Dear Ms. Williams:

I am writing in response to the Notice of Inquiry entitled, “Injurious Wildlife Species; Review of Information Concerning Constrictor Snakes From Python, Boa, and Eunectes genera,” dated 31 January 2008. I am a citizen who owns ball pythons and may someday own boas. While I do not have specific training in biology, I have three engineering degrees. I waited until I was forty-two years old to own some of these magnificent animals because I wanted to provide well for them when I began keeping them. I read about their care, ensure that they see a veterinarian, and take steps to be a responsible pet owner.

In Louisiana, I see little chance of any of these species, particularly the ball pythons that I own, becoming invasive species. The Louisiana Marine Education Resources website, funded in part by the Sea Grant program, lists three characteristics of successful invasive species. Successful invaders have prolific reproduction, an excellent ability to adjust to different environments, and a competitive advantage in getting food.

Ball pythons in particular do not reproduce at a rate likely to sustain a wild population. Ball pythons typically require three years to reach breeding size in captivity and may require four years in the wild. When they reach sexual maturity, they will begin producing clutches of about four to seven eggs. Two ball pythons released today will still only be two ball pythons in three years. At four years, they may be up to seven or eight ball pythons. This slow rate of reproduction is in contrast to that of another invasive species, the nutria. Nutria reach sexual maturity within a year and can reproduce about ten young per year. Two nutria released today can be over 400 nutria within four years. Other boa and python species produce larger clutches of young, but they still require a few years to reach maturity.

These snakes are not likely to adjust well to most environments within the United States. The northernmost natural range of the ball python is about twenty degrees north of the equator. Most of Louisiana starts around thirty degrees north of the equator. This difference is similar to the difference between Baton Rouge and New York City. Most big pythons live closer to the equator than most of the United States. The Burmese and reticulated pythons' natural range extends to around twenty-five degrees. They can live in southern Florida which is just a few degrees further north, but no credible evidence suggests that they can spread across the United States. Boa Constrictors can live to around thirty or thirty-five degrees south of the Equator in South America, but outside of Florida, they show no signs of living in the wild in the United States. The snakes in these families are considered more primitive from an evolutionary point of view, and nothing suggests that these more primitive species would be better adapted to conditions in North America than the species that are here naturally. Most boas and pythons would die of respiratory infections during their first winter here.

These animals should have no competitive advantage in hunting for food in the United States. Ball pythons in particular are sometimes reluctant to eat rodents available in this country. These snakes may compete for some of the prey animals taken by other species, but they would have no advantage.

These animals are unlikely to breed in the wild in Louisiana, and they will be even less likely to survive in colder states. Breeders incubate python eggs at constant temperatures around 88 to 90 °F. The eggs do not die if they see lower temperatures for short periods of time, but nightly excursions into much lower temperatures throughout their incubation would kill them. Even if an adult could live in the wild in some southern states, they would have a very hard time incubating eggs to produce viable young. Outside of southern Florida, second generation feral pythons are unlikely.

For private citizens like me, the impact of inclusion of these animals on the Lacy Act list is personal rather than economic. Maybe you cannot understand loving a snake as you would a dog, but many of us see them as members of the family and not just interesting possessions. We live in a mobile society, and I cannot guarantee that I will always work in Louisiana. If I have to move to another state, the Lacy Act prohibition against transport over state lines would force me to lose my pets. In addition, I'd like to retire to some place further north (out of hurricane pathways). I should not be forced to abandon my pets in order to relocate for retirement.

While many people are afraid of these animals, they are not a danger to people. They do not have territorial instincts that include people, so they will not attack as dogs do. They do not form packs for cooperative hunting as feral dogs sometimes do. Their jaws are not made to crush bones and tear flesh. The big pythons have big teeth that can inflict serious puncture wounds, but they do not have the jaw power of most dogs. Even small dogs can bite harder than most pythons. These physical and behavioral differences between dogs and snakes mean that snakes will never be as much of a public safety concern as dogs are.

I am not involved in any specific program to limit the spread of these animals into the wild because we have no evidence that they can survive in the wild in Louisiana. I've called a couple of animal rescue groups and asked to be informed if anyone ever asks to give up a ball python, but no one from these groups has ever called me. The local herpetological society works with Louisiana Fish and Wildlife to provide help in dealing with all kinds of nuisance snakes. I volunteered to be listed for my parish, but no one has ever called. In Louisiana, most people just kill any snake in their yard except for king snakes and rat snakes. If any pythons or boas have escaped and been found, they were likely killed by a homeowner.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this Notice of Inquiry. I hope that USFWS will consider the real facts of the situation and will see that no benefit is derived from placing these animals on the Lacy Act list. Furthermore, I hope that they will see that the connection that pet owners have with their animals is valuable and should not be disturbed without cause. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

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