because we like snakes doesn't mean we should be against any negative press they get where they are causing ecological damage.

[SoundUnsleep]

Sorry, this gets close to being off topic, but I can't help and answer this question:

what is everyone lashing out about?

Simple answer: Negative press is one way to get a couple more people to scream "Ban".
The proposed congressional ban does not just address the import of the burmese python in the Everglades. The ban proposes prohibition of the "constrictor snake of the species Python genera", meaning python like in any python species. Since the proposed ban is to be added to the Lacey Act it would not just ban the import to Florida, but to anywhere in the US. The Lacey Act further requires the receiver to export or destroy any prohibited animals/eggs.
All those that are sitting there quietly, wondering why snake keepers are getting upset over the negative media reports regarding the burmese python in Florida, have not understood yet, how powerful the media really is when it comes to causing a panic and collecting votes in order to promote a ban that is in the best interest of an ignorant minority that is situated in Florida - not the entire USA.
To sum it up: The reason for lashing out is the very realistic possibility of having to destroy our pythons, just because the media increases its amount of horror stories about the burmese invasion in Florida in order to promote the ban.

[pavlovk1025]

Sorry, this gets close to being off topic, but I can't help and answer this question:



Simple answer: Negative press is one way to get a couple more people to scream "Ban".
The proposed congressional ban does not just address the import of the burmese python in the Everglades. The ban proposes prohibition of the "constrictor snake of the species Python genera", meaning python like in any python species. Since the proposed ban is to be added to the Lacey Act it would not just ban the import to Florida, but to anywhere in the US. The Lacey Act further requires the receiver to export or destroy any prohibited animals/eggs.
All those that are sitting there quietly, wondering why snake keepers are getting upset over the negative media reports regarding the burmese python in Florida, have not understood yet, how powerful the media really is when it comes to causing a panic and collecting votes in order to promote a ban that is in the best interest of an ignorant minority that is situated in Florida - not the entire USA.
To sum it up: The reason for lashing out is the very realistic possibility of having to destroy our pythons, just because the media increases its amount of horror stories about the burmese invasion in Florida in order to promote the ban.

Well said.

Based off of spottysnake's posts on BP.net, Ill assume he's new to the herp world and wasn't aware of what's going on, and Im not gonna hold it against him. But Spotty, man, any negative media attention about snakes or other reptiles brings the opposition one step closer to shutting down all sorts of non native species...down to betta fish. It's THAT serious. The fact that the snakes are causing ecological damage is bad, yes. But that piece of media sways people's minds against us. You have a new BP...you wanna lose it?

[RebelYell83]

ok,heres my take on this,its bull,and they are placing blame where it doesnt need to be

point 1:

Wildlife biologists say the troublesome invaders -- dumped in the Everglades by pet owners who no longer want them -

i disagree heavily with this,as the issue started around the time of Hurricane Andrew,if it was solely pet owners,would of been a bigger issue by now,and a hell of a lot sooner.Basically,hurricane comes through in august,destroys importing warehouses,releasing these animals to the while,as a lot of importers and pet owners was in this area.In order for this issue to grow to this size,so relativly quikly,and not in any other areas,would mean thousands of burm owners all drove to the exact same park to release thier "pets"

The population of Burmese pythons in Florida's Everglades may have grown to as many as 150,000 as the non-native snakes make a home and breed in the fragile wetlands, officials said Thursday.

this would be relativly easy for them to accomplish,as a burm averages 60-100+ eggs,if the first year of the "release" 100 adult females became gravid,that year alone would resualt in 1000 or more hatchlings,,and so and so on.....

Everglades biologists have been grappling with the growing python problem for a decade.

which would put the issue becoming noticable in around 99,7 years after hurricane andrew,,sounds about right,dont ya think?

Pythons captured in the Everglades are often killed. Wildlife officials are trying trapping and other eradication methods, and are considering offering bounties to hunters.

though,not a bad idea,i am SURE there are many herpers in florida,or even ones that travel here,that would happily purchase a capture permit for 100 bucks that allows them to capture and remove 3-5 of these animals each,if you sell 5000 permits,thats 500,000 dollars going into helping fund the issue,5,000 extra helpers fighting it that they dont have to pay,and up to 25,000 animals removed a year they dont have to pay to put down.