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Idiots that can't identify snakes.

When I took my bearded dragon to University of Florida (holiday weekend, my vet was closed) they kept calling her "the iguana." Srsly. The vet students or residents or whoever they were. Really ticked me off, and I would never go there again.
 
OMD! Yeah, it ticks me off, too. And of course the media does everything in their power to sensationalize anything having to do with snakes... "owner is taking the 3 foot "boa constrictor" back to the store so it doesn't endanger his infant".... Gimme a break. I have yet to meet a nicer, more laid-back snake species than Ball Pythons--and I have yet to see one big enough to eat an infant human!
 
Irish Eyes (Mrs.Z) said:
OMD! Yeah, it ticks me off, too. And of course the media does everything in their power to sensationalize anything having to do with snakes... "owner is taking the 3 foot "boa constrictor" back to the store so it doesn't endanger his infant".... Gimme a break. I have yet to meet a nicer, more laid-back snake species than Ball Pythons--and I have yet to see one big enough to eat an infant human!
Click to expand...

I guess I should take back my corn snake then, hes over 3 feet now.......




I'm just kidding of course. A buddy of mine hada 5 foot red tailed boa and his wife demanded he sell it as soon as she found out she was pregnant.

My wifes aunt freaked out when she found out I had to Ball Pythons, she was surprised to find out that not all Pythons get 10 feet long, and that mine wont eat any thing bigger then a rat. So many people think that all snakes get to be the size of burms or something.
 
Allalaskan said:
I guess I should take back my corn snake then, hes over 3 feet now.......




I'm just kidding of course. A buddy of mine hada 5 foot red tailed boa and his wife demanded he sell it as soon as she found out she was pregnant.

My wifes aunt freaked out when she found out I had to Ball Pythons, she was surprised to find out that not all Pythons get 10 feet long, and that mine wont eat any thing bigger then a rat. So many people think that all snakes get to be the size of burms or something.
Click to expand...

It has less to do with actual size than it does with the entirely irrational fear that all snakes are dangerous, deadly animals with cruel intentions, designed to kill humans.

This basic absurdity is the root of panic-driven media such as this. The species doesn't matter, the size doesn't matter, the general docility doesn't matter...the media eats it up, spits out some sensationalized story that places human beings, especially children, in extreme mortal danger, and rakes in the ratings.

Then, uneducated, uninterested, and completely ignorant individuals watch this nonsense, and decide that all snakes should be banned...
 
tyflier said:
It has less to do with actual size than it does with the entirely irrational fear that all snakes are dangerous, deadly animals with cruel intentions, designed to kill humans.

This basic absurdity is the root of panic-driven media such as this. The species doesn't matter, the size doesn't matter, the general docility doesn't matter...the media eats it up, spits out some sensationalized story that places human beings, especially children, in extreme mortal danger, and rakes in the ratings.

Then, uneducated, uninterested, and completely ignorant individuals watch this nonsense, and decide that all snakes should be banned...
Click to expand...

^^^^^^^^^^^
Hits nail on head.........
 
tyflier said:
It has less to do with actual size than it does with the entirely irrational fear that all snakes are dangerous, deadly animals with cruel intentions, designed to kill humans.

This basic absurdity is the root of panic-driven media such as this. The species doesn't matter, the size doesn't matter, the general docility doesn't matter...the media eats it up, spits out some sensationalized story that places human beings, especially children, in extreme mortal danger, and rakes in the ratings.

Then, uneducated, uninterested, and completely ignorant individuals watch this nonsense, and decide that all snakes should be banned...
Click to expand...

O I agree, I was being a smart azz more or less.
 
Last year I got a call at school from the head groundskeeper at Dundalk High, a neighboring HS. He told me his crew had been cutting the grass and had found a boa constrictor in the soccer field. Someone told them that Sparrows Point had a "crazy snake lady" and that she might take the snake, so he called me. I said he could bring it over and I'd do what I could to find it a new place to live.

Here is the dangerous boa on the day he was "captured."

44225_92378_Large_VcxocTw6RZ.jpg
 
I love how snake stories become more and more exaggerated every time someone tells them. Just last year my local pet store became involved in an incident. A man failed to secure his two snakes and they escaped into the neighbor's house, unbeknown to the neighbor. One snake came up through her toilet plumbing. The other came up out of her washing machine (apparently it had survived the spin cycle). The woman brought both snakes in to my local pet store, and they took care of them until the owner returned to claim them.

The first time I was told this story was by a co-worker. His version involved 10-foot long, bone-crushing giant pythons. When I got the real, first-hand story from the pet shop owner, I learned that they were in fact harmless, 2.5-foot long ball pythons. I guess snakes are always larger in peoples' imaginations.
 
Being snake lovers, it's hard for us to understand this kind of thing. But the public, for the most part, really doesn't understand reptiles at all. And snakes in particular are poorly understood. I can't remember a single media report of a snake incident that was completely accurate.

But having said that, sometimes I see some bizarre statements from snake keepers, even here on this forum. There's a recent post about a pet snake biting itself, and the OP describes its "fangs". Especially with the recent threat of adding some large constrictors to the Lacey act, we need to be careful how we, as experts, describe our beloved pets. We also need to help with this, both by donating money to advocacy groups like USARK and by writing letters to or congressmen. I don't want to hijack this thread, but I'm really concerned about this latest development that will start with prohibiting the interstate sale and transport of large snakes. Then our corns could be next.
 
Wonder how Congress would react to thousands of snake owners rallying on Capital Hill, each carrying their beloved "highly dangerous" pet...
 
It's is very frustrating how ignorant people can be.

During my rental inspection, I was showing my landlord how secure the enclosures were, & assured his (evil) :madeuce:wife (who hates snakes) that they are all non venomous, & he replied "Are you sure? Because this one (pointing at my Alabama Corn snake, Mica) looks like a Diamondback Rattler..." Srsly!! :headbang:
 
tyflier said:
It has less to do with actual size than it does with the entirely irrational fear that all snakes are dangerous, deadly animals with cruel intentions, designed to kill humans.

This basic absurdity is the root of panic-driven media such as this. The species doesn't matter, the size doesn't matter, the general docility doesn't matter...the media eats it up, spits out some sensationalized story that places human beings, especially children, in extreme mortal danger, and rakes in the ratings.

Then, uneducated, uninterested, and completely ignorant individuals watch this nonsense, and decide that all snakes should be banned...
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more even if i tried....
 
How did the "snake expert" interviewed by CNN not correct them? He was holding a BP. Some snake expert.

I love the guy with the gold tooth. "Ma, ma!! There's a snake in the bathroom!"
 
Susan said:
Wonder how Congress would react to thousands of snake owners rallying on Capital Hill, each carrying their beloved "highly dangerous" pet...
Click to expand...

Gimme the date for when we do that. I'll make sure to have an extremely dangerous, man eating Rosy boa with me.
 
@Martin Bernstein: I wonder if he did correct them and they just edited it out? I don't put much faith in the media, so I wouldn't put it past them...
 
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