Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Tomorrow evening a journalist from the local newspaper is coming over to do a story on snake breeding as a business/hobby. And she's doing it in a positive light, because she is also covering the story about 5 mins. away in Mapleton about Dan and Colette Sutherland's ball python business moving into town and all the surrounding hype and controversy tied with that.

Any suggestions (i.e., like with pit-falls to avoid, etc) on what to say or leave out?

Dusty
Suboc.com

Leave-in: How clean and organised the industry is/has become.

Leave-out: Escapes
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

"You can only take my money for so long. And then I don't have anymore, and then I get angry!"

I would print out some basic info sheets on some of the breeds you handle from the net, or copy from a good book. That saves the reporter time on doing research away from your interview, and gives some basic info -- especially the stuff found in most such material about snakes being good for the environment, etc. Also,pick a nice gentle snake for the reporter to handle, if she requests to do so. Always remember in these situations that reporters are generalists, rarely expert in any field they encounter doing stories, so keep it basic and clear and have good reliable and positive info available.

I seem to always get the most positive responses from "non-snake people" when I talked about the money and how it's become a big industry. When you put it in those terms people seem to "get it" even though that's not what it's about for most of us. I guess I just try to get across the point that it's not just one or two "weirdos" keeping snakes in their basement. It's actually a large, viable, growing sector of the pet industry. And yeah, don't even bring up escapees!
Good luck. Keep us posted.

I would let her touch/handle your tamest snake.It is surprising how many people have never even touched one.
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

Some good advice above...here's my $0.02..

- I would certainly mention that captive breeding has reduced collecting pressure on some of the most popular species and that we endeavor to increase the number of species involved.

- This is a labor of love. Most people don't make a profit, they simply defray some of their costs while enjoying the hobby.

- You might discuss the reaction of many communities to reports of escaped pets or accidental killing. Those reactions are equivalent to banning ALL dogs because one pitbull attacks someone. These problems are the rare exceptions, but they make good TV so that's all the public-at-large gets to see.

- I would avoid the "more people are killed by horses or dogs" type stats. Killing and death by snakes are best left out of the conversation.

- I think you should try to create a distinction between captive snakes and wild snakes. Most people can't make that distinction and see us through their "only good snake is a dead snake" goggles. I don't think of wolves when I see a chihuahua, yet people still do this when they see an albino cornsnake.

And remember, no matter what salient, witty, or important points you make, they are going to pare it down to the most interesting 15 seconds anyway.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Those were all really helpful points, and my wife and I think that it went rather well. It really helps to know what you wished you would have said beforehand!
By the way, we got her to hold her first snake; a really large but incredibly gentle male River Road suboc that I've had for years.

Dusty