Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How do bills like Texas HB 1309 get traction in legislatures?

1) Groups Like PETA & ALF
2) Venomous Dealers who put sales ahead of common sense and safety.

3) Morons like this guy. Quoted from another forum.

"hi guys, i recently got my first venomous snake at the last hamburg show, and I think its a young naja kaouthia. its not feeding at all, does anyone have any tips? it just stands up and strikes the whole time, with no interest in the prey. anyone know why it wont eat? also, what cage size would an adult do fine in? thanks in advance yall."

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Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

That post is disturbing on so many levels, its hard to know where to begin......

He had me at "I THINK its a young naja kaouthia." Something I would want to KNOW myself.

"I THINK it's a young kaouthia?" If nothing else wouldn't the seller tell him this, if nothing else so he doesn't sell a $1000 snake for $150 or less?

Aside from all the other reasons that this guy should't be fooling around with hots, when are these idiots going to learn that IN ADVANCE doesn't mean when you've got a pissed off cobra that you can't even identify, let along know how to keep safely?
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0.1.0 Ball Python - Shaman
1.0.0 Green Iguana - Ike
1.0.0 Tokay Gecko - Fang
2.2.0 Cats - Pumpkin, Furball, Pixie, Stitch
1.0.0 Cockatiel - Ozzy
0.1.0 Budgie - Tweetie
1.0.0 Dwarf Rabbit - Floyd, R.I.P. Rascal
0.0.1 Rat who was too friendly to be eaten - Scabbers

I can give you the answer based on the facts given to us in Florida when thet changed our laws and for the information given to me By Sen. Seligers aid.

1 cage size
2 reported bites by keepers
3 escaped animals
4 animals of concern Large pythons, Hots and monitors
5 shows and the sell of animals to minors
6 sales of stolen animals at shows
7 Record keeping of sales
8 number of unpermitted keepers
9 condition of animals at shows

The two issues (i.e. the dealers selling to people like this & people like this buying a lethal animal without doing the proper research or having the proper experience) are inter-linked. Extremist groups like PETA will always be an issue, whether we're talking about leopard geckos or Gaboon vipers...

However, it is up to US as responsible keepers AND dealers to run the other way when a guy like this strolls up to our table looking to buy an animal that can kill us deader than a doornail...How this guy was able to purchase this animal at a large reptile convention is beyond me...Even if he was able to show proof that he resided in an area where it is legal to have these types of animals, this DOESN'T mean that he SHOULD have these animals...

Seriously....what types of questions were posed to this guy BEFORE he made the purchase? Was there even an attempt to ascertain if he had kept vens before?

It's stuff like this that makes me think that this privilege most of us share is on borrowed time....There will always be idiots...but (obviously) there WON'T always be smart people around to save the rest of us....This is what happens when money takes precedence over sound judgement and ethical behavior...such a shame....

The rant is over....
-AzAtrox

i can hear the 911 call now "i think my cobra just bit me".

Now That one sounds like a Jerky Boys bit-on the Jerky Boys 2 CD they have a phone call involving a character with a heavy accent to something like ask a nurse saying he was snakecharming in the street and got bitten-it's funny until reading an article where it actually happened.