Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This guy thought so.
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Nope...no grandfather cause. When the ROC law came out, owners had 6 months to comply. Perhaps that was the grandfather clause portion.

It seems that the FWC would give him the option to comply. I mean, isn't this the type of ownership they want? Here's a guy committed to long term care of his snakes, understands the danger and keeps his young son away, and has built a separate and seemingly locked enclosure. The snakes appear well fed and appropriately sized. Granted, it's not the enclosure I would use, but if the FWC doesn't approve, why not educate the owner and return the snakes if/when he complies?

They don't mention if he can still "comply". Judging by the way he looks, he may not have the money to do so.

FWC Agents seized a 400-pound, 18-foot python in Orange County early Friday evening.

Wildlife agents have been turning a critical eye on snake owners ever since a python killed a Sumter County toddler this summer.

Agents took the massive Apopka python from a home along Section Drive because her cage had no lock. The owner is out of state and in the process of moving.

The owner's brother was out helping agents deal with the massive snake Friday evening. From head to tail it is 18 feet and weighs about 400 pounds. At its fattest point, it measures 30 inches around.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officers responded to the scene after they received a complaint from a neighbor about the reptile.

Agents' first concern was that the owner didn't have permit, but the major concern was the cage didn't have a lock. Agents said the snake could have easily escaped.

"That snake is the one of the biggest I've ever scene. I moved here a couple of years ago and little girl Ester came by and said, 'Come by, see my snake, see my snake.' One day I came by. I was amazed at size of it," neighbor Vincent Paul told Eyewitness News.

The 17-year-old female snake, named Delilah, will be taken to a reptile farm in Bushnell until they can figure out what to do with her. There's a good chance the snake will end up at a zoo or reptile sanctuary.

The way the media is handling this story had me screaming at the tv last night and this morning. They keep reporting this as if it was loose by saying things like "giant python captured" and "giant python slithering in yard" this was a confisaction not a capture and yes there is a big difference between the two. Then this morning the local Fox affiliate gave snake facts such as burms average life span is 20-37 years the record leingh for a snake was 48feet and the record weight was 987lbs WTF!!?!! Has anyone in the media ever done a lick of research into these stories?
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"We don't inherate the earth from our parents, we borrow it from our children"

I belive that's the figure that was quoted on that retic in the Phillipines a couple years ago that was supposed to be a "god". After it was measured accurately and found to be less than half that size, the natives said it had the ability to grow and shrink when it wanted to.

Too much fermented pineapple juice.

Wow.. That media is just retarded.. Seriously.. I 2 min google search on 'worlds largest snake' would result in snakes not getting 30ft.. Baby the 27ft burm is in the guiness book of world records as the largest snake. She was 27ft and weighted 400lbs... Now national headlines say this 18ft snake weights 400 lbs.. Give me a break.. It should be a crime for news agents reporting false information..

I was laughing about the weight thing last night when the story replayed. The reporters said it took four men to carry away the snake in the dog kennel. Well, if each man said he could lift 100 pounds, then the snake MUST weigh 400 pounds.

The night the story broke, another local station said the snake weighed 500 pounds, lol!

I agree certainly a well cared for snake but the owners brother told officials that the snake had escaped before and that was the nail on the coffin.

"The brother did say the snake had previously escaped its enclosure"

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/20858972/detail.html

7 rabbits? That animal could eat one rabbit a week and still grow.

I dont think they feed it 7 rabbits every week.. Perhaps every 2 months it eats 7 rabbits.. IMO

I could not agree more... Kinda like a fire code.. Get things back in order and your back in business. I just wish the media doesnt have a freak show anytime a snake is involed.. You know this made national headlines in just a couple of hours...