RED ALERT!!! Prepare to FIGHT!

[Joe M]

This is stupid, and some of the people that said this should be supported are oblivious. Taking over the everglades? You watch too much TV.

This is pure BS, and I will lose all faith in our government if this goes through.

 

[Sylvias]

I am sickened to see people here who support this law.... there is no logic to it and has been proven time and time again that it will ruin thousands of lives and turn even more innocent people into criminals.
Who the hell is here that doesn't own an exotic animal? Just because this law is focusing ONLY on snakes does not mean it will not effect you in the long run. If they get this one through then it is only a matter of time before they come back on the next step to get something else. This is being supported strongly by the HSUS and their eventual goal is right in line with PETA...to end the ownership of ALL animals.
In fact...correct me if I am wrong.. but this law came about as a more 'reasonable' version of HR669... and is based on flawed and even completely false science.
Do not think that just because YOU do not keep any of these snakes means that it will not come back on your end if it gets through.

As for irresponsible people....that is true..there are plenty of people who shouldn't have certain animals... snakes among them... but that does not mean the entire country should be banned from it. There are also plenty of people who are entirely responsible and capable of caring for these animals, we should not need to suffer for the actions of a few special individuals who would be better off in a ditch somewhere.

Now could there be a compromise and create some sort of permit system? sure... that would be a good thing. a nice reasonable permit would solve a majority of the problems...allow responsible keepers to get in and have their animals...while discouraging the irresponsible and spontaneous keepers with that extra step and fee. It wont solve everything...but neither will a ban... in fact... a ban will just make things MUCH worse... because we will not stop. It will simply turn us all into criminals.

 

[Joe M]

herps/reptiles are not my thing, and to be honest with you - I'm supporting them on that regulation.


There are too many people out there that shouldn't be owning any of those reptiles or have any business selling/handling them.

Than why are you here?

Who are you to tell people what they can have? We should make pit bulls illegal too because they can potentially, maybe, possibly be dangerous and Mike Vick doesn't have any business owning them. Lets ban them everywhere for everyone because of a few dumb people. See how stupid that sounds?

We should also start padding all sharp things in public and make people wear helmets all the time to protect the "duller" people from themselves.

Seriously though, what is the backing for this? What "new information" makes these constrictors dangerous to a responsible owner?

 

[ceeej31]

To anyone that thinks these snakes are taking over the everglades, I highly recommend that you watch the mini-series "Python Hunters" on the Nat Geo Wild channel. It shows real reptile experts doing real research on the impact of burmese pythons in South Florida. They concluded that the number of snakes is greatly exaggerated, their impact on native species is extremely low (they may actually be filling in the biological niche of the florida panther in areas where the habitat is no longer suitable for the cats), and that the cold snap in the winter of '09-'10 nearly wiped them out.

 

[Joe M]

I am sickened to see people here who support this law.... there is no logic to it and has been proven time and time again that it will ruin thousands of lives and turn even more innocent people into criminals.
Who the hell is here that doesn't own an exotic animal? Just because this law is focusing ONLY on snakes does not mean it will not effect you in the long run. If they get this one through then it is only a matter of time before they come back on the next step to get something else. This is being supported strongly by the HSUS and their eventual goal is right in line with PETA...to end the ownership of ALL animals.
In fact...correct me if I am wrong.. but this law came about as a more 'reasonable' version of HR669... and is based on flawed and even completely false science.
Do not think that just because YOU do not keep any of these snakes means that it will not come back on your end if it gets through.

As for irresponsible people....that is true..there are plenty of people who shouldn't have certain animals... snakes among them... but that does not mean the entire country should be banned from it. There are also plenty of people who are entirely responsible and capable of caring for these animals, we should not need to suffer for the actions of a few special individuals who would be better off in a ditch somewhere.

Now could there be a compromise and create some sort of permit system? sure... that would be a good thing. a nice reasonable permit would solve a majority of the problems...allow responsible keepers to get in and have their animals...while discouraging the irresponsible and spontaneous keepers with that extra step and fee. It wont solve everything...but neither will a ban... in fact... a ban will just make things MUCH worse... because we will not stop. It will simply turn us all into criminals.

I 100% agree with you. I will never stop with my reptiles, I don't care what the big bad government does. They can come get me.

The next thing is going to be fish and other reptiles that aren't native, and then I'm sure all of the people who "support" this BS will be crying their hearts out.

Ignorance is bliss, right? They don't understand that there is no reasonable reason for this to happen.

 

[CubanFury]

To anyone that thinks these snakes are taking over the everglades, I highly recommend that you watch the mini-series "Python Hunters" on the Nat Geo Wild channel.

I did catch that series You guys aren't wrong. The pythons in Florida was made up to seem a little more intense that it actually was, however that doesn't detract from fact that an APEX predator got a foothold among the American Alligator (whose lucky to have there #'s back up).

Does anyone know which 9 constrictors there going after?

 

[ceeej31]

I did catch that series You guys aren't wrong. The pythons in Florida was made up to seem a little more intense that it actually was, however that doesn't detract from fact that an APEX predator got a foothold among the American Alligator (whose lucky to have there #'s back up).

Does anyone know which 9 constrictors there going after?

Indian python (Python molurus)
Burmese python (Python molurus bivittaus)
Reticulated python (Broghammerus reticulates or Python reciculatus)
Northern African python (Python sebae)
Boa constrictor (Boa constictor)
Yellow anaconda (Eunectes ntaeus)
DeSchauemsee’s anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei)
Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
Beni anaconda (Eunectes beniensis)

 

[Sylvias]

A note about the pythons in the everglades....
They do not really pose a real threat to gator.... yes IF they get big enough they can eat gators but the survival rate of the young is very slim, everything from herons to racoons can pick off hatchling burms. The ones that do survive are actually filling in the niche formerly occupied by the Florida Panther which is on the verge of being declared extinct in the wild (which is almost entirely due to humanity not to snakes or even other invasives)
It is unlikely that burms will ever be gone from Florida at this point, neither will iguanas, cuban brown anoles or feral cats. But their numbers (the burms) have dramatically decreased since last years brutal winter in which the vast majority of snakes found since then have been dead or on the edge of death. (which parallels a study that as done in North Carolina with Burms in which I think it was 9 or the 10 test subjects died)
The point is... the media will ALWAYS sensationalize things, especially something that is already a deep seated fear in many peoples minds. You have to take it with a grain of salt....

 

[ceeej31]

(which parallels a study that as done in North Carolina with Burms in which I think it was 9 or the 10 test subjects died)

And the one survived only because it was rescued by the scientists.

 

[CubanFury]

burms will ever be gone from Florida at this point, neither will iguanas, cuban brown anoles or feral cats

don't forget about peacock bass, bowfins, boar I miss FL!