"Pattimuss doesn't run, he prances most delicately, like a beautiful but sad fairy, winged and capped, curly toed shoes on each foot, dancing on dewdrops while lazy crickets play soft music for him to keep time by...." - Wes
If those kids grew up there, why would you expect they wouldn't know the difference?
I knew the difference between the venomous and nonvenomous in MY area when I was growing up. Why not be happy that it shows snakes as patient non-aggressive possible pets?
Agreed. I feel if the parents are truly concerned about the education and well-being of their children handling snakes, then I would feel the parents would take all precaution and knowledge to educate their children on the differences between the wild snakes outback and the snakes as pets at home. I know I would if that was the situation with myself.
Sure, sometimes it might be hard to distinguish what's what with snakes with all the patterns and shapes and physical differences, but if that was my situation with my kids, it would either be i'd drill their heads in with the knowledge of different snakes in our area or teach them to not touch the wild snakes out back at all, and make a clear distinction that our pet snakes are different from some of the ones they might find in the grass. I'd opt for the first one before the second one, though. Knowledge is power.