Why you shouldn't take your snake to the shop.

[cement]

Cement I know exactly where you are coming from and you started a good thread that raised some very interesting points that led to mostly healthy debate
Its all good
While I was in Aus I 'usually' tried to obey the restrictions there
But I didnt like them too much

Asian people as a community are usually terrified of snakes
But they very quickly have adopted ours
Even if they avoid coming into the display most of them have decided the snakes are not too bad after seeing them so often

I agree, we are over governed here and there are WAAAY to many rules regarding everything. Wasn't meaning to dig at you though mate. Cheers. Hey is Yani's still open? He had some owls and parrots in his restaurant and i got to feed a mouse to his big owl one night after he closed up and we stayed for a few drinks. I am going back a long long time though..

 

[syeph8]

Some people suffer social and a multitude of other phobias, too. Am I to claim responsibility for those, too?
If you really want to be pedantic, don't interact with ANYONE. Because they could have any possible phobia
(or combination thereof) you don't know about.. I'm scared senseless by large, barking dogs. We should ban those too, and ban public
off-leash areas for dogs too, right?

I know there's the legal side, but there's more to it than that and I think it is worth discussing. Besides, do
we really want to use the Nuremberg defense? Rather than some kind of draconian law enforcement, I would have
thought education and changed policies would be a better bet, but that's just me.


lol, agreed. A lot of humans scare me much more than reptiles - the potential to do harm is much greater.

Give it time mate, this is a growing industry and people in general are starting to get over their phobias of reptiles. we can't force people to get over their fears and prejudice but we can endure it until they get over it themselves. I personally have witnessed many people go from utterly terrified of snakes to wanting to handle mine on a regular basis and some have even gone and got their license and got their own. So from this i can say that the time will come. Might not come however if reptile keepers are forever associated with "that crazy guy carrying a snake through the shops" or a group of people who are breaking (or simply refusing to acknowledge) the law.

Dogs is a different story and are integrated into Australian culture. there are poems, songs, statues and stories about the aussie man and his best mate the dog. all the stories about snakes, with exception to those stories by the (sensible and wise... and traditional owners of the land) Aboriginal people, are about the killer anaconda or the deadly viper etc etc etc. you can't really draw comparisons between the two. it's like saying that nudists should be allowed to walk around in the nude even though many people would feel uncomfortable standing in line infront or behind a nudist or sitting next to one at a restaurant. nothing wrong with being a nudist, but at the same time its just not part of our current cultural framework and demanding such is just going to make people think you're a bunch of nutters.

not arguing with you, simply putting forward a new perspective.

addition: despite the apparent implication.. i myself am not a nudist. thanks for the interest

 

[FusionMorelia]

what sort of tool is taking a snake for a walk into a shoppin center or pub, seriously! what the hell happened to common sense?
respect ya fellow man and for the love of jebus think before you talk or act.

 

[Inkage]

When i was like 11 we bought a filthy big coastal back on the train from Redfurn, the guy gave it to us in a cardboard box, the box did not restrain it..It ended up wandering around the carriage wrapping around the seats and such..At the time it was the biggest snake i'd seen and pretty scary..As you'd imagine this wasn't entertaining for people..Ha. But with the train guards help and some duck tape it was back in the box. Close as iv'e come to taking an animal in public.

 

[FusionMorelia]

way to take something personal.
if you want to take a snake into an area where it can possibly bite someone or hurt a kid then be sued beyond belief then go right ahead man
be my guest

 

[Wookie]

Humans are not a bright species, they never have been

Give me some of what you're smoking bra ;D. I joke. I know you're just exaggerating to make a point.

 

[Darkhorse]

The other thread got closed this arvo.name calling,insult throwung smart#$%^ comments and sniggers all towards me,because my snakes are like dogs to me,constant companions.not just pretty ornaments or baby making money making machines.they are my family in a lot of ways,close family.and i got flamed hardcore and nasty.

Sookie you seem to be taking this all very personally. The other thread was not closed because of name calling, insult throwing etc as if this had been the case it would not have been merely closed but deleted. It really wasn't that nasty, you just didn't like what the others had to say about the morality/legality of your actions.

 

[longqi]

way to take something personal.
if you want to take a snake into an area where it can possibly bite someone or hurt a kid then be sued beyond belief then go right ahead man
be my guest

That is why they have thing called Third Party Public Liability Insurance
$812 per annum if you use pythons only for $20m cover
AAMI Adelaide arrange it quickly and easily

Isnt it amazing that even on here people can think that a python can hurt someone??
Compare python related injuries to dog cat or horse injuries
There is simply no comparison at all

While even reptile keepers still have the view that pythons are dangerous these draconian laws will never change
WE are the first ones who really need to change our attitudes
Once a month during the dry season the Dome in Cairns takes a few slitherers and a croc or two down to the Lagoon
which is a very popular waterfront area in Cairns
The only people who ever seem to complain are Aussies
The Tourists love it simply because they have seen similar things back home

Our laws regarding reptiles are so antiquated it beggars belief

here is a classic very simple example
A Wildlife Demonstrator in Qld is supposed to tell DECC exactly with what, where, and how he is going to do a display
The forms take about two weeks to turn around with basically a permission slip/movement advice
No alterations are legally permitted without prior approval
So you fill in the form exactly as asked
Your BHP goes into shed mode the day before the show
Legally you cannot do the show because you will have altered the slip

I have no idea if they have ever enforced this law
But its on the books and legally they can do so but even they shake their heads about it

So long as pythons are looked at and treated as 'dangerous' animals these laws will not change
It is only through public awareness and public contact that this view will ever change

But never forget one important fact
Dont take snakes shopping

They dont like ice cream

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Many of you who read my first post in the thread now closed will remember I said the law is an *** when it comes to reptiles.

However, the law being an *** doesn't preclude the use of good judgement where sharing your snake (or any animal) with others, or simply being a self-indulgent prat and showing off are concerned. Sookie has certainly lived up to her name when it comes to responding to very valid criticism of her snake-handling habits, but instead of saying 'Yes, it is a big risk driving with my snake on my lap in my car for several very obvious reasons (driver distraction, interference with the controls, escape into the seats or dash)... so in future I'll stick to enjoying my reptiles in the privacy of my home where we can be discreet and safe' she goes into a self-indulgent sulk.

It's not the person Sookie, it's the behaviour that's being questioned. If these posts serve to keep you off public roads when you are driving with a snake 'on your lap,' when anything could happen to distract you or risk your snake's wellbeing, then you just have to cop it. If there's a news headline 'Pet snake in car causes crash' it makes all reptile keepers look like dangerous weirdos, and gives more power to those who already exert too many constraints on us.

If you are unable to enjoy your animals for what they are, in the privacy of your own (or someone else's) home, then perhaps you have reptiles for the wrong reasons. Your needs appear paramount here, not the needs of your snakes...

Jamie

 

[Snakeluvver2]

God I love it when you post.
Even when you are bagging me out.
It's great haha.

 

[zack13]

Great post I completely agree. And to anyone who would argue that it is positive press and does good that is silly. You CAN NOT guarantee that the snake will not bite and the one time a snake finally does the negative press will far out weigh any positive press accumulated.

 

[TigerCoastal]

I will admit that i am guilty of having one of my snakes out of the click-clack in the car while i was driving, but i have only done it the once. Me and my girlfriend had driven over an hour to pic up a snake and as we had the kids with us and it was lunch time i dropped them at Maccas while i went to pick up the snake. She hadnt seen the snake other than in pics, and is as confident as i am handling snakes so she got it out while we were on our way home. After 2-3 mins it got put back in the click clack as it kept trying to get into the vents in my dash. That was the first and last time its ever happened, now we wait until we are home to have a look.

As for taking them in public, i was in a store the other day looking at some jungles. I was in the herp area of the store holding a 3.5-4' jungle when another customer walked into the area. They didnt realise that i was holding a snake until they were about 3 steps from me when i turned around to look into another enclosure. The other customer freaked out and started hyperventillating. We put the snake back into its enclosure and helped to calm him down a bit and while talking to him, found out that he keeps beardies, but still cant get over his fear of snakes. So basically what i am saying is that even in an area where it "should" be accepted you can still run into someone that may have an adverse reaction to the animal.

 

[Chris1]

i have to admit, i poop myself a bit when i see a dog bolting owards me off its leash too, im fine with dogs i know, but strange dogs not so much,...i jumped up on a fence to escape a jack russell the other day, then laughed at myself cos theyre so small!!

totally agree its better not to take snakes out in public, but i have found alot of people with snake/reptile phobias want to overcome them, ive had plenty of people knock on my door and ask to hold a lizard (theyre pretty visible as they live on the windowsills), then once theyre comfy with that they ask to hold a snake.

 

[Defective]

is there a reason this thread is not a sticky yet??? very good reasons as to why not to take a snake out....did i forget a off duty DECC officer might see you and report you

 

[moosenoose]

My mother-in-law states she feels physically sick when confronted with a reptile and cannot bring myself to look at them, unfortunately I am intolerant of this and feel as though I'd dearly love to slap her I know it won't make her feel any better, but I will

Some people need to get over themselves.

(any chance my post could be made a sticky also? )

 

[SamNabz]

Great thread cement, some very valid information.

Many of you who read my first post in the thread now closed will remember I said the law is an *** when it comes to reptiles.

However, the law being an *** doesn't preclude the use of good judgement where sharing your snake (or any animal) with others, or simply being a self-indulgent prat and showing off are concerned. Sookie has certainly lived up to her name when it comes to responding to very valid criticism of her snake-handling habits, but instead of saying 'Yes, it is a big risk driving with my snake on my lap in my car for several very obvious reasons (driver distraction, interference with the controls, escape into the seats or dash)... so in future I'll stick to enjoying my reptiles in the privacy of my home where we can be discreet and safe' she goes into a self-indulgent sulk.

It's not the person Sookie, it's the behaviour that's being questioned. If these posts serve to keep you off public roads when you are driving with a snake 'on your lap,' when anything could happen to distract you or risk your snake's wellbeing, then you just have to cop it. If there's a news headline 'Pet snake in car causes crash' it makes all reptile keepers look like dangerous weirdos, and gives more power to those who already exert too many constraints on us.

If you are unable to enjoy your animals for what they are, in the privacy of your own (or someone else's) home, then perhaps you have reptiles for the wrong reasons. Your needs appear paramount here, not the needs of your snakes...

Jamie

I agree 110% with what you have just said Pythoninfinite and also think that people definitely need to learn how to accept criticism a lot more, as not everything someone tells you is an attack.

sookie sorry to say but you seem to be a pretty irresponsible keeper. Loving your pets and treating them as family is no problem, but when you start treating herps like cats and dogs then it becomes a problem as they are far from it.
No one is telling you to just look at them in their enclosure, however it is a pretty careless act to drive around with them in the car. Enjoy them in the privacy of your own home/property but do not take them out into the public as it is irresponsible and illegal unless you are taking it to the vet or are shipping it out etc.

If you want to walk something on a leash, buy a dog please...

 

[Pythoninfinite]

My mother-in-law states she feels physically sick when confronted with a reptile and cannot bring myself to look at them, unfortunately I am intolerant of this and feel as though I'd dearly love to slap her I know it won't make her feel any better, but I will

Funniest post I've read in a long time - just about soiled myself when I read that !!!

Jamie

 

[Wookie]

Why do people take them out? Attention? If you want to show somebody, make them come to your residence. Better for you and your snake.

 

[longqi]

How good a thread is this?
Some well thought out discussion on the most part

Probably 80% agree that its a bad idea?
Probably even most of the other 20% agree that it should be done responsibly especially regarding transporting reptiles?
But almost everyone also agrees that the laws need changing?

This will be good to read again way into the future
Hopefully things will have changed

 

[saximus]

Haha I love taking a couple of days off APS and coming back to these topics (the other one was more entertaining though ).
Cement it was really interesting to read about the car accident thing. I had no idea about that sort of law (guess I'd never thought about it) but it makes sense that people aren't going to put themselves in immediate danger like that.
I've never experienced a true phobia before so I didn't realise people literally make themselves sick over this kind of thing too.
Thanks for all of the info guys and girls.