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NEWSDAY (Melville, New York) 09 September 06 Exotic snakes attract officials (Emerson Clarridge)
For Michael Kotsonis, the Burmese python coiled in its cage at the front of his Shirley pet store was something of a slithery promotional tool.
The python and 18 smaller snakes he had kept inside the shop for several months were an effective, if not entirely legal, way to draw customers, he said.
Kids would often stop by to have a photo taken with the snakes, which Kotsonis said were only on display and not for sale.
On Friday night, though, Suffolk authorities stepped in and confiscated 19 snakes, most of them babies, in a raid, the latest in a series of seizures of illegal exotic animals in the region. Two Burmese pythons and 17 black racers were taken from the store, officials said.
"The black racers are very, very dangerous snakes," said Roy Gross, a spokesman with the Suffolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Kotsonis was bitten by one of the snakes as he assisted officers, he said. He said the snake's bite can sometimes produce a serious infection.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the SPCA are continuing to investigate. No charges have been filed but Kotsonis paid a $250 fine.
While none of the snakes seized on Friday are venomous, pythons are dangerous because they constrict and strangle their prey. The length of the pythons was in dispute; Kotsonis said they were between 12 and 14 feet while the SPCA officials said they were between six and ten feet.
Kotsonis, 25, who took over the store in March when the prior owner died, disputed that assessment Saturday, saying the snakes were harmless.
He said he had no reservations about letting customers and his own 3-year-old daughter handle the largest serpent, "because it was so friendly." Kotsonis also denied that the snakes were for sale, saying that each glass case was marked for display only. But Gross said that it was illegal to either own or sell the snakes taken Friday.
Saturday, Kotsonis sat outside his store, which is next to a storefront church in a strip mall, appearing bewildered at the commotion. He said the raid had not deterred customers.
"It's kind of good for advertising," he said of the uptick in business.. Curious customers had been stopping by all morning, he said.
The snakes, meanwhile, were taken to a zoo outside New York, where Gross said they would remain.
Exotic snakes attract officials

man that is so lame black racers dangerous ny laws are starting to bug me
wayne

the part i find hillarious is u can cross the border to pennsylvania and buy any snake you want venomous or not and what to stop you ? and i think it is a common misconception that those racers are dangerous cuase someone once told me they knew someone who got food posioning from a racer bite i was extremely bewildered but i guess it happens

>>"The black racers are very, very dangerous snakes," said Roy Gross, a spokesman with the Suffolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

This is absolute garbage. I would be happy to provide a letter against this for use in court.

Cheers
Bryan
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Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
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Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
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Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
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http://www.venomdoc.com