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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on July 2, 2009 at 11:46am

Agree, there are a few things that bug me with this tragedy:

1. The owner did not have a permit for the snake
2. The snake was put inside a bag in an OPEN top aquarium
3. The owner blames and quote "the stupid snake".
4. In a local TV interview, the step daughter said they "supervise" the toddler and allow her to pet the snake.
5. Snakes don't have thumbs and they don't know how to turn door knobs. CLOSE the door to the toddlers room!!!

Sigh..... tragic :(

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Permalink Reply by Boo Buchheit on July 2, 2009 at 1:31pm

Yeah I'm with you on this. Stupid snake (blame game) paid the ultimate price I imagine. Two lives wasted due to the stupidity of some human. So very sad.

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Permalink Reply by Shepdog on July 2, 2009 at 1:48pm

As someone who's around a lot of reptiles - I am completely blown away by the parental lack of understanding that if one of the larger snakes gets around an adult's neck, it can accidentally kill a human if it gets frightened or startled. A toddler has no chance in a prey-drive situation. That's just horrible.

I don't know if they need a permit for the snake in that state though - I know ours doesn't need one for the keeping of pet reptiles, but it's community based. I can keep a constrictor, but fifteen miles up the road, they can't. Frankly, though, anyone who keeps any snake in a non-escape proof setting is asking for an escape of the animal. I lost a four foot corn snake one time at the shop because someone set and locked the lid back less than a quarter of an inch. Found him, fixed the issue, but still... they're fast about it.

The thing about closing the door though, Sam, is that if there's even the smallest gap, the animal can get through it. A fifteen foot snake could easily get under the one inch gap under in my interior doors. It's just a totally preventable situation if they'd bothered to oh, have an escape proof enclosure. Not a bag in a fish tank. (Plus, what a rotten life for the snake to have, if that was their setup.)

If you're going to keep any exotic, any exotic (and this includes fish) educate yourself before purchasing. It's not fair to the animal, your family, and someone else's family if it gets out and hurts someone, or if it suffers and dies miserably due to lack of proper care.

Poor kid. Poor snake. Idiot parents. Ugh.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on July 2, 2009 at 2:34pm

Yes, the Burmese Python is considered an ROC (Reptiles of Concern) here in Florida, they are non-native reptile species that have the potential to become established in Florida and can threaten native wildlife (like the gator below)

The states requires ROC owners $100 possession permit.

Here's a pic of the albino burmese python, the owner stabbed it with a knife to free the baby :(

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Permalink Reply by Heather and Ella on July 2, 2009 at 3:38pm

This story just shocks me, that people just don't think. I've owned a small ball python and my child was young at the time. However as a parent and pet owner you need to be knowledgeable about both. If you own a snake, you need to have proper housing for it that it can not get out of. A snake that large (or any), if not properly secured, could go pretty much anywhere it wants to. They can go up a staircases and under doors. And yes they are killers, that's how they eat (no matter what people say, they don't like dog food unless they are starving to death).
Sadly this snake was looking for a meal and found this helpless child. It brakes my heart that the innocent ones in this story ended up dead.

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Permalink Reply by Shepdog on July 2, 2009 at 6:37pm

Ah, it was Florida- sorry, I spaced and didn't catch the location - for some reason my brain hit California. ;)

I saw that point on people releasing their pythons in the Everglades not too long ago! Actually, surprisingly enough, I don't know if you watch Life After People at all, but they had a segment on the snakes being the ones to take over - that there's now like 20,000 of the Burmese Pythons out there. We had a situation up here where someone had a blasted King Cobra they were keeping and it escaped. I have NO idea why anyone who's not in the scientific field would want to even own one, but... luckily our weather's not good for their survival.

Then they should be able to prosecute them for the license. It will be interesting how they take this case forward- I would absolutely go after them... :/

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Permalink Reply by Boo Buchheit on July 2, 2009 at 7:27pm

The snake was only being a snake..to bad it led to this. Hope some folks will learn from this tragedy.

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Permalink Reply by Chelsey on July 2, 2009 at 8:14pm

Snakes are never the problem its the people who own snakes and not know how to care for them thats the problem. I own many snakes and run a reptile shop. The thing with florida is the releasing of larger snakes once the reach a size where it becomes to big too house or too much money to feed. Florida has a wonderful climate for snakes to thrive in the wild and lots of tasty endandered wildlife to eat. Its because of people who release these snakes that the government tried to pass the non native species act this year. It is a tragedy that a child died in the coils of a snake. A snake is not a cat or a dog like our beloved corgis, it will never love you or understand if it caused you pain. It is a predator it will size you up and depending on the size of the snake if you are small enough to eat like a child you can be food or if you are to big to try to eat then you are a threat trying to eat them. The only thing a snake knows is survival. Snakes can make good pets you just have to know what you are doing. How to control, house, feed, and clean with out the help of your children until they are old enough to understand that these are not the furry pets we love but can kill and need to be respected not feared. Not feared to the extent Boo is trying to get through it is not a lion or a vicious animal it is misunderstood because they have killed out of fear for their life. They will not go out of their way to kill you which most people think when they think of snakes. I have customers come into my store all the time and if the adults are afraid then so are the children if if the don't come in scared a few minutes of watching their parents screaming over a 2 foot snake and the child is scared for the rest of his or her life. Snakes have a bad rap. They are not for everyone especially the people who think it would be cool to have a huge snake but don't consider what its going to need later on in life. Im just saying don't blame the snake and don't blame all people who own the larger snakes blame the people who don't think befor ethey buy. Just like the people who don't think when they buy a corgi will they be able to care for it when they get 12-15 years old a snake gets bigger and lives longer like 25-30 years. But there are no real reptile rescues except to take it back to a store where it will be sold again.

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