Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In your experience, are these statements mostly true, or mostly false:

1) When most people relate their previous snake experiences to me, the snake is either a "Moccasin, Coral Snake, Copperhead, or Baby Rattler".

2) When most people relate their personal experience killing a snake, it is always a venomous variety as above. People justify their actions by insisting the snake was a venomous snake and their sole concern was safety [for others].

3) I think most people feel a sense of bravado, accomplishment, and satisfaction when they kill a snake.

4) With the current python scare in the public psyche, surely many a harmless snake will be deliberately killed as a "Python".

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Absolutely. Except that I'm not in the part of the country where coral snakes are a big concern.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
2.0 Brazilian rainbow boas (Arco, Olho)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.0 Thayeri kingsnake (Coatl)
2.7 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, Uce, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Yes. I hear it about cotton mouths all the time...keep in mind, the nearest cottonmouth is over 200 miles to our southeast...
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

In California we get alot of people thinking the snake must be a Rattler because it was shaking it's tail. Of course these are the same ones who see one of my full grown Ball pythons in my front yard and assume it's a baby when they hear the word python. Or they ask me if I'm afraid of the poison. While all on these forums know the truth and falsehoods of these statements it can be amazing how in this age of awareness we live in how in the dark a good percentage of the general public is.

>>In your experience, are these statements mostly true, or mostly false:
>>
>>1) When most people relate their previous snake experiences to me, the snake is either a "Moccasin, Coral Snake, Copperhead, or Baby Rattler".

Yep, every time someone finds a snake around here it's a copperhead, even though it's almost always a water snake. Last spring, a neighbor of mine called me in a panic, saying a copperhead was in her backyard pond. (I'm "the snake guy" in my neighborhood.) I told her it was in all likelihood a water snake (duh.) I rushed over there, and after it finally popped it's head out of the water, I told her for sure it was a water snake. She still kept insisting it was a copperhead. Then I blindly thrust my arm in the pond trying to grab it, and she thought I was insane. Even though she knows I have a fair amount of knowledge of snakes (which is why she called me!), she still kept doubting it was a baby water snake even after we captured it and I was handling it.

Another neighbor of mine called me to come get a "copperhead" that was in someone's garage. When I got there, some idiots already killed it. Again, a baby water snake, maybe 10" long and no thicker around then a pencil.

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>>4) With the current python scare in the public psyche, surely many a harmless snake will be deliberately killed as a "Python".
>>

Agreed. Are "environmentalists", our friendly DOI scientists, the ridiculous TV shows, etc, really helping indigenous wildlife by creating this python hysteria?

What I especially like is when you tell someone that you keep snakes, have experience and knowledge of snakes, they go into these outrageous unbelievable tales of their first hand experience...something about these 10 ft snakes, either Indigos or Rattlers, where none are found of course.

Is it instant insanity on their part just at the mention of the subject?

Do they think I'm an idiot? Does being gullible automatically go along with a certain knowledge of the subject?

I've always wondered what goes through a person's mind when they are swearing by absolute falsehoods to someone that would obviously know better.

Maybe it's just so incredible to them, anyone would be interested in the welfare of snakes, or keeping them for that matter, they just have to top that lie with a bigger one?

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

>>4) With the current python scare in the public psyche, surely many a harmless snake will be deliberately killed as a "Python".

Yes, and the unfortunate thing is that, ultimately, none of this would have ever happened had they been there in the first place, whether in the hands of irresponsible breeders or casual pet owners. Ultimately, the pet trade is responsible for their and hundreds of other exotic species establishments in South Florida. As the PBS video shows, they should have never left exotics alone in a reptile breeding warehouse during a hurricane. A no brainer. They should have been trucked out to a safer temporary location. Otherwise, of course, escapes would happen.

What's even scarier than the many a harmless snake being dispatched by many a well-meaning "python" killer are the certain possibilities of endangered fauna like American Crocs being wiped out by Nile Monitors...who again, wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the pet trade.

If you place great trust and enormous ecological responsibility on the shoulders of irresponsible people with unproven results, you get what you asked for. Pythons and other exotics should be regulated. (Note, I did not say "banned"...but certainly more regulated.)

It is something that the pet industry should have foreseen and self-regulated...but when you don't regulate yourself, you're left with the regulations that others decide...aka, the government proposing bans.

DR
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