Quote Originally Posted by zina10 View Post
I think the issue with pictures such as that, is that the actual "message" gets lost in the sensationalism.

I'm going so far to say, that whoever let this happen AND took the picture did not intend that picture to be "educational". It's more about the "shock" and "ew" factor. The fact that pictures such as that spread like wildfire. They do very little to actually "teach" anything.

That said, I'm SURE the Original Poster (in our forum) only meant to post this as a warning and did not have any other motives. But I really, really question the motives of whoever took and shared that picture originally.

Its like this. We "could" put pictures of dead children that were "forgotten" in cars and overheated. Would it be shocking? Yes. Upsetting? Yes. Would it actually prevent that from happening again and again? I doubt it seriously. In theory you would think so. But the entire "shock" factor is why the pictures would circulate. People have to look, even at gruesome stuff. The whole fascination with ghoulish images. If they are bad enough, there is no message, there is no learning. There is just "shock and awe".

Granted, a Ball Python is not a human baby. But us reptile people do care about these animals. This picture is upsetting, shocking and really terrible. Not something that is easy to look at. And I doubt that it is sending the "right" message to any of those keepers that simply are to lazy or to un-caring to do things the right way.

So in my opinion, the intention of highqualityballz was good. No doubt in my mind whatsoever.

But pictures such as that do not truly educate or teach anything, also in my humble opinion.
I agree the person who took the picture most likelikely didn't do it to educate anyone. But I think that the picture can open a lot of people eyes to taking it more seriously. You can tell people what can happen and it can easily go through one ear out the other, but I think with this picture there is a better chance of that not happening. I know the picture is beyond graphic and I looked it once and got chills and never looked at it again. Again I'll say for the 1000th time I feed live on occasion too and am in NO way against it!