WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT:Pythons yield hides for specialty items

Originally Posted by Moonstone

I dont really know, and dont decapitate reptiles. As a breeder, there will come a time (and I have not had to) when I will, as a last resort only, dispatch a sick or old animal. I went to the internet and looked up euthenasia (i cant spell i know) and came across a veternary website that discuessed the best methods and decapitation and freezing were UNACCEPTABLE. If and when that time comes I will take my animals to the vet for lethal injection. Lethal injection and co2 were the perfered methods.

Alright, Paul really got me thinking about this...

Aside from the obvious, having one's head cut off and the obvious pain from thoe nerve endings in the neck, how would CO2 be any more humane if reptiles can stay alive for and hour after being decapitated? I bet it would hurt like to suffocate for an hour.

And like Paul, I'm not trying to argumentative, just asking about something I am not really familiar with.

I understand that it sucks that these snakes are getting killed just for existing and trying to live in our environment, and succeeding better than anyone would want them too. And I do feel that the 2yr old girl that was suffocated by what looked to be a really malnourished Burm, was probably the leading spark to the real push to start eradicating burms. Plus burms are trying to eat the alligators which I think makes a lot of people nervous. They are getting a lot of heat from the press, and I think it's only because they're the more common pet out of the other reptiles that are also up for slaughter in the everglades.What's the alternative to killing these snakes? We can't just leave them in the Everglades; Relocate ALL these snakes? Where?
I don't agree with killing the snakes on site, I'm not sure how long people have been required to microchip their snakes for, but i do believe they should be checked for chips, and if an owner is found they should be prosecuted, since this is what caused such a mess in the first place...

Snakes are all over the news here..These were some of the better articles, peoples comments do make sense...the first one is just showing snakes aren't the only thing up for slaughter in Fl, and these are more common, not scary, and you don't even need a permit to kill them...
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/muscovy-ducks-protection-gets-mixed-reviews-in-florida-492292.html?imw=Y

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/python-hunting-season-begins-today-all-you-need-329731.html

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opini...s-or-ban-them/

The links aren't right, if you copy them into the browser they'll come up, sorry.

Originally Posted by Heart4Dragonz

but i do believe they should be checked for chips, and if an owner is found they should be prosecuted, since this is what caused such a mess in the first place...

I agree with your intentions in this idea, however I don't think it would work. For one thing, most DOG and CAT shelters can't even be bothered checking an animal for a microchip. It's an entire process...they (meaning the python hunters) would have to obtain microchip scanners for each hunter I would assume, scan each individual snake for a chip, and then call the microchip company, who tells them the individuals information....THEN, they would have to go and find this person, who would most likely be halfway to China by then. I doubt that the government is really going to fund all of that. Like I said though, the intentions behind your idea is great.

Originally Posted by JordanAng420

I agree with your intentions in this idea, however I don't think it would work. For one thing, most DOG and CAT shelters can't even be bothered checking an animal for a microchip. It's an entire process...they (meaning the python hunters) would have to obtain microchip scanners for each hunter I would assume, scan each individual snake for a chip, and then call the microchip company, who tells them the individuals information....THEN, they would have to go and find this person, who would most likely be halfway to China by then. I doubt that the government is really going to fund all of that. Like I said though, the intentions behind your idea is great.

So what's the point of the law requiring Burm owners to microchip their snakes? Does it actually serve any purpose, then? I realized it would be a pain in the butt to require hunters to go through some hoops to get the snakes checked for microchips, but who else, then, is checking? Is anyone checking at all?

If not, it would be easy as pie for people to use this as an arguing point in favor of banning the snakes outright. If there's no way for the authorities to find who's responsible for individual (or multiple, if that be the case) releases and prosecute them....

Originally Posted by R. Eventide

So what's the point of the law requiring Burm owners to microchip their snakes? Does it actually serve any purpose, then? I realized it would be a pain in the butt to require hunters to go through some hoops to get the snakes checked for microchips, but who else, then, is checking? Is anyone checking at all?

If not, it would be easy as pie for people to use this as an arguing point in favor of banning the snakes outright. If there's no way for the authorities to find who's responsible for individual (or multiple, if that be the case) releases and prosecute them....

I never thought of it that way. Its true. If they don't check for microchips, what distinguishes an escaped pet as opposed to a wild burm? Isn't the whole point in chipping them so that in the even they escape they can be returned? (let's not forget the hefty fine either) I mean its not like someone who legitimately lost a burm can post pics up "Have you seen my snake?"

The other side of course is that someone who has chipped their snake would never knowingly release it for fear of being penalized. But if they know there is no manpower or funding to check these things, and animals are killed on the spot....whats to stop more people from letting them loose? What a mess.

My mother works in a vet office, she says the procedure to check for a chip and possibly locate an owner isn't all that hard, too bad the economy sucks, could give bonus's to anywhere that would check for chips in these snakes. But then again that law isn't very old and I'm willing to best most the snakes that Are a problem due to size were not chipped, and probably set loose around the time the law Was pushed through by irresponsible people who didn't want to or couldn't cough up the cash.. I'm not totally sure when the law was pushed through, only thing I could find was from Jan '08, saying there may be a law.
I'd have to say if any smaller ones are caught after this whole "down with the burms" spree, They definitely should HAVE to be checked for chips, otherwise Yes, the ENTIRE thing is absolutely pointless, other than to gain money from those who DO abide by the law and have to pay the $100 a year to keep their snake..
Yay more flawed systems in Florida!

Ta-Da "Burmese python control. In July 2009, FWC began a permit program to address the invasion of Burmese pythons in the Everglades. Burmese pythons are a Reptile of Concern and must be licensed by FWC’s Captive Wildlife Section to be kept as a pet. It is unlawful to allow a Burmese python to escape or to release one into the wild. The FWC permit program will allow herpetology experts to go into state-managed lands in south Florida and search for and euthanize Burmese pythons and other Reptiles of Concern. "
http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/profiles/6149/