Okay, this will be my last post on this thread since I feel like I have opened a can of worms here, I want to close it and leave it alone.
People are not exactly sure how many of these pythons there are but we know there are a bunch and we know that we want them gone. I have been down to the glades and I have caught a pair of these pythons before. During that trip, myself in addition to everyone I was with were told that even if we caught these horrible invasives, we were not allowed to keep, sell, trade, or even kill them and that no wildlife was to be removed from the area w/o a further permits. We HAD gotten permission to go herping so long as we released everything that we found where we found it but we had also planned to keep any invasive snakes we found to bring them farther north (where they could not survive) for a profit. The irony of it being that the FFWCC does not want the snakes in the park but they will not allow for them to be removed from the park either.
On a similar note, humans have all but extirpated the FL panther that used to be the apex predator in the park. Recent surveys show that there may be less than 100 left in the glades according to my mammal-culture class. with that being said, the pythons are in essence replacing this role and are killing about the same prey (birds, small gators, household pets, fish, etc.) that the panthers were. I am not saying that this is a good solution, just that these snakes are not as dangerous to the environment as everyone says.
Once again, I will make the argument that the permits that are in place are more than suitable to prevent the further release of the snakes in question if they were enforced.
@ Koidaddy:
you say that everyone should just go ahead and get the permit now but in many cases (such as mine) I have the permit but am currently not in possession of any of the big five that it covers since I am living in an apartment. I do -or if this passes, did- plan on acquiring some once I have the capability to care for them. With the current bill that is in place, the only thing that gets grandfathered in are the animals already in captivity and the permit holders loose their rights to purchase more. You are also forgetting about the future herpetologists whom could want to own these snakes responsibly years down the road who will never get to know how fantastic these animals can be.
Also, you speak as if you are some oppressed victim in some of your posts. I did not once insult in the least but I did find your comment about the "warm welcome" you received at this site rather annoying. If you do not want to have your opinion disagreed with, then you have no business posting in any sort of forum where opinions are discussed, refuted, accepted, and fought over.
I am sorry that you do not feel that we like you because your opinion is different but the truth is that we need a variety of opinions in order to generate a real discussion.
No hard feelings in any way.
I leave this thread with a protest to the irony of the FFWCC's actions. Below is a picture that some of you may have seen before containing the 2 snakes that were released (by order of a game officer).
People are not exactly sure how many of these pythons there are but we know there are a bunch and we know that we want them gone. I have been down to the glades and I have caught a pair of these pythons before. During that trip, myself in addition to everyone I was with were told that even if we caught these horrible invasives, we were not allowed to keep, sell, trade, or even kill them and that no wildlife was to be removed from the area w/o a further permits. We HAD gotten permission to go herping so long as we released everything that we found where we found it but we had also planned to keep any invasive snakes we found to bring them farther north (where they could not survive) for a profit. The irony of it being that the FFWCC does not want the snakes in the park but they will not allow for them to be removed from the park either.
On a similar note, humans have all but extirpated the FL panther that used to be the apex predator in the park. Recent surveys show that there may be less than 100 left in the glades according to my mammal-culture class. with that being said, the pythons are in essence replacing this role and are killing about the same prey (birds, small gators, household pets, fish, etc.) that the panthers were. I am not saying that this is a good solution, just that these snakes are not as dangerous to the environment as everyone says.
Once again, I will make the argument that the permits that are in place are more than suitable to prevent the further release of the snakes in question if they were enforced.
@ Koidaddy:
you say that everyone should just go ahead and get the permit now but in many cases (such as mine) I have the permit but am currently not in possession of any of the big five that it covers since I am living in an apartment. I do -or if this passes, did- plan on acquiring some once I have the capability to care for them. With the current bill that is in place, the only thing that gets grandfathered in are the animals already in captivity and the permit holders loose their rights to purchase more. You are also forgetting about the future herpetologists whom could want to own these snakes responsibly years down the road who will never get to know how fantastic these animals can be.
Also, you speak as if you are some oppressed victim in some of your posts. I did not once insult in the least but I did find your comment about the "warm welcome" you received at this site rather annoying. If you do not want to have your opinion disagreed with, then you have no business posting in any sort of forum where opinions are discussed, refuted, accepted, and fought over.
I am sorry that you do not feel that we like you because your opinion is different but the truth is that we need a variety of opinions in order to generate a real discussion.
No hard feelings in any way.
I leave this thread with a protest to the irony of the FFWCC's actions. Below is a picture that some of you may have seen before containing the 2 snakes that were released (by order of a game officer).
I however should say that just a wille ago here a rottweiller that was a loving family pet killed a family´s todler, ANIMALS ARE ANIMALS, we can not ask them to be people. In the dog´s case the people didnt introduced the child to the dog and he reacted like it was a stranger. In the python case, that snake ESCAPED THAT NIGTH LIKE 12 TIMES OF ITS CAGE BEFORE THE ATACK TOOK PLACE! AND THE GUY DIDNT DO A THING ABOUT IT!
