Pythons in the Everglades - government oversight/response (lobbyists, lobby, million)
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Well, the big problem are not small species, but the giant ones. There is also the possibility of different pythons mixing. Such hybrids would likely be bigger than the original.
Most snakes will not inter-breed in nature, and private breeders have been trying to do that for years... the only real successes have been with colubrids (i.e. corn snake x milksnake), and a couple of similarly-sized pythons from the same regions. Don't worry, there is no "super snake" on the horizon as far as we can tell.
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In legal terms they might be as legitimate as guinea pigs or dogs, but I do think it is a symptom of societal/psychological problems.
How so? If you're going to make such a claim, at least back it up with some logical reasoning... and explain how owning a fish or bird is any different from a harmless snake. Many children have pet snakes, because they're neat-looking and easy to care for - as opposed to birds, rodents & mammals, which require daily cleaning/feeding. Do all of those children have psychological or societal issues?
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No, I do not know individual snake species (though I could tell some pythons based on the form of their heads). And there is no need for me to tell them apart as I think all and any snakes should be in nature ONLY.
I personally would not keep any predator species as a pet.
Cats are predators, right? So I guess cats should only be in nature too, and their owners are also weird to you.
You are entitled to an opinion, ill-informed as it might be, but why judge somebody else for THEIR pet choices? As long as nobody is being put in harm's way, I see no reason for you to be so judgmental about this. Btw, it is important to know the different species, so you can properly handle whatever is encountered... don't wanna mistake a rattler for a corn, or a common garter for an endangered one! Those could be costly mistakes, both literally and figuratively. It depends on where you live, of course, but these things are good to know in certain regions.
I agree with most of the above, with the exception of that bolded sentence. I live in an apartment, so I couldn't get much closer to my neighbors! But not only are the snakes securely housed (in professional rack systems), they are also completely harmless to humans... so if one did "accidentally" get into my neighbor's home, the worst they'd suffer is a slight panic attack if they're phobic. Two of my three immediate neighbors do know I'm a snake keeper, so they'd quickly figure out where it came from anyway.
I knew someone would disagree with the bold part you disagreed with so I expected it and it's understandable a snake owner would. It's the same with me and my pets. To me they wouldn't hurt anyone but they also wouldn't be able to accidently get into another apartment. I would freak if my neighbor had snakes and one got into my apt. I think when it comes to reptiles or any pets people should not have pets that other neighbors could one day be subjected to. Another words if all are ok then it's ok to have them but if even just one doesn't then they shouldn't have pets be it reptiles or any other kind that roam free. See some people tend to let their snakes out of the tanks and that is what the neighbor has not control over and to me is a ligitimate concern. But then I have a fear of snakes so of course I wouldn't dare live in an apt. bldg that has a snake in it.
I knew someone would disagree with the bold part you disagreed with so I expected it and it's understandable a snake owner would. It's the same with me and my pets. To me they wouldn't hurt anyone but they also wouldn't be able to accidently get into another apartment. I would freak if my neighbor had snakes and one got into my apt. I think when it comes to reptiles or any pets people should not have pets that other neighbors could one day be subjected to. Another words if all are ok then it's ok to have them but if even just one doesn't then they shouldn't have pets be it reptiles or any other kind that roam free. See some people tend to let their snakes out of the tanks and that is what the neighbor has not control over and to me is a ligitimate concern. But then I have a fear of snakes so of course I wouldn't dare live in an apt. bldg that has a snake in it.
Many people are afraid of dogs & cats, and they're MUCH more likely to go roaming into/around your home... any responsible snake owner keeps them caged, and would never let one randomly roam free. Can you say the same about your neighbor's birds & mammals, and why is your irrational phobia their problem? I'm terrified of spiders, but it's not my business if you want a pet tarantula! I'll trust that you know how to keep it, and wouldn't just let it loose to enter my home. If it did get into my place, you'd know from the banshee scream. LOL
Btw, there are infinitely more dog attacks than pet snake attacks annually - and the species I keep have never EVER been responsible for a human death, or even a serious injury. So I don't just think my snakes are harmless, they actually and literally are. We're talking the marijuana of snakes, and nobody has yet been able to prove that pot kills.
Many people are afraid of dogs & cats, and they're MUCH more likely to go roaming into/around your home... any responsible snake owner keeps them caged, and would never let one randomly roam free. Can you say the same about your neighbor's birds & mammals, and why is your irrational phobia their problem? I'm terrified of spiders, but it's not my business if you want a pet tarantula! I'll trust that you know how to keep it, and wouldn't just let it loose to enter my home. If it did get into my place, you'd know from the banshee scream. LOL
Btw, there are infinitely more dog attacks than pet snake attacks annually - and the species I keep have never EVER been responsible for a human death, or even a serious injury. So I don't just think my snakes are harmless, they actually and literally are. We're talking the marijuana of snakes, and nobody has yet been able to prove that pot kills.
Statistics are irrelevant as what matters is how people feel. If people get a heart attack and die because they find a harmless 2-feet snake in their bathroom that came from the snake-loving neighbor via the sewage system, then those deaths are the neighbor's fault.
Of course there are more dog attacks, after all many more people have to do with dogs than with snakes.
Fear of snakes is natural with most humans, just like the fear of spiders. That fear is ancient and nobody can expect people to change their nature just because there are some people who do not have that fear.
Snakes just don't belong in human society, just like sharks or lions or whatever. And even big dogs, frankly. I can absolutely understand if someone gets a panic attack when a Rottweiler or Pit Bull comes running in their direction.
Most snakes will not inter-breed in nature, and private breeders have been trying to do that for years... the only real successes have been with colubrids (i.e. corn snake x milksnake), and a couple of similarly-sized pythons from the same regions. Don't worry, there is no "super snake" on the horizon as far as we can tell.
How so? If you're going to make such a claim, at least back it up with some logical reasoning... and explain how owning a fish or bird is any different from a harmless snake. Many children have pet snakes, because they're neat-looking and easy to care for - as opposed to birds, rodents & mammals, which require daily cleaning/feeding. Do all of those children have psychological or societal issues?
Cats are predators, right? So I guess cats should only be in nature too, and their owners are also weird to you.
You are entitled to an opinion, ill-informed as it might be, but why judge somebody else for THEIR pet choices? As long as nobody is being put in harm's way, I see no reason for you to be so judgmental about this. Btw, it is important to know the different species, so you can properly handle whatever is encountered... don't wanna mistake a rattler for a corn, or a common garter for an endangered one! Those could be costly mistakes, both literally and figuratively. It depends on where you live, of course, but these things are good to know in certain regions.
See the other post I just wrote.
Regarding society and psychology, I think normal humans should like other humans and maybe harmless, fluffy, nice-to-look-at, highly evolved pets used to human contact for thousands of years, such as dogs (with certain exceptions) or cats (although I don't trust them and never would want to have one myself). There are millions of highly developed mammal pets in animal shelters, waiting for a new human home. So why would anyone keep spiders and snakes instead of giving those traditional pets with human-like feelings a new home? Not to mention that many humans treat their pets nicer than their fellow humans, which is also weird in my view.
Luckily there are no snakes here in Europe, I have never seen a snake in my whole life, except for the zoo
Maybe there are some, I don't know as there are none in the cities and I don't run around in the wilderness.
See the other post I just wrote.
Regarding society and psychology, I think normal humans should like other humans and maybe harmless, fluffy, nice-to-look-at, highly evolved pets used to human contact for thousands of years, such as dogs (with certain exceptions) or cats (although I don't trust them and never would want to have one myself). There are millions of highly developed mammal pets in animal shelters, waiting for a new human home. So why would anyone keep spiders and snakes instead of giving those traditional pets with human-like feelings a new home? Not to mention that many humans treat their pets nicer than their fellow humans, which is also weird in my view.
Luckily there are no snakes here in Europe, I have never seen a snake in my whole life, except for the zoo
Maybe there are some, I don't know as there are none in the cities and I don't run around in the wilderness.
Again you're assuming it's an either or situation, which is rarely the case! I also have two rescued cats, a rescued dog, one purebred cat, a handful of rescued mice/rats (non-feeders), even some of my snakes are rescues. And thats just the current tally, while my lifetime pets would raise those numbers even more. How many pets have you rescued lately, and how presumptuous are you to declare "normal people" only like fluffy creatures? Plenty of folks own pet fish and other non-fluffy pets, but I don't see anyone calling them freaky because of it.
Oh, and I don't expect anyone to get over their phobias, nor am I insensitive to such a thing... but that's your problem, not mine, just as I don't expect my neighbors to work around my personal issues. The snakes I keep are legal, harmless, and always securely housed. Done deal, and FYI there are many European snake keepers on my BP forum - so you may as well learn to live with that fact. Actually, one of the biggest worldwide reptile expos is held annually in Germany. D'oh!
P.S. What part of HARMLESS are you not understanding? It's not just a matter of statistics either, as anyone with an ounce of knowledge knows that even a fluffy Toy Poodle is more capable of hurting you than a small python. You could put one in every single American (or European) home, and there would still be more dog attacks - probably more cat attacks too, LOL.
Again you're assuming it's an either or situation, which is rarely the case! I also have two rescued cats, a rescued dog, one purebred cat, a handful of rescued mice/rats (non-feeders), even some of my snakes are rescues. And thats just the current tally, while my lifetime pets would raise those numbers even more. How many pets have you rescued lately, and how presumptuous are you to declare "normal people" only like fluffy creatures? Plenty of folks own pet fish and other non-fluffy pets, but I don't see anyone calling them freaky because of it.
Oh, and I don't expect anyone to get over their phobias, nor am I insensitive to such a thing... but that's your problem, not mine, just as I don't expect my neighbors to work around my personal issues. The snakes I keep are legal, harmless, and always securely housed. Done deal, and FYI there are many European snake keepers on my BP forum - so you may as well learn to live with that fact. Actually, one of the biggest worldwide reptile expos is held annually in Germany. D'oh!
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Originally Posted by gizmo980
P.S. What part of HARMLESS are you not understanding? It's not just a matter of statistics either, as anyone with an ounce of knowledge knows that even a fluffy Toy Poodle is more capable of hurting you than a small python. You could put one in every single American (or European) home, and there would still be more dog attacks - probably more cat attacks too, LOL.
Fish in aquariums, even dangerous ones, are only OK because they can't leave. With other critters of similar size like scorpions people would mind if their neighbors kept them.
I can't rescue animals because I am not allowed to keep pets in this apartment as is often the case here. If I could I would save a dog or other mammal, probably not a cat, though.
I know there are sickos in Germany keeping snakes, but there are none in nature. I said it because you said it makes sense to be able to tell snakes apart. In a region where there are no snakes that is not the case.
No animal is harmless if people are afraid of it, it can give them a heart attack. There are huge, but harmless spiders, for instance. Still, if someone put such a spider in front of someone scared of spiders, I would consider it attempted murder.
Human society is all about humans, animals only have a place in it if the vast majority rather than just a small percentage accept them.
Um, I live in Florida, and have for almost 23 years.
I'm aware of that. It's just that most people know about the Pythons, monitors etc. but NOT about the prevalence of cobras and other venemous exotics in private collections in FL.
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