Reptile & Amphibian Forums

http://www.detnews.com/2004/metro/0412/06/metro-25366.htm

Bad News!

Yeah...No kidding...Enjoy your collections for now for they will soon be all banned.

I saw this on the news this morning in Philadelphia. The owner was using aquariums for most of his snakes. I saw a big Gabby in one, which most people know is not a good place to keep them.

What would posess you to have a large Pit Viper like a Bushmaster and not use shift boxes or dividers? People love to spend top $$ on the snakes but skimp on the enclosures.

Al
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You can't enjoy your collection if it kills you.

{Note: The URL below leads you to the video clip, photos and the 'Question of the Day' ... care to guess the subject? Cheers, Wes}

WDIV (Detroit, Michigan) 06 December 04 Canton Man Bitten By Snake Could Face Charges - More Than 50 Snakes Found In Home
Canton, Michigan: A poisonous snake bite sent a Canton man to the hospital Sunday. The man could now face charges.
Rudolph Hatfield, 51, was bitten by one of his pets, a South American Bushmaster snake, according to Local 4 reports. The venomous snake was one of about 50 snakes the man kept in his home on Brighton Lane.
"Some of them are small. Some of them are large. Up to probably 6, 7, 8 feet," said Canton police Sgt. Rick Pomorski.
Reptile experts from the Detroit Zoo and Canton police searched Hatfield's home and eventually captured the 9-foot Bushmaster. It was taken to the Detroit Zoo for safekeeping.
Police said they found more than 50 venomous snakes housed in cages in an upstairs bedroom. The other snakes were kept in their cages and secured in the room pending future court proceedings, police said.
There are no federal or state laws against keeping snakes, but the reptiles are illegal in Canton, Local 4 reported.
"We have a local ordinance that prohibits the possession of venomous or poisonous reptiles," said Pomorski.
A reptile expert said aside from the ordinance, keeping a venomous snake as a pet is not a good idea.
"It just astounds us when we get calls like this," said Scott Carter of the Detroit Zoo.
The man was given some anti-venum provided by the Detroit Zoo. He was transported to St. Mary's hospital in Livonia by Canton EMS, and was later transferred to Detroit Receiving Hospital where he was listed in serious condition. He is expected to fully recover, Local 4 reported.
Canton police said the possession of venomous snakes is a serious public safety concern and they will prosecute the owner to the fullest extent of the law. The department is expected to bring the issue to court as soon as possible, and move to seize and destroy any animal or reptile that is considered vicious.
Canton Man Bitten By Snake Could Face Charges

Here is the current survey from the news station reporting about the guy who got bitten by his Bushmaster.
I think it speaks for how "the viewing public" feel about us keeping venomous snakes.
Karl H. Betz

A Canton man could face charges for keeping poisonous snakes in his home. Do you believe people should be allowed to own exotic pets?
Choice Votes Percentage of 2469 Votes
Yes. It is a matter of choice. 382 15%
No. It can endanger others. 2087 85%
Thank you for voting and for watching Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit.com. For complete and up to the minute results, watch Local First News at 5 p.m.

LOL, all we have to do is convince 85% of a few billion people that keeping venomous snakes really isnt all that dangerous, if you know what you are doing.