I'm not against that idea but there are a few problems. First, not all python scientists share the same opinions on the same issues. What I believe might be 100% different than what some of the other people involved believe. And this is also true for keepers/breeders. How can we find consensus between our two sides if we don't even have it within them? Second, I would need permission from my boss. I'm not a big wig like the rest of them and I know my place... not that I haven't been given a good amount of freedom. One thing I'd like to explain the structure of the relationships between all of the scientists. We all work together to some degree. But within the group "python biologists" there are sub-groups. The sub-groups work on different topics (but still involving pythons) most of the time but sometimes we collaborate on one thing or another. It's a very complicated web but the point is that one group might share a set of beliefs that is different from the other. And also, an individual within the group might share a different belief than everyone else. So, the question is, how do we reach universal agreement? I'm not saying I'm against it (at all). I'm just pointing out the inevitable complications.

I will also say that despite some bad quotes in the media, we have also made deliberate attempt to avoid fear-mongering. For example, Frank had been asked to testify in favor of the federal legislation during the congressional hearings and he declined because he doesn't want to get involved in all that political BS. I can't even begin to tell you how many TV requests Frank has turned down over the years. I've been here for almost 4 years now and we've only done 3 shows in that time. I PROMISE we get MANY more requests than that. None of us have ANY interest in doing shows like Monster Quest that are PURE HYPE. NatGeo and Nature are supposed to be pretty respectable outlets and it's REALLY hard to tell what the show is going to look like in the end. All I know is they followed us around for a week while we were doing normal work stuff. I had no idea there would be a story about a pet python attacking a girl or anything else that wasn't directly related to our research. And another example I can think of when we specifically avoided making something public was when one of us was "attacked" by a python. I use the quotes because I don't like that word but I don't know how else to say it. We wrote up the whole thing for publication in a herp journal but decided against submitting it because of the panic it would have induced. I don't want to get into too many details because I don't want this story being spread and exaggerated and causing harm to the hobby but my OPINION is that the snake struck out of an ambush position and had the "attackee" in mind as a prey item. I think it was a case of mistaken identity/size and perhaps the snake would have stopped on its own but my OPINION is that at least for a little bit the snake wanted to eat the guy. And I've been keeping/catching/observing snakes for 20 years now so I'm not 100% clueless. Anyone that is facebook friends with me will immediately notice that when I'm not working I'm herping. And, just for the sake of showing I have an interest in both sides of this debate, here is a list of animals I've kept over the years (off the top of my head)...

Python regius
Boa constrictor
Morelia spilota
Morelia viridis
Lampropeltis alterna
Elaphe obsoleta (I know it has changed names now)
Elaphe emoryi
Agkistrodon contortrix
Crotalus horridus
Crotalus cerastes
Crotalus mitchelli
Crotalus stephensi
Crotalus viridis
Crotalus oreganus helleri
Crotalus lepidus lepidus
Crotalus lepidus klauberi
Crotalus molossus
Sistrurus catentatus tergeminus
Crotalus ruber
Paleosuchus palpebrosus

And I would still have half of that stuff if it weren't for FWC regulations.

And just a note, my mom wouldn't let me keep any large constrictors when I was a kid and my interest shifted to hots when I got older. But I tried to convince her to let me get burms/afrocks when I was 10. Anyway, I'm sure I've kept more than just that but I can't remember much else at the moment. The point is that I do enjoy keeping herps and understand the pains of legislation.

Mike

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