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HONOLULU ADVERTISER (Hawaii) 19 July 06 Snake slithers into investigation (Rod Ohira) {Excerpt}
While searching for two boys for questioning in connection with an attempted-murder and auto-theft investigation yesterday, police unexpectedly found something they weren't looking for — a snake.
Crime Reduction Unit officers from the Kalihi and Pearl City patrol districts working with auto-theft investigators ended up arresting two 16-year-olds in Salt Lake and Halawa and confiscated a 41-inch ball python from an Aliamanu residence on Keaka Drive.
Police spotted the snake in an aquarium-type tank when they stopped at the Keaka Drive home after receiving information that the suspects might be there. The snake was taken to the Pearl City police station and later turned over to state Department of Agriculture officials for investigation and possible prosecution of its owner.
Non-venomous ball pythons, native to central and western Africa, can grow up to six feet and are popular house pets in some states. Importing or keeping snakes is illegal in Hawai'i, and the class C felony is punishable by fines of between $50,000 to $200,000 and/or a maximum prison sentence of three years, said Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Janelle Saneishi.
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Snake slithers into investigation

Remind me to never move to Hawaii
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-Man fears the beast in the Wolf because he does not understand the beast within himself.

"Importing or keeping snakes is illegal in Hawai'i, and the class C felony is punishable by fines of between $50,000 to $200,000 and/or a maximum prison sentence of three years, said Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Janelle Saneishi."

Wow!!!
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Hawaii has an extremely hospitable climate and environment for escaped herps.

I've read of ESTABLISHED populations of a few boid species. (Boa constrictors, Burmese Pythons, etc.) And I've also read of the extinction of numerous native bird species because of escaped foreign species preying upon native species.

Hawaii just wants to avoid becoming the next Guam. Guam's ecology has been practically taken over by the non-native brown tree snake. The snakes arrive in cargo and thrive in Guam's climate

A table of estimates from a U.S Ecological survey:

Brown tree snakes per square mile on Guam, 1940: 0
Brown tree snakes per square mile on Guam, 2000: up to 13,000
Native bird and mammal species on Guam, 1940: 16
Surviving native bird and mammal species, 2000: 4

Like I said, Hawaii just wants to avoid becoming the next Guam.

BB

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"Have you hugged your drummer today?" --- Me

indeed necessary, however the total ban and such stiff penalties on merely KEEPING them (aside from importing/breeding/releasing/etc) seem a bit absurd...

I forgot who had said,

for many, total abstinence is easier than perfect moderation...

but then again, the way people are being raised and educated (or Not) these days, how can we expect them to be logical, law abiding, responsible, etc., etc., etc. .... lol

Thanks, Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

"but then again, the way people are being raised and educated (or Not) these days, how can we expect them to be logical, law abiding, responsible, etc., etc., etc. .... lol "

I couldn't agree more.

Like I always tell non-herpers when they (inevitably..lol) ask questions about my 'hobby'...

"There are two types of snake owners. The majority are people, like myself, who keep snakes because they think the SNAKES are cool/interesting. And the minority are people who keep snakes because they think it makes THEMSELVES cool/interesting."

Am I right or am I right? lol

BB (another Joe)

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"Have you hugged your drummer today?" --- Me

.
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.34.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizards of unknown origin

That last sentance couldn't be more true, as sorry as it is.

Quig

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1.0 Albino Ball Python (Apu)
0.5 Normal Ball Pythons (Norma, Nova, Nala, Nimeesha, Nyoka)
1.1 Argentine B/W Tegus (Draco and Drucilla)
0.1 Columbian B/W Tegu (Diablo)
1.0 Black Throat Monitor (Razor)
1.0 Desert Tortoise (Tubbs) from Tortoise Rescue
1.0 Boxer (Shadow)
0.1 Feline (CK)
1.0 Memory of my Redtail Boa (Mo) which passed away after 28 years

www.ocballs.net
kvandoren@ocballs.net

np
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Nita Hamilton
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Ball Pythons
ballpythonworld.com

Hey all,

I promise you, you DO NOT EVER want to live in Hawai'i!! I've been there and done that.

By the time we had to move there, I had only managed to convince my husband that it was cool for me to keep ONE Ball Python. I had to give him away, as the actual black-and-white law on the books in Hawai'i is that "carnivorous snakes" are illegal - as if there is any other kind!! (It IS justifiable on the part of the state Dept. of Agriculture - they have to worry about the island's ecology should someone's pet escape, or be released - there are plenty of other imported species that thrive in Hawai'i for this reason)

Life in Tropical Paradise is beautiful, and I feel like I have maybe benefitted from my experiences living there... but I grew up with reptiles.

The cost of living there is so steep that most adults work at least two full-time jobs just to keep their heads above water... and I had NEVER seen poverty on such a scale until I moved there.

One local paper actually ran an article (bashing the state government for it lack of proper management) comparing Hawai'i to a third world country. Most of the benchmark identifiers of the "third world" did in fact fit parts of Hawai'i.

I can also vouch for the Honolulu PD; they will probably never solve that murder case, but you can bet they will go after those poor young teens for every cent they'll ever earn! That same state government is VERY money-hungry. That will be the priority in this case. Look up the crime stats for Honolulu; they are ATROCIOUS! What is worse however, is the statistic of crimes and violent crimes that are ever actually SOLVED!

Be SO happy that you are allowed to keep the animals you choose to keep!

Cheers!
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0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04 (Courtney)
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)
1.2 Ball Pythons
[1.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1 '05 Het Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]

I would never have thought it was that bad although I do understand their reasoning behind the law.

I am amazed at hearing how bad it is there. My neice was in the Marines for six years and spent a short time over there. She never mentioned anything about poverty level but said that being on a small tropical island at first was neat but that soon wore thin as it is too small and confined of a place. I guess I know where I'd never want to move to!

Isn't the drug Speed / meth a real problem on the islands?

It looked to me like half the "natives" were speed freaks.