Its been interesting to see how various forums have discussed this ban. The thing I've noticed is missing from the discussions here is...
A federal agency decided that they wanted to pass a law. Not Congress, not the President. A Federal Agency. The non-elected government employees found a loophole that allows them to pass a ban of the interstate transfer of animals with the force of law that requires no due process, no judicial review. The downside for the agency was that they could only create bans with monetary impacts under a certain dollar figure. They wanted to ban 9 snakes, but it turned out that the market for all 9 was too big. So, they picked 4. In a couple months the next 5 will follow. Other large snakes like boas are likely to go on the block. Iguanas and certain chameleon species have healthy feral populations, they'll probably be banned as well.
And then... think the pit bull market is large enough to escape a ban? How about all the other "dangerous" dog breeds that cause your homeowners' insurance rates to be high, like dobermans, german shepherds, belgian malinois, akita, chow, rottweilers, etc? Most dogs are probably safe, but it could become a felony to take fido across state lines in the near future because, and let's face it, banning "bully breeds" is progress in the "right direction". (to clarify, there's some sarcasm in there)
An all-out ban of all pet ownership is highly unlikely, but it is highly probable that if this "python ban" is allowed to stand then we will probably lose the right to the interstate transfer of animals that cannot be humanely kept in an average apartment-style dwelling. Want a fish that requires a 100 gallon tank? Better hope there's a breeder in YOUR state or you're SOL. It isn't going to be about the actual banning of ownership of animals, it is going to be about restricting the movement of animals from state-to-state such that certain species will be completely unavailable in some states. Pet owners really need to band together against this type of pseudo-legislative action. I have never owned a snake larger than a corn snake and have never had a desire to own any of the snakes likely to be banned. Despite that, I still don't support the ban.