Python Invasion: Everyone PANIC

[cutemouse]

Here is the article: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/no.../art24101.html

I feel like there has been a lot of fear mongering in the news lately about pythons. Anyone know why that is? I think it might be because of that ban that they're talking about, and the media wants to stir up the fear.

Any thoughts?

[Jake_Snake]

That's exactly what's going on. Oppenents of the snake trade are trying to plant fear within the minds of Johnny and Jill non-snake-keeper. On another site, I saw a bogus map showing where pythons "could potentially thrive." It had the entire southeast colored from Florida (the one state that was true) all the way up to Virginia. What a load of hooey!

[neilgolli]

That map is based on leftwing Global warming perdictions of the future and is playing a large roll in Fish and wildlife "ban" right now. All you Gore fans out there, say thank you.......

[janeothejungle]

Thank You.


Cheers,
Kat

[stormbourne]

At least it's not an article talking about them preying on human children. (I better not give them anymore ideas)

[ALEX B.]

EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE ALL THESE ARTICLES TO BE BULL , I ALSO THINK THAT, WHILE FACTORING IN GLOBAL WARMING, BALLS COULD LIVE IN A LOT OF AREAS THAT ARE NOT COMMONLY KNOWN FOR HAVING A PYTHON POPULATION.

EVOLUTION IS MIGHTY FORCE, AND IT IS UNSTOPPABLE.

BACK TO THE TOPIC, NOTHING CHAPS MY lips MORE THAN A WHITE COLLAR JOURNALIST CONJURING UP THIS LAME BULL JUST TO DEGRADE THE SMALL, BUT EVER GROWING, REPTILE COMMTUNITY.

THANK YOU,
I'LL BE HERE ALL NIGHT

[Skiploder]

EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE ALL THESE ARTICLES TO BE BULL , I ALSO THINK THAT, WHILE FACTORING IN GLOBAL WARMING, BALLS COULD LIVE IN A LOT OF AREAS THAT ARE NOT COMMONLY KNOWN FOR HAVING A PYTHON POPULATION.

EVOLUTION IS MIGHTY FORCE, AND IT IS UNSTOPPABLE.

BACK TO THE TOPIC, NOTHING CHAPS MY lips MORE THAN A WHITE COLLAR JOURNALIST CONJURING UP THIS LAME BULL JUST TO DEGRADE THE SMALL, BUT EVER GROWING, REPTILE COMMTUNITY.

THANK YOU,
I'LL BE HERE ALL NIGHT

Can you please explain for me (in lower case letters) how global warming will make such a dramatic difference? I've seen the maps - utter freaking rubbish.

As for the media swarming to reptile horror stories - well - they blow all sorts of stories out of proportion. Fear and sensationalism are their bread and butter. It's funny how some people will swallow 99% of this crap but magically discount the one story they actually know something about.........

I am amazed at how people don't see that we do have a problem in this community. I see newcomers to this hobby being encouraged to buy large herps at retail outlets and even on the web. Breeders have popped up to capitalize on selling burms, retics, large monitors, etc. People are encouraged to buy these animals without understanding their capability to harm or even the cost of providing proper husbandry. Some of these animals die, some get released into the wild and some actually harm their owners.

I don't believe that any yahoo off the street has the right to walk into a pet store and buy a green anaconda. Sorry folks, I'm a true believer in that there are some species that should definitely be restricted to being bought by financially and morally responsible people who can properly care for these animals. While a forum like this does an excellent job of advocating responsible ownership, it's reach is limited. The first contact most people have with herp husbandry is by the store interested in selling them one.

I've seen it discussed on other forums as to how people get lit up by this hobby, buy several animals and then *poof* disappear. What happens to those animals? Do all of them go to rescues? Do they die from lack of care? Or are they released into the wild?

On the surface, there are a lot of people who are furious that the federal government is sticking their nose into our hobby. There are some who think that they are only trying to get answers to the three questions that I've stated above. In the end, they will gather their information (with our help or not) and probably decide that they need to be involved in the business of large and/or dangerous herps.

I am worried that the federal government will find what some of us already know - that this hobby is laced with irresponsible ownership and that large, potentially dangerous animals are available to any one who can afford them.

So be prepared for more negative stories from the media as the government digs into their research a bit more and comes to their conclusions. The hysteria will pass - make no mistake about it. However, I predict our hobby will go through some large changes. Balls, colubrids and many herps will be unaffected - but I predict restrictions on large boids, venomous snakes and bigger potentially invasive lizards in the near future.

Remember, these stories, be they man-eating boids, bloodthirsty pit-bulls, or global warming can't begin without some basis. As a staffie bull and herp owner, I fully understand that their are plenty of idiots who have provided the spark for these stories.

[cutemouse]

I am worried that the federal government will find what some of us already know - that this hobby is laced with irresponsible ownership and that large, potentially dangerous animals are available to any one who can afford them.

I think that is quite valid. There are irresponsible people in all aspects of society and there have to be rules in place to combat that. That's why we have laws to punish drunk drivers and fines for people who don't give their dogs water. The list goes on.

I do think that banning all constrictors is insane, though. It's a knee-jerk reaction made by people who have no idea about our hobby. The legislation they SHOULD pass would be telling PetSmart et. al. that they need to be providing potential owners with proper education instead of worshiping the almighty sale of expensive animals. Anyone telling a first time herp owner that they should buy a green 'conda is obviously only interested in money and not the safety of the animal or its owner.

Education and free, easily attainable information will help so much. There will always be jerks out there who don't care about animals and won't do what is best for them (ever watch that animal cops show on Animal Planet?) but I think some care sheets at the herp displays in local pet stores would do wonders.

[icygirl]

Why is there a picture of an alligator with a burm in his mouth? It looks like the burm is just chilling there. What a weird picture.

I like how they're calling it an "invasion". Yes, I know it's technically correct, but what do you think of when you hear invasion? How about all the movies where aliens come and invade the earth, causing chaos and evil wherever they go?

The whole "they eat endangered animals!" is a big fat lame excuse for fearmongering. Endangered animals are endangered 99.9% of the time because of habitat destruction and direct human interference. And yes, burms are an introduced species, but nobody's paying attention to all the other introduced species that are wreaking havoc. It's only the big scary snakes that people are making a big deal about.

[ctrlfreq]

I don't believe that any yahoo off the street has the right to walk into a pet store and buy a green anaconda.

I feel the same way about being a parent, but stupid people can breed, and anyone can buy a green anaconda... welcome to America

In the long run, the media will find another story to hype once Python-isteria joins the "Old-News" pile with ravenous sharks, Elian Gonzalez and global cooling, and the politicians will follow the new carrot like the good little asses they are.