Reptile & Amphibian Forums

www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/15133552/another-snake-turns-up-on-oahu

"Fearing for children's safety another person has turned-in an illegal snake..."

"...we want people to understand the dangers of snakes out there that it can harm a child, it can strangle a person," said Sgt. Kim Buffett, Honolulu CrimeStoppers. "We got this tip in and basically said I'm afraid this person has children and I'm afraid for the children so I want to tell you about this snake."
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Lincoln, NE
Ball Pythons - 0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.1 Normals
Kingsnakes - 1.0 L. m. thayeri, 0.1 L. m. thayeri X L. alterna, 1.0 L. g. californiae
Other - 0.1 Whitesided P. catenifer sayi, 1.0 H. nascicus, ?.? Chrysemys picta, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

The public safety aspect is way overblown. However the potential harm to the endemic wildlife and the laws to prevent that are real. I really wish people would stop giving the hobby a black eye by purposefully breaking the law.

If you really need one that bad more to the mainland.

I totally agree. If Ball Pythons got loose and comfortable anywhere in Hawaii, things would go from bad to worse for their native fauna. However, saying that a Ball Python could kill your child is not only stupid and pushing the borders of insulting, but it is completely inaccurate.

For sake of accuracy, can anyone produce evidence that a Ball Python has ever hurt a person so badly they even had to go to the hospital? Let alone killed a person or child?
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Lincoln, NE
Ball Pythons - 0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.1 Normals
Kingsnakes - 1.0 L. m. thayeri, 0.1 L. m. thayeri X L. alterna, 1.0 L. g. californiae
Other - 0.1 Whitesided P. catenifer sayi, 1.0 H. nascicus, ?.? Chrysemys picta, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband