This is not about herps specifically, but I found the statistics interesting.
0.5 people killed annually by pythons compared to 219 by horses.
1.2 million to one odds you'll die from a venomous animal compared to 206,000 to 1 that you'll be killed by a dog.
In light of these statistics it's very hard to understand the constant attempts to ban herps while never mentioning the other FAR more dangerous animals that are so common.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Annually, about 130 people die each year in accidental encounters with deer, usually as the result of traffic accidents.
Only horses have a role in more human deaths annually, according to researchers.
Average annual deaths caused by animals, 1992-1997
#
# Horses 219
# Deer 130*
# Cattle 28.4
# Dogs 16 *
# Insects 8.4
# Birds 5.2
# Elephants 1.0
# Tigers 0.6
# Hogs 0.6
Pythons 0.5
* National Highway Safety Administration. All other data: Department of Health and Human Services. For more information: Research from Wemjournal.com
Government researchers, however, say your odds of being killed by an animal in an accident or encounter are extremely rare.
Your lifetime odds of being killed by a large animal are 50,000 to 1, and by a dog, 206,000 to 1.
In comparison, the lifetime odds of being killed in a transportation accident are 77 to 1; lightning, 56,000 to 1; and venomous animals, 1.2 million to 1.
Link to story