Posted by:
varanid
at Fri Dec 25 10:32:22 2009 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by varanid ]
now I know you're a troll. Or that you've bought into the HSUS propaganda hook line and sinker.
1) Big snake owners posing as pet friendly people and taking FREE Puppies and Kittens and feeding them to their snake because they can’t afford the food. --never seen it happen. I've seen people joke about it, yes. Never seen anyone actually do it. There was one case I heard of that was verified, once, with a science teacher feeding an unwanted puppy to a snake, but I'm not sure how he obtained the puppy, if it was under false pretenses or not.
2) Big snake owners using their big snake as social statement, prop, or to gain attention. You don't see gun owners walking around flashing their pistols in the public even in open carry states. Most people understand discretion. Alot of big snake owners do not. I've seen 0 snake owners--big or small--walking around with their snakes outside of pet stores. And in pet stores I'd call it OK; I mean they *sell* snakes for heaven's sakes, so you gotta recognize the possibility of running into one when you shop there. Now, people know I keep large snakes. My friends and most of my coworkers and my plumber know. But I certainly don't take 'em out in public...nor have I seen ANYONE else do that, ever.
3) Big snake owners who breed and then sell them without really telling the buyers just what kind of commitment they are getting into. Eh. Unless there's reason to believe they don't know anything, why should they assume we're idiots?
4) Big snake owners who release their snakes. Truly despicable, but not as common as you think I'd wager.
5) Big snake owners who have already cause many herp shows to close down because the local authorities have forced show vendors to purchase business licenses, breeders permits, and exotic animal permits. They have also brought negative attention from state Fish and Game Depts.
Is that really big snake owners? I know lots of shows have issue in states like Georgia where you can't sell native animals. But that doesn't seem tied into large snakes or their keepers. That seems tied to misguided attempts at conservation (cause corn snakes are really endangered by the pet trade...)
6) Big snake owners who have brought a huge amount of negative attention to the hobby by keeping snakes that they cannot control and have killed numerous snake owners and their friends and family not to mention the slew of bites and injuries these snakes have inflicted. I freely admit some of this negative attention was through no real fault of some owners but many are caused because the keepers don’t feed their snakes enough (because they can’t afford it or because it’s to inconvenient) or don’t want to deal with cleaning up the mess they leave.
Numerous deaths??! What's your definition of numerous? 1 person a year, give or take, seems to be the average. That's pretty damn safe. More people die camping and hiking (two of my other hobbies). And I've NEVER seen a "friend" killed by a large snake. In three cases I'm aware of a child that was part of the care takers family was killed--Colorado (years ago, 14 year old), that case in Florida, and one some years ago in either Indiana or Ill.
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