Reptile & Amphibian Forums

http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=564258c4-fe5f-45be-9804-96d09f99bff0&f=06/64&fg=copy

but every time i see something like this, or most any news(although snake/reptile specific is usually the most alarming), I'm reminded of just how dumb general public is.

*i like how they mention how they had to beat the snake.

While I agree that most people know very little about snakes/reptiles, I don't think we should overlook the fact that this child was bitten by a ball python loose in a park in NORTH CAROLINA! There was no reason for anyone to expect that snake to be there. To me this story does more to make us hobbyists look bad (how did the snake get there?) than it does to make the general public look bad.

Rob

>>but every time i see something like this, or most any news(although snake/reptile specific is usually the most alarming), I'm reminded of just how dumb general public is.
>>
>>
>>
>>*i like how they mention how they had to beat the snake.

"we" shouldn't look bad or feel like this has any implication for responsible hobbyists.

there is always going to be irresponsible people.

pets will always get out.

when a dog bites someone, does that make dog owners, in general, "look bad"? no, in fact no one even gives news like that a second thought. But "OH NO a harmless python bit someone" is headlines.

I think you make a good point and I agree that we "shouldn't" look bad and that there will always be irresponsible people among the responsible majority. The reality, however, is that this does have implications for just the reason you stated, any time someone gets looked at cross eyed by a reptile, it is huge news and is sensationalized. I don't think it is right but I have seen too many news stories made out of nothing and know of too many attempts by ill informed government agencies to regulate herp keeping to not see a correlation.

My intent in posting was not to offend anyone, simply to point out that, I think, unfortunately, we do need consider the implications such stories could have on our hobby. The vast majority of people in this country are scared to death of snakes. Most of them, if asked, can't explain why, they just are. Stories like this simply add fuel to their fire.

Rob

>>"we" shouldn't look bad or feel like this has any implication for responsible hobbyists.
>>
>>there is always going to be irresponsible people.
>>
>>pets will always get out.
>>
>>
>>when a dog bites someone, does that make dog owners, in general, "look bad"? no, in fact no one even gives news like that a second thought. But "OH NO a harmless python bit someone" is headlines.

"when a dog bites someone, does that make dog owners, in general, "look bad"? no, in fact no one even gives news like that a second thought."

I disagree. Pit bulls, rottweilers, dobermans, and other bully breeds are prime examples of being tossed in the headlines every time an animal does something like bite someone or attack someone elses' dog/cat/grandma.
-----
~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

wow. I wish I lived in your dream world. Like the other poster stated, dogs such as pit bulls are sensationalized in news media as being violent murdering animals with no value of life and should all be put down. Why is this, because people have misconceptions about the breed fueled by very few examples of poor ownership (such as michael vick). the same thing is happening with snakes across this country. Law makers add gas to the fire to build peoples fear by using examples just like this. Here in florida we are experiencing this first hand. There has never been a person attacked by a wild large constrictor but yet we are on the verge of having them banned. Yes it seems like the $100 yearly permit and microchipping the animals is to prevent inexperienced people from owning them, but it's not. It's so that in 5 years they can say we are still getting a large number of people not complying with the law so the only logical step is to ban them outright. And I'll bet they will use this video and say "what if this was one of those burmese, that child would be dead."

It is all of our responsibility to not turn a blind eye to these negative PR reports. We must do everything possible in order to continue to be able to keep the animals we love.
-----
Josh & Krysty Hutto
J&K Reptiles

Various Ball Pythons:::

1.0 striped vanilla
1.0 spider
1.2 Citrus Ghost and hets
1.2 Albino and hets
2.3 het Pied
0.6 50% poss het pied
1.1 Pastel (male has additional gene going on with him)
a bunch of normal female breeders
a bunch of normal female holdbacks and several rescued normal males

0.1 columbian boa, she's a feeding monster, controls my
over production of rats, lol
0.1 brazilian rainbow boa, another rat eating monster
1.1 corns

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

I agree 100%. These "Snakes in the News" things make our hobby look bad and make people want to ban the owning of snakes(I don't know that that will ever happen though). It just gives us a bad name. That's just my opinion though.