Animal Planet..

[ER12]

On a side note... is it right to ban our snakes because of the "problem" in the glades? (Try to keep this to conversation and not a name throwing rant)?

You have to ask this question? No. The rule will do nothing pragmatic to address Burmese pythons on the ground, with breeding populations thus far confined to only 3 counties in the southern tip of Florida. Besides the USGS report, which as been thoroughly discredited as "unscientific" and "unsuitable for the basis of legislative or regulatory policy" by an independent panel of 11 herpetologists and other well respected scientists, and considering that this federal rulemaking violates the Information Quality Procedures Act and 3 Obama executive orders, what other credible science exists to support it. Burmese pythons in the Everglades are a state of Florida issue thus far confined only to 3 counties in the southernmost tip of Florida. Federal regulations are not needed for what is a localized problem. Period. The state of Florida has already addressed this issue by effectively outlawing Reptiles of Concern (ROC’s). By comparison, both feral cats, and swine are both far more widespread and ecologically destructive “invasive” species worldwide. Even invasive species of plants in Florida such as Brazilian pepper have been proven to have a far more profound impact on the entire ecosystem in which it invades.The apparent fact that H$US (The Humane Society of the United states) favors failed feral cat controls, ignores the issue of rattlesnake roundups and other wildlife abuses for TV and entertainment (i.e. Kentucky Turtleman on Animal planet), and discriminates against the captive bred reptile trade is the very epitome of the misleading and hypocritical nature of the sham of an organization.

There have now been several published papers and research that thoroughly debunk claims made that pythons are capable of inhabiting the southern third of the continental U.S. Do you need me to bring up the links to these studies? Burmese pythons are tropical S.E Asian species, not temperate zone animals. 9 out of 10 pythons died in a S. FL study by Dorcas et all, while all pythons in an Aiken SC study died despite being provided heated artificial refugia (which was a study essentially cheating in the python's favor and they STILL all died). If the USGS report, which the rulemaking is based entirely upon held true, why haven't boa constrictors (which have occurred naturally in Mexico for millions of years) migrated north into the S. United States? Even 95% of the African rock pythons are suspected to have already been extirpated by the weather according to Scott Hardin and FWC exotic species coordinators. Sorry, we won't be seeing any "Man eating super snakes" invading the U.S.A. anytime in the forseeable future.Where is the evidence to support HSUS' claim it makes that pythons are "putting people in danger"? Where is the national epidemic of escaped pythons and other reptiles chasing and terrorizing innocent members of the public? There simply is none, and the fatality rates of these snakes held in captivity over the last 20 years are significantly less than the number killed or maimed by pet dogs and many other domestic animals in the United States one year based on all historical and statistical accounts. Especially when all accounts of Florida FWC and other on the ground officials are stating the contrary?"Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said most Everglades pythons are too small to kill people and exist in areas where the primary hazard to people remains the alligator.""Federal environmental assessments have found little evidence of human deaths from Burmese pythons in their native southern Asia. There are fewer pythons than there were three years ago" Hardin says...