Fighting pending legislation outlawing most snakes!/ USA

[Viaaf]

I live in Virginia on the east coast of the US. At present the state has no laws concerning reptiles except crocodilians. Proposed legislation would ban all hots, all boas, and all pythons except chondros, ball pythons, and Angolan pythons. As you see, all Aussie species would be illegal to own! In a few days I'm going with others to discuss why the proposal should not be enacted. Part of what I want to say is about Australian species and the "danger" they pose. Specifically, why are they being banned? Would like to know if there have been any known fatalities in Australia from native pythons so I can include that.
Here's a link if you'd like to read it over: Bill Tracking - 2012 session > Legislation

Hope you find the time to answer! Thanks, Andy Via

 

[Gruni]

I'm no expert but I think it's safe to say that... Pythons haven't caused any fatalities in humans in Australia. Just as I was about to post I did a search and did turn this one case up BUT it was a scrubby which is the largest python in Aus and you generally wouldn't handle a full grown specimen single handed. You wouldn't have access to scrub pythons (Morelia amethistina) there would you?

 

[Viaaf]

They aren't kept by very many people but yes. I've a friend who only keeps scrubs!

 

[Gruni]

I just realised I forgot the link... HKRAS Herp News: Professional snake handler killed in S Australian home Apparantly he had consumed a large amount of alcahol before his death so one must question the circumstances.

 

[buffcoat]

I live just north of you. So far my state's governor has said there will be no bans. Now, Pennsylvania is sending somewhat the same bill to the House. The only bad thing about that is, that's where the closest reptile expos are to me.

Join USARK. Follow them, support them.

Oh, I am not able to own an Indigo without a permit. The only reason being, its on our endangered list.

It really saddens me that the US is turning into such a "fearful" country. Instead of thinking things out, let's just throw out the ban hammer and then make exceptions.

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[Gruni]

I don't understand why your government won't look at allowing them on permit and applying an amnesty for the snakes already in perfectly well looked after collections?

 

[Viaaf]

Was the Hong Kong news thread about a swede in 2005? I just read one through that ended up saying it was unconfirmed by the autopsy?
Yes, giant snakes and babies, aka prey, are a bad mix.
Thanks again!

 

[thomasssss]

never mind , i fell for it

 

[Gruni]

Basically we have been incident free as a rule. Yes he was a Swede but living in Aus. Read the quote and you may realise on top of the booze the snake wasn't the issue...

Police said there were several snake enclosures inside and outside Mr Attmarrsson's home and snakes were free inside the property.

Director of the Australian Reptile Park, John Wiegel, said he had not heard of anyone in Australia being crushed to death by a snake but said it did happen overseas where the pythons were much bigger.

"There have been a number of incidences overseas where a snake has got confused and the person is asphyxiated and has died, but we've never come close to that in Australia," he said. "This species does get pretty confused sometimes."

 

[Gruni]

Never mind...

 

[thomasssss]

whilst i know why you guys wouldnt want to have all your pets banned and i do think its stupid to just go out and do so like that , i think that if your going to be allowed they snakes your allowed than a licensing system NEEDS to be implemented

something like what we have here , where you can only get a basic /starters licence to begin with that would allow you things like corns , balls and other small/medium sized pythons , then people can progress through the system as they ( hopefully) gain experience

all your vens and large pythons that are capable of doing things like the above story should be on a higher tier licence that would only be available after a certain amount of time in the hobby and maybe even a competency test of some sort , it isnt fool proof as someone can keep for 5 years and still be an idiot but i feel that it would stop ( or atleast drop the numbers) of cases where people are harmed and also animals mistreated because of ignorance

if nothings done , the problems will only continue , to do nothing at all would be on the foolish side imo

 

[Xanthine]

Urm, that video is from the onion. It's not real.

 

[Gruni]

Oh ok... ooops my bad! I was so gob smacked by it and I'm at work so doing stuff in between that I didn't realise. I'll edit the post and get rid of it.

 

[Gruni]

Thomassssss you might go back over your posts and get rid of the references to that clip.

 

[justin91]

majorly off topic but did anyone else hear what that guys said with his opening sentence " in a minute where going to have our money wise segment , for those of you trying to save a few pennys where going to show you how to guilt your kids into dropping out of college "

back on topic , what the hell where those parents thinking , whilst i feel for them and it is a tragic loss the thing ate their dog leading up to it , they said things like we thought of putting a bell on it , seriously , a bell , how about containing the python in an area it can not escape from and doing so from day 1 , a wee bit of common sense would of saved that family a great deal of heart ache

I got a feeling that show isn't real or something. Just came off very fake to me. Like, the show hosts were making fun of them and the stuff they were all saying, seems unrealistic to me.

Urm, that video is from the onion. It's not real.

That would explain a lot lol.

 

[Wally]

Here's a link to a thread regarding the scrubby death in SA that is worth reading. Particularly post #43

Gruni in particular should have a read.

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/...ssion-42/close-calls-big-snakes-157169/page/3

 

[Gruni]

#43 was an excellent post, thanks for that Wally.

 

[thomasssss]

I got a feeling that show isn't real or something. Just came off very fake to me. Like, the show hosts were making fun of them and the stuff they were all saying, seems unrealistic to me.



That would explain a lot lol.

ill admitt , i fell for it i was gobsmacked that people would think about guilt tripping their kids into dropping out of college

 

[buffcoat]

whilst i know why you guys wouldnt want to have all your pets banned and i do think its stupid to just go out and do so like that , i think that if your going to be allowed they snakes your allowed than a licensing system NEEDS to be implemented

something like what we have here , where you can only get a basic /starters licence to begin with that would allow you things like corns , balls and other small/medium sized pythons , then people can progress through the system as they ( hopefully) gain experience

all your vens and large pythons that are capable of doing things like the above story should be on a higher tier licence that would only be available after a certain amount of time in the hobby and maybe even a competency test of some sort , it isnt fool proof as someone can keep for 5 years and still be an idiot but i feel that it would stop ( or atleast drop the numbers) of cases where people are harmed and also animals mistreated because of ignorance

if nothings done , the problems will only continue , to do nothing at all would be on the foolish side imo

Problem is here in the states, we can have anything, any time. It would be literally impossible to track down and make sure everyone has a license. What do you do about the hognose? Its "venomous" but almost harmless. Would you or should you need a special license for it?

The problem is they want to include all reptiles...beardies, cresties, tokay, snakes, legless, you name it. Crested geckos have no teeth. Harmless. 100% harmless. I need or should have a license for them?

This all stems from one guy in Ohio and Mother Nature in Florida. I think the final "kill" of burms in the Everglades was 50. Now, how many of those were even legal kills. Do I think you should own bears and lions and such, short answer, no. Should I be punished for having a creature with no teeth and is 100% harmless, no.

Our government is so paranoid now its not funny. I just read an article that there are more deaths in the US because of aspirin/ibuprofen than deaths by reptiles. Do we ban aspirin or make it prescription only? Its illogical.

One guy lets exotic animals loose and kills himself so now ALL animals besides dogs and cats are illegal, or our government wants to keep more tabs on us. Oh, in my state, I need extra insurance to own a pit bull or Rottweiler.

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[Gruni]

You can make all those arguements Buffcoat but you need to start somewhere, 30 years ago nobody had a license to keep their reptiles but with time it filters through and gradually as people get caught out the fines they cop and the loss of their animals makes oithers not want to take the risk etc. Take some time to look up the various state regulations here and you'll see we have snakes similar to your hognose that are on different license levels depending on the state... common tree snakes are generally on a higher license as they are venomous but harmless but are not as easy to handle etc when cleaning tanks etc and their dietery needs mean that some experience with other snakes is seen as the better option for the snakes wellfare more so than the keeper.

If anything those of you involved in the consultative process could use our licensing as a good example. The only reason we don't allow exotics to be legally kept is for te same reasons our customs laws are so strict, we don't have many of the diseases and pests other countries do so we try to make sure the risk of it happening is minimised, you already have so many exotics it would be like closing the gate after the horse has bolted.