Python kills toddler

"making their home in almost any warm climate" my fat tail. I'd like to see Burms survive in the desert Southwest. -.-

Seriously, the fear-mongering gets me wanting to strangle something myself.

A post from another site I made:

Allow me to first introduce myself. I own a retail pet store as well with a heavy emphasis on reptiles. It is refreshing to me to see another store owner with the same restrictions as I have put into place in my own store (I have sold exactly one iguana, one sulcata, and one burm that was a rescue in almost a year AFTER interviewing the owners and after they purchased proper caging and did the appropriate research), and I see a growing trend that I fear is not happening quickly enough.

As reptile enthusiasts it is very easy for us to get caught up in our community, but we have to realize that we are in the vast minority. If a python ban were to go to vote I am fairly confident that it would pas by a fairly wide margin among the general public. And my family would sadly be among them.

The majority of the reptile and pet industry is involved for ONE reason: money. They are generally short sighted and would prefer to bitch and moan once something happens than to take the steps to prevent it. Pressure must be put on these stores with vocal and clear boycotts and disproval from their consumers toward stores that don't take proper care of their animals, sell their animals indiscriminately, and frequently push the big 5 without assuring an owners ability and maturity first (as well as other commonly released/abused species such as Sulcatas, Iguanas, and in my opinion aquatic turtles which I choose not to carry as well).

Further more, I think we need to be willing to face reality, and in some ways cut our losses. If we are to avoid a full on ban on our animals we are going to need to meet in the middle and do it now before something like that can pass (especially if another abused and underfed snake happens to kill a toddler due the parents neglect).

I believe that we need to begin a licensing and training program for animals that are deemed dangerous (ie the big 5, giant monitors, etc). This is an opinion I have received a lot of heat for from many other enthusiasts, but I think that, while it is unfortunate, it is our best realistic resolution to the mounting issue at hand. Believe me, i realize the risks of this resolution, which is why I think the reptile community needs to spearhead this first; so that we can have our educated and logical voices being heard during this process.

I think that people that are to retail ANY reptiles need to go to a training and certification course, as outlined by an organization such as USark so that the info is realistic and correct. I think that all large snakes should be kept in certified snake enclosures, not fish tanks; and I think that home-made enclosures should be able to be presented for inspection for a small fee. I also think that in order to purchase a giant or potentially dangerous reptile you should be presented care sheets provided by a government organization (ie animal control) and sign a legal document saying that you have read and agreed to providing the care that animal requires, punishable by fine and confiscation. I also think store owners should be certified to teach classes for ownership of these animals and a class should be required (for a small fee, partially payable to the store owner for their time).

I know it sounds extreme, and if the reptile community doesn't have a loud voice in the establishment of these policies it could be very negative; but I really believe that the reality is that if WE initiate this we can have our voices heard; and potentially stop the abuse of these animals, prevent accidents like the infant fatality that can be used as ammo, and present a logical and responsible face to the general public to represent our hobby. Thank you for your time and your consideration, and your added considerations to these thoughts.

Thank you

Roger Prows
Rockstar Pets
Tooele, Ut

I'm a little lost who are the big 5???

Big 5:
anacondas
Ratics
Rocks
Burms
Amethystine Scrubs

not a who....a list of the 5 biggest pythons

Retics not Ratic

I'm new to this board, but have a few things I want to say after reading all of the threads about this and also living fairly close to the little girl who was killed.

Owning and breeding a ROC is no different than owning a gun or owning a pit bull or other bull breed dog. There are a few things to remember.

1. It is the owner's responsibility to follow the law. In FL you must have a special permit to own a ROC. If the buyer doesn't have one, the seller shouldn't sell it. But it's just as much the seller's responsibility to make sure they know where their pet ends up.
2. It's the parent's responsibility to protect their children. It's no different than if a dog bites a child or if a child finds their parent's gun and injures themselves. Same effect, different weapon.
3. I don't agree that breeders or responsible people should be banned from owning these ROC. I don't feel that the government can aptly govern over it either. I see Burms listed on Craigslist daily in FL even though the seller doesn't check for the ROC permits.

In my opinion, it's all about education. But to outly ban all ROC is ridiculous. While I personally don't own a ROC, I have 20 snakes and 2 children. My 7 foot boa could take down my 85 lb teenage son. However, my cages have specific locks and my children know better than to take out and handle our snakes without adult supervision.

If there were better and more responsible parents, children would be injured or killed less. But to blanket ROC and snakes is no different than last year's issues with Pit Bulls or a few years ago guns... It's just a different drama based on the new media story.

While I Entirely agree with your line of thought, Politicians aren't paid to think, they get paid to protect interests, whether that be big business, or the people.

The Politicians don't view it was different species, its just a python, and there for they try blanket banning and without some responsibility on the breeders Part these laws and bills will continue to try to destroy our hobby and one day, one will be passed and there will be nothing we can do.

Education is the most important tool we have to our advantage, The breeders of these guys are ultimately responsible for who they sell them too, and they should have some accountability in this as well. If (Insert name) Didn't sell that retic to Pablo Without asking any questions, We would not be where we are right now. Educate the public that buys your animals, talk to them first make sure they know what there getting into.

I Personally Hate Authority but something needs to happen, I refuse to allow these mammoths to constrict what im allowed to own. I don't want to ban the big 5 but if its ban the big 5 and we get to keep the rest or an all out ban of every species because of the big 5, what should we do? Just let them take all of our snakes away because some moron decided he needed a retic to be cool? Or just let them take the big 5 and put regulations on owning the big 5?

Itd be easier to just regulate morons but the govern. would never do that...or would they?

The Medias a horrible brainwashing tool....such a waste. I love it how the snake goes from Boa, to Python to 26 ft to 13 ft to 8 ft, I also love how all of us snake guys know that a constrictor would CRUSH the lungs and bruise the hell out of a toddler, I see no bruising mark notes in the report or broken ribs, just "asphyxiation".

Originally Posted by poopsi

Big 5:
anacondas
Ratics
Rocks
Burms
Amethystine Scrubs

not a who....a list of the 5 biggest pythons

Thanks for the info!!

The sad truth is that we are allowing the goverment to make too many decisions for us. I would be all for regulating if we could see that it works instead of just gaining more money for the goverment to waste. We have laws against drinking and driving but that doesnt stop it. They pay a fine, take some classes, (which cost more money) then back out doing it again and if worse comes to worse then the goverment will give You a check because You are alcoholic. GET REAL PEOPLE. Its just like these morons that have children, cant take care of them, dump them in a system that we all pay for. YEt no one would dream of requiring them to take courses to be responsible parents, or make them pay a fee to be able to reproduce or show that they have the ability to take care of a child and yet this is a human being we are talking about. But we would feel better if the reptile guy had to pay more fees, take more classes, do all kinds of things to own a snake. Dont get me wrong, I love America but it was founded on FREEDOM which allows all the things that You may feel is right ,while another feels its wrong. Until they start making it mandatory for people to prove they can be good, responsible parents then I will fight for my right to have all my reptiles. I agree with the person that said they feel safer in a retic cage than walking in some neighborhoods and most times You would be more safer with the retic. Every since I went to Florida to a rescue and agreed to take a nile monitor back to GA to keep them from putting it to sleep and the supposed law says "No because of the fee thing" I have very little use for Florida. The Nile had not done anything except have a bad human owner and for that he was sentenced to death and it was carried out not only on him but atleast another as well. No telling how many deaths to reptiles take place in Florida because of this. But as its been said, if this was happening to dogs, cats or other animals like whats happening to the reptiles in florida there would be such a outcry by PETA and all the animal activist. But its just reptiles.... If we dont care then who will.

The big problem isn't that we're allowing the government to do these things, though it is an issue. The biggest problem is that politicians won't listen. At the end of July, when HR2811 was going to committee, the people on the committee admitted that they hadn't heard from any reptile experts/specialists about the issue--they had only listened to the people spewing fear tactics and inflated numbers of "dangerous" pythons. USARK and PIJAC had to put their own representatives in there themselves. If the politicians really cared about their constituents or hearing all sides of an issue, they would've requested a reptile expert. But no, they'd rather just be willfully ignorant and pass laws about things they know next to nothing about.

Yes, we need to do more to protect our hobby, but it's really hard if the politicians refuse to listen.