Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We need a herp friendly journalist on our side...
http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200907120045/OPINION/907120318
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Primeval-Beauty
"Finding beauty where other's fear to tread"

I have said it before and I will say it again, when people say Python they do not specify "which" python. WE need to put together a video of professional quality that shows clearly what the differences are from each species and we also need to share statistics in regards to which pythons have actually harmed people in any way and which ones have not. Python is used far too loosely and if we are not careful the anti snake people will call them all the same. You CAN NOT consider a Ball Python to be the same as a Burmese Python and yet the public does not know the difference and for the most part they DO NOT CARE. WE MUST EDUCATE those that do not understand that pythons are VERY different. People need to be spoon fed information. A video that can be sent out to all concerned, media, congress, senate, etc, etc, is very important. We need a silver bullet and the video is a good start. We are really talking about propaganda. The opposing side is using propaganda against us and doing it very successfully. We need our own propaganda which is truthful and factual. If any one in the reptile world has a friend or in any way knows someone in the media, we need to have a spin on the story being told which is truthful and explains our side of who we are. People are scared and they are scared of that which they do not understand. The truth is BIG snakes are scary. How do you convince a public that does not like snakes and is afraid of them that big snakes are good? HOW? How do you make people understand that ALL pythons are not big and dangerous? Education is the answer. A video as professional as possible is important and we better jump on it.

then again, what do I know?
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Proud supporter of USARK and Kingsnake.com
“We stand together or we fall apart”

Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid"
David Coverdale

1 of our public groups should call Bill Oreilly...I bet you he would give them air time...I am not a fan of the republicans or FOx network...but strangely...I am a fan of Bill Orielly.
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Michael Enriquez

Maybe something like this.
Link

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If you plan for 1 year, plant rice.
If you plan for 10 years, plant trees.
If you plan for 100 years, educate mankind.

Have you seen the video? I have not seen it. Is it very professional? Would it scare the public in any way? Does it explain in detail each species be it boa or python? Does it share detailed information regarding the history of these reptiles in captivity in the USA? Does it explain the facts about how few people have been hurt in the USA by pythons and boas? Does it explain how the media is blowing the hype out of proportion based on lack of facts which is fueling the hysteria? Does it explain how many years’ people in this country have kept and bred these animals along with the pet trade which has sold thousands upon thousands in this country? We need hard data based on the number of years that people have kept and bred the pythons along with approximately how many people have successfully kept them as pets. We need to slam the opposition with hard facts that they CAN NOT DISPUTE, but it needs to be on video.
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Proud supporter of USARK and Kingsnake.com
“We stand together or we fall apart”

Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid"
David Coverdale

Typical alarmist media. One person dies because of an idiot illegally keeping a python and the whole world goes nuts.

I guess dogs can kill all they want and nobody says a thing(and no I'm not saying we need to ban dogs or anything):

http://www.dogbitelegalcenter.com/resources/dogbite-statistics.html

Dog bite & attack statistics

Various statistical sources provide estimates of dog-related injuries.

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In 2001, an estimated 68 million dogs were pets in the United States.
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In 2001, an estimated 368,245 victims were treated for dog bite related injuries.
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In 2001, children ages 5-9 had the highest dog-related injuries.
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In 2001, an estimated 42% of dog bites (or 154,625) occurred in children age 14 and younger.
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Approximately 7.9% of dog bites (or 16,476) were work-related.
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Dog bite injury sites for all victims include:
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45.3% to the arm/hand
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25.8% to the leg/foot
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22.8% to the head/neck.
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For children 4 years and under, 64.9% of injuries were to the head/neck.
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For those 15 and older, 86.2% of injuries from dog attacks were to the extremities.
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Types of dog-related injuries recorded in Emergency Rooms:
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26.4% as "dog bite"
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40.2% as "puncture"
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24.7% as "laceration"
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6.0% as "contusion/abrasion/hematoma
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1.5% as "cellulitis/infection"
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0.8% as "amputation/avulsion/crush"
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0.4% as "fracture/dislocation"
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From 1979 through 1996, dog attacks resulted in more than 300 human dog-bite related deaths in the United States. Most of the victims were children.
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In 1997 and 1998, at least 27 people died as a result of dog bite attacks (18 in 1997, and 9 in 1998). Of these, 19 were young children between zero and 11 years of age, and 8 were older children and adults between 17 and 87 years of age.
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Of the 27 people who died as a result of dog bite attacks in 1997 and 1998, 67 percent (18) involved unrestrained dogs on the owner's property; 19 percent (5) involved unrestrained dogs off the owner's property; 11 percent (3) involved restrained dogs on the owner's property; and 4 percent (1) involved a restrained dog off the owner's property.
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60 percent of the fatal dog bite attacks by unrestrained dogs that occurred off the owner's property in 1997 and 1998 involved attacks by more than one dog.
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Of the 27 people who died as a result of dog bite attacks during 1997 and 1998, 67 percent (18) involved an attack by one dog; 19 percent (5) involved an attack by two dogs; and 15 percent (4) involved an attack by 3 dogs.
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17 states accounted for the 27 dog bite fatalities that occurred in 1997 and 1998. They were: California (4 deaths); Georgia and North Carolina (3 deaths each); Kansas, Texas, and Wisconsin (2 deaths each); and Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, South Dakota, and Tennessee (1 death each).
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Rottweilers and Pit Bulls were involved in 60 percent of the 27 dog bite fatalities that occurred in 1997 and 1998. Rottweilers were involved in 10 deaths, and Pit Bulls were involved in 6.
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From 1979 through 1998, at least 25 breeds of dogs have been involved in 238 human dog bite related deaths. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers were involved in more than 50 percent of these deaths.
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Between 1979 and 1998, 58 percent of human deaths involved attacks by unrestrained dogs who were on their owner's property at the time of the attack.
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It has been estimated that about 4.5 million people (nearly 2 percent of the American population) are bitten by dogs each year.
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In 1994, of the estimated 4.7 million people who were bitten by dogs, 800,000 sought medical care. Of these, 332,000 sought treatment in emergency rooms, and 6,000 were hospitalized.
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It has been estimated that nearly 334,000 dog bite injuries are treated in emergency departments each year.
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Of those hospitalized for dog bite injuries in 1994, 55 percent were male.
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The average hospital stay for a dog-bite injury has been estimated at 3.6 days.
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In 1994, hospital charges for dog-bite victims was estimated at $62.5 million.
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In 1994, emergency department charges for dog-bite victims was estimated at $102.4 million, and direct medical care charges incurred as a result of dog bites was estimated at $164.9 million.

if we could put together that same kind of information about boas and pythons it would be very helpful.
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Proud supporter of USARK and Kingsnake.com
“We stand together or we fall apart”

Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid"
David Coverdale