epidemic
Seasoned Observer
A new quote
Not in regards to Glade's:
While I was not present, when this particular incident occurred. I have witnessed vendors, I will not mention names, who demonstrated, what I consider, a total disregard for both the safety of an individual, and thus, the public at large, by selling venomous specimens to indviduals, who admittedly, had no prior experience with such. One such incident involved a 15 year old boy who "almost" acquired a Crotalus, until his father arrived to intervene. I do believe a majority of the blame should be placed on such an individual attempting to acquire such a specimen. Perhaps this is one form, or another, of the Darwinian theory playing itself out within the herp community.
Here in Arkansas, we have no state ordinances regarding venomous, or exotics. Only on the local level are such restrictions found and only rarely at best.
While I do not maintain venomous at home, I have a young child of curious nature, I do work with an extensive academic collection. Such specimens are not to be maintained by "dare-devil" or "macho" type personalities: I know, preaching to the choir here.
I have been paged too many times, late at night I might add, to visit a hospital so that I may identify an "exotic" snake, not always venomous I might add, which has bitten the owner who is too intoxicated to be of any assistance to the medical staff treating him. On one occassion, I was summoned to our local Childrens Hospital, to identify a snake which had bitten a student
after the Biology teacher brought it into the class room and passed it around. The teacher identified the specimen as a species of Heterodon, a hatchling at that. The snake was handled by approximately 12 students, when it was dropped by a young boy, the. The teacher the reassured the child the snake would not bite and the child picked it back up, promptly receiving a bite to his left little finger. Well, the finger begon to bruise and swell and the boy was taken to the hospital and I was contactedf by the ER attending physician. To make this long story short, the snake was a Sistrurus miliarius streckeri.
My point is, there is enough bad press in regards to reptiles in general. Venomous are probably the most scrutinized, but only after an accident occurs. As most of you probably know, most government officials operate on hind-sight, rather then fore-sight. They jump on an issue after the fact.
I believe a bit more proactivity, in regards to local regulation of venomous, on behalf of those in the community keeping them, would go a long way to the future preservation of that right. Either this, or sit back, wait for something to go wrong, then try putting out a fire.
Oh well, I have said well enough.
Best regards,
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
[email protected]
Not in regards to Glade's:
While I was not present, when this particular incident occurred. I have witnessed vendors, I will not mention names, who demonstrated, what I consider, a total disregard for both the safety of an individual, and thus, the public at large, by selling venomous specimens to indviduals, who admittedly, had no prior experience with such. One such incident involved a 15 year old boy who "almost" acquired a Crotalus, until his father arrived to intervene. I do believe a majority of the blame should be placed on such an individual attempting to acquire such a specimen. Perhaps this is one form, or another, of the Darwinian theory playing itself out within the herp community.
Here in Arkansas, we have no state ordinances regarding venomous, or exotics. Only on the local level are such restrictions found and only rarely at best.
While I do not maintain venomous at home, I have a young child of curious nature, I do work with an extensive academic collection. Such specimens are not to be maintained by "dare-devil" or "macho" type personalities: I know, preaching to the choir here.
I have been paged too many times, late at night I might add, to visit a hospital so that I may identify an "exotic" snake, not always venomous I might add, which has bitten the owner who is too intoxicated to be of any assistance to the medical staff treating him. On one occassion, I was summoned to our local Childrens Hospital, to identify a snake which had bitten a student
after the Biology teacher brought it into the class room and passed it around. The teacher identified the specimen as a species of Heterodon, a hatchling at that. The snake was handled by approximately 12 students, when it was dropped by a young boy, the. The teacher the reassured the child the snake would not bite and the child picked it back up, promptly receiving a bite to his left little finger. Well, the finger begon to bruise and swell and the boy was taken to the hospital and I was contactedf by the ER attending physician. To make this long story short, the snake was a Sistrurus miliarius streckeri.
My point is, there is enough bad press in regards to reptiles in general. Venomous are probably the most scrutinized, but only after an accident occurs. As most of you probably know, most government officials operate on hind-sight, rather then fore-sight. They jump on an issue after the fact.
I believe a bit more proactivity, in regards to local regulation of venomous, on behalf of those in the community keeping them, would go a long way to the future preservation of that right. Either this, or sit back, wait for something to go wrong, then try putting out a fire.
Oh well, I have said well enough.
Best regards,
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
[email protected]
