Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just watched the local news a moment ago and it said some woman's snake, a 12 foot Burmese python, got out of its cage and strangled her baby to death! They also found boa constrictors in her house. This is bad considering they were trying to pass the bill H.R.669 earlier this year. As I know it, the bill is not dead yet!

This isn't anything new. Lots of people have been killed by big snakes.

>>This isn't anything new. Lots of people have been killed by big snakes.

Lots? There have been 12 cases in the last 29 years in the U.S.

Regardless. still enough to grab on to if you're of that mind. What's your supporting documentation?

>>Regardless. still enough to grab on to if you're of that mind. What's your supporting documentation?

That is the statistic compiled and released by the Humane Society of the United States who is working to ban the ownership of large pythons. Here is the link, the list is halfway down.
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_calls_for_stricter_snake_regulations_102408.html

The same thing almost happened in Las Vegas a few months ago. Instead of going after the parents for the crime of reckless child endangerment (totally the case in LV) and unfit parents, they kill the snakes and go after boid ownership.

Next time 669 comes back, and it will in another form or part of another bill, this will come up as a reason not to have pets. HSUS and PETA will see to it.
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www.moonstonedragons.com

This is just a prime example of improper pet care and child care. No child should be left unsupervised with any pet..even a hamster. (maybe the hamster won't kill the child but the child certainly can get bit or toss the hamster onto the floor and let it escape.).

Most times a child is bit by dogs is due to something the kid did to the dog that hurt it, so it bit in retaliation...parents didn't train their kid not to mistreat animals and in every case, its the animal that gets blamed, instead of the careless and irresponsible parents.

There really hasn't been that many deaths by large snakes in North America, may hear of one or two a year, if that. I did a bit of searching and found the following document: www.rexano.org/Statistics/NumberOddsDeathLifeExotic.pdf for those who like to see things in writing outside of the forum.

From this document death by captive reptiles (doesn't specify venomous or non venomous) average per year is 1.5 people die by captive reptiles. Not much compared to deaths caused by dogs, or accidentally discharged firearms. Another thing this chart shows is your lifetime odds of being killed by a reptile (one in 3.2 M chance)...pretty good odds compared to your chances of being killed driving a car (1 in 84).
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PHLdyPayne

This was tragic, completely preventable accident. I have a 12ft Burmese, 4 ft bigger than the one involved in this story (measurements later showed it was an 8ft python). We have a permitting system in FL that designates the size of enclosure a python must have, the security of it, and it must be locked. This owner did not have the $100 annual permit, he had the python in a mesh laundry bag in an aquarium, and put a quilt on top of the aquarium. He then says....direct quote, "I did everything I could." It makes me slap my forehead. This really is just the dumbest python keeper on earth. There is also some question on when the snake was last fed.

Each species requires its own type of care. Ours is kept in a large, secure enclosure, and we have the permit. Frankly, I don't think I would have accepted this snake if I had small children, but I had a teen and preteen at the time. I also did research on Burms for about 9 months before I took this one (she had asked 9 months previously).

This is just a case of pure ignorance in which the entire reptile industry will be affected. The whole family is affected. But worse, the poor little girl's situation just makes me sick.