Why PETA Thinks Snakes Shouldn't be Pets (Disputed)

[FlynnTheBP]

http://www.peta.org/living/companion...es-never-pets/
Here's the article, and why it's wrong, like most things the PETA writes.

1. PETA claims that the reptile trade is a "dirty business."
First off, this is a ridiculous claim for several reasons. Despite the fact that most common pet snakes are CB, the PETA apparently believes that; "most reptiles are stolen from their natural habitats". Notice how they declined to say snakes. On top of that, those in the reptile business tend to be very caring, intelligent, and kind people. Of course there are many exceptions, but most care about their animals above all else.

2. Snakes have specialized needs.
Well, this one's title is correct, but that's about it for facts. Saying that it is near impossible to provide for a reptile appropriately is frankly asinine. In the wild snakes don't have perfect temperatures, stress free environments, or a constant supply of fresh food/water. These can all be easily taken care of by any responsible owner. I wonder why snakes tend to live 3-4 times as long in captivity as they do in the wild...must be improper care and all those evil reptile owners.

3. Keeping reptiles is a killing cycle. Quote from the article: "Snakes eat rabbits, mice, and crickets, animals you’ll have to purchase at a pet store, further bolstering the industry." I wouldn't even dignify this with a response, but I'm covering everything, so here goes. What does PETA think that snakes eat in the wild? Flowers and grass? And I'm sure all us ball python keepers are causing the mass slaughter of thousands of innocent crickets each year. Seriously, where does this place get its facts? A five year old can tell you that most common snakes do not eat crickets. (Yes I know some do, but very few everyday pet owners go out and purchase an insect eater.)

4. Captivity is Cruel. "Rather than exploring lush jungles and swamps and experiencing all the sensory pleasures that they're so keenly attuned to, captive snakes are relegated to aquariums in which they can't even stretch out to full length, much less move around or climb."
PETA's bomb-proof argument. Okay, so exploring lush jungles basically translates to dying slowly of exposure/hunger or getting killed by a large bird of prey. I mean, if getting ripped to pieces or starving to death is a sensory pleasure, then sure I guess... And the second part of this "argument" is twice as bad. If you are keeping your snake in an "aquarium" where it can't move or climb, then you should have your snake taken away from you. But once again, PETA paints everyone with the same broad brush stroke. I can assure you that 100 percent of RESPONSIBLE and caring reptile owners would never dream of such terrible housing.

5. "Sky-High" Mortality Rates in Captive Reptiles.
Last, but definitely not least on the crazy-scale, is this argument. According to PETA, at least 75 percent of reptiles (once again, not snakes) die in their first year of captivity. Um, what? Not only is this statistic highly improbable, but surely even PETA isn't insane enough to believe that wild survival rates are better! If well taken care of, captive animals live much, much longer than their wild counterparts, particularly reptiles.

There is just so much wrong with this article, and the PETA in general, that I can't cover it all. Facts and statistics that make zero sense, strange and manipulative wording, and "shock" factors everywhere. Please, please, please never support this organization and educate others about it. Anyone who cares about animals should avoid and boycott them. They have a radical agenda and value human life as less then that of an animal. So, if you are a pet owner who cares about your rights to own, yes own, your pets, not companion animals or whatever the PETA calls them, steer clear of PETA, educate others, and contact them to demand this sort of crap taken down. The contact information is on the site linked. Sorry for the rant, but I was recently targeted by this organization and decided to dig deeper. Thanks for reading, and please correct anything I may have missed or written wrong.