OK, Steph, I would like to call your attention to some of the points in the article you referenced:

The national average (for snake bites) is approximately 4 bites per 100,000 persons.

Deaths secondary to snakebites are rare. With the proper use of antivenin, they are becoming rarer still. The national average has been less than 4 deaths per year for the last several years.

That's 4 deaths per year out 12,000 envenomations in a population of 300,000,000. The number of people in the general public that have EVER been bitten by someone's escaped venomous snake is 0.

In the United States, more than 40% of victims put themselves in danger by either handling pets or attempting to capture reptiles in the wild.The popularity of keeping exotic species has increased the number of envenomations by nonnative species.

I say foul on this statistic because it mixes data from all envenomations and from people with all types of experience with venomous snakes and then paints an exaggerated conclusion about captive venomous snake keeping. Perhaps this is the logical fallacy you seek?

It seems this article does more to prove that venomous snake keeping is relatively safe than the opposite. What did I miss?

[ Hide Replies ]

• ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - USARK, Mon Mar 15 13:22:02 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - StephF, Wed Mar 17 13:52:46 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - natsamjosh, Wed Mar 17 14:39:39 2010
• If a tree falls... - jscrick, Wed Mar 17 15:24:59 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Wed Mar 17 16:50:44 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - StephF, Wed Mar 17 17:31:39 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - jscrick, Wed Mar 17 17:52:22 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Wed Mar 17 17:57:22 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - StephF, Wed Mar 17 18:08:38 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Wed Mar 17 18:13:25 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Wed Mar 17 17:53:47 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - webwheeler, Wed Mar 17 18:09:46 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - StephF, Wed Mar 17 18:12:25 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - webwheeler, Wed Mar 17 18:17:10 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Wed Mar 17 18:25:56 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - webwheeler, Wed Mar 17 18:39:56 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Wed Mar 17 18:46:22 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - jscrick, Wed Mar 17 19:17:36 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Wed Mar 17 20:29:39 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - webwheeler, Thu Mar 18 06:37:46 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Thu Mar 18 15:18:24 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - Calparsoni, Thu Mar 18 23:22:31 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 15:53:34 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - Calparsoni, Thu Mar 18 23:14:16 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 15:56:02 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - StephF, Wed Mar 17 22:38:40 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - webwheeler, Thu Mar 18 07:05:04 2010
• Strawman argument alert - Calparsoni, Thu Mar 18 23:36:57 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - StephF, Fri Mar 19 10:09:14 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - webwheeler, Fri Mar 19 11:04:59 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 16:00:41 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - Calparsoni, Fri Mar 19 11:49:28 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 16:09:11 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - jscrick, Fri Mar 19 19:15:34 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - TOM_CRUTCHFIELD, Fri Mar 19 21:22:26 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - StephF, Fri Mar 19 22:12:21 2010
• BAN TOOTHPICKS!!!!! - natsamjosh, Fri Mar 19 22:24:15 2010
• RE: BAN TOOTHPICKS!!!!! - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 16:12:59 2010
• RE: Moron argument alert - Eimon, Sat Mar 20 01:13:50 2010
• RE: Moron argument alert - StephF, Sat Mar 20 10:42:09 2010
• RE: Moron argument alert - webwheeler, Sat Mar 20 12:56:44 2010
• RE: Moron argument alert - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 16:16:48 2010
• Moron argument alert - StephF, Sat Mar 20 16:53:15 2010
• RE: Moron argument alert - luhrsreptiles, Sat Mar 20 12:23:35 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - jscrick, Sat Mar 20 08:45:50 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 16:23:21 2010
• RE: Strawman argument alert - busterlimes, Sat Mar 20 15:57:30 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - Calparsoni, Thu Mar 18 14:48:21 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - busterlimes, Thu Mar 18 15:20:50 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - natsamjosh, Wed Mar 17 20:30:35 2010
• RE: ACTION: Stop CT Ban of Reptiles - jscrick, Wed Mar 17 21:35:32 2010