I am looking to buy a jazzy snake print tote bag (faux of course) and in my internet searches I of course came up with plenty of real python leather bags. I have no interest in purchasing one because I can find no reliable information on the circumstances under which the leather is harvested. So I thought I would share my opinions on the ethics of python leather and you all can tell me if you agree or disagree.

I believe in treating animals ethically, but I do not agree with the all or nothing approach of PETA. I believe we have a right to eat animals, provided they are raised in killed humanely. I also see no reason not to use all of an animal that is humanely killed for food, hence I have no problem with cow leather.

But python leather bothers me. We all know that snakes are not given fair treatment by most people, so I seriously question the standards used to raise pythons for leather. I found one $600 handbag for sale that was retic skin (didn't say so, but it was obvious) and the pattern was rather small and included the belly scales which were very narrow. It was from a very young snake. Honestly, seeing it just made me kind of sick. I just started thinking about the terrible life that animal probably had.

Are there circumstances in which I would be ok with genuine python leather? Perhaps... If the species was not threatened or endangered and the meat of the animal was being used to feed the starving people in the snake's native country, and the snake was killed ethically to fulfill this ethical purpose, and the sale of the leather handbag went to further the cause, then perhaps I would buy one.... but these things with outrageous price tags under a designer label with no claims to the welfare of the animal slaughtered in the name of fashion... It just really bothered me....

I know in parts of the South, alligators are farmed for their meat and for their skin. I don't necessarily oppose this.... I just don't believe they are raised and killed humanely because they are reptiles and no one cares, which to me is the biggest issue. I feel like of all the animals we skin, reptiles are at the bottom of the totem pole, and of those, snakes are in the mud at the base. If it isn't cute by the standards of the masses, it looses the right to ethical treatment. No one in their right mind would buy a tiger coat, but python handbags are for sale on Amazon.

I adore snake print. Why wouldn't I, snakes are gorgeous! I have a purse, a lap top sleeve and a wallet in snake print. But all are PRINT, not SKIN. An imitation of the animal's beauty without using the animal. Knowing that a beautiful animal lived a terrible life and was likely slaughtered for its skin while its body was thrown in a trash pile is far more of turn off for me than the price tag of these handbags. If you ask me, $600 is far too cheap a price to pay for the loss of an animal that lived a miserable life.

Anyway, sorry to be a downer, but I was really disturbed by my innocent search for a faux handbag. I think because in this day and age, you don't see very much real animal skin on ANYTHING.... unless it's snake skin. I know you all understand that this is a disturbing fact. Anyway, I'm sure with more searching, I will find the perfect stylish bag, and it will be all the more stylish because no animals will be harmed to make it.