SNAKE ATTACK in our classrooms!!!!!

[Russ Lawson]

I'd be surprised if Greg knows he was mentioned in the article. All one has to do is a simple google search to find out him and Shawn have been on the python hunts in the Everglades. I've spoken with both personally on the issue. Both are great guys, and are completely against all of the legislation that has been proposed on this animals.

[marct]

I'd be surprised if Greg knows he was mentioned in the article. All one has to do is a simple google search to find out him and Shawn have been on the python hunts in the Everglades. I've met and spoken with both personally on the issue. Both are great guys, and are completely against all of the legislation that has been proposed on this animals.

I'm sure your correct by that. I have heard nothing but great things about him. They (Time mag) even put a pic of him and the others mentioned holding a 10 footer.

[Russ Lawson]

I know the picture you are speaking of, and that is also available through a few of the articles online about the python hunts.

[marct]

I know the picture you are speaking of, and that is also available through a few of the articles online about the python hunts.

Wow. I wonder what are the laws against using a picture like that in multiple articles. Do you think he had to sign a waver or something like that? You have to agree that it does make you angry!?!

[Mindibun]

Personally, if it were me, I would bring the facts to light and use the magazine as a teaching tool to show kids that they can't absent mindedly believe everything they read.

[BPelizabeth]

wow...that is quite interesting. You can always do what I did and counter that and all the other crap out there. I had a huge reptile show for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade. Over 40 reptiles and they learned about them and got to pet them all. Now 400 kids are saying...mommy....I wanna.....

lol

I have heard a lot of kids saying I want a burmese or I want a tegu. Im like....lol....lets start a little smaller first ok.

[jjmitchell]

God I hope teachers here filter that mag out the same my kids are likely to unload on some poor unsuspecting teacher for distribution of crap.

If everglades are the perfect habitat for them why arent they native to that area, and why did so many freeze to death a few months ago.

The media and government are doing what they do best blowing things out of proportion. I actually got an email back from tom udall when I sent the usark letters out, and they are so misinformed its ridiculous and they eat all the crap they are being fed like it is prime rib.

Sorry if I began to rant but man is it irritating. How does the saying go.... You cant fix stupid.

[steveboos]

Its makes all of us angry, especially when good people are dragged into bad press and their words and actions are contorted to sound negative.

[Russ Lawson]

If everglades are the perfect habitat for them why arent they native to that area, and why did so many freeze to death a few months ago.

The same reason there aren't any pythons native to the new world... There is a reason, however, that a population of one of the Caribbean boas of the genus Epicrates hasn't naturally made its way up to Florida, and that appears to be due to currents which would deflect any which may have otherwise made it up to Florida. It may be a possibility that this could eventually change, and a population might naturally reach south Florida, though I find it quite unlikely it would happen in our lifetimes.

I think there are too many variables for any one place to be a "perfect" habitat for any species, but the fact that Burmese pythons are established and breeding in the ENP shows that it is at least a decent habitat for them. However, they are isolated there because the rest of Florida is most likely inhabitable for them. The cold snap set record lows. It is not typical of South Florida weather, so it can't really be taken into consideration to say whether the habitat there is suitable. I see it as a disturbance, sort of like a hurricane... unless they start getting cold snaps every year in South Florida due to global climate change, which is a possibility.

[DLoc]

While I've never visited Florida, I'm assuming it's something (about 20 degrees hotter) than the Carolinas. I'm not attempting to flame the person who start this thread. (By the way, thank you for actually checking the validity of the article before presenting it to today's youth. I've had college professors present information to me that they did not bother to even research for basic validity and presented it as scientific fact when it was only educated opinions. Can you say that was irresponsible?) Enough of my problems LOL!

While I lived in NC from 2002 to 2005 there were 4 major hurricanes. So I decided I pull this up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_At..._season#Storms
Which says in Florida there was 3 hurricanes and out of those 2 where "major hurricanes." Hmmm? Makes me wonder if other types of pets have ever gone missing during natural disasters? How many where mating due to not being spade or neutered? I did a quick google search for "Florida how many dogs bread in the wild after going missing during 2009" Guess what I got back? Florida invaded by pythons!!! So good luck finding that kind of information to compare to the "python problem." Personally I'm more concerned with all the venomous snakes that naturally exist in the USA. Heck even here in MN we have 2 types of Venomous snakes right where I live. (+2 points to who know the answer to this LOL!)