Comments on: 8 Foot Pet Python Strangles Florida Baby

By: fiene2005

fiene2005 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:10:33 +0000

My condolences to the family. Yes, a tragedy, but we must put this in the proper perspective. It was an accident, and it is very uncommon when you compare how many family dogs have killed, or disfigured children. Any pet can pose a danger to an infant.

Stop judging that family.

By: deowll

deowll — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:48:59 +0000

You can make a pet of anything. The issue with snakes is they don’t bond with the owner. At best they become habituated to you. They are eating machines and at this size they can kill you and young children are the same size as their normal food.

That being the case it is neither reasonable nor prudent to keep a large one as a pet and if you add a small child into the picture you add criminal negligence to the picture.

A gopher snake or something like that would have been different.

Next point, these things aren’t that common but they still make decent numbers on attacking owners and others.

A small snake seems like a reasonable pet as long as you get something that will stay small enough to be safe.

The my dog doesn’t bite is a lie also but you get the problems you ask for.

I’m feeding one cat and that’s it. The main risk with it seems to be stepping on or tripping over it.

The mother gets a Darwin award.

By: Jakethesnake

Jakethesnake — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:42:43 +0000

#26
Then since there is such a problem with these snakes..The boot business will be a viable trade I presume in the future

By: sargasso

sargasso — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:25:19 +0000

#31. and other appendages. But, yes, unbearably sad news. What could they all be going through at this time?

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:11:24 +0000

#31
Let’s not forget the numerous tales of people losing their fingers to mccaws.

By: Nimby

Nimby — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:34:24 +0000

# 28 thecommodore said, “…maybe pythons make good eating? Anybody know?”

Uhm. Not python but I’ve eaten boa. It was pretty good. Yes. Sorta like chicken.

# 18 Dallas said, “…I can sort of accept a parrot and that’s about it.”

Had a lovely family living next to me once. Four kids, two parrots. One parrot pecked out the eye of a child. ALL animals CAN be dangerous. Especially to infants.

Let’s BAN ALL animals in the home! Oh, wait … that might include my current girlfriend…

By: bajabiz

bajabiz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:10:51 +0000

Darnell, 32, stabbed the snake until he was able to pry the child away
This guy has no idea the trouble he is in. Waite until PETA gets wind of this

By: Buzz

Buzz — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:31:15 +0000

Nothing wrong with having a snake as a pet. People just don’t realize what a benefit to society these animals truly are. They make you feel macho as hell after a few brewskies and they keep the raccoon, feral cat and yappy little dog populations in check.

Sure, they take a kid every once in a while, but it’s a small price to pay compared to having your taxes increased.

By: thecommodore

thecommodore — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:24:14 +0000

Sorry – reptiles just don’t make for good pets. Mankind has been breeding canines and felines for pets for thousands of years, and they were bred to be useful, How useful could a reptile be – chasing mice or cockroaches? Or, maybe pythons make good eating? Anybody know?

By: Gary, the dangerous infidel

Gary, the dangerous infidel — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:57:12 +0000

The pick-up line “Wanna play with my python?” suddenly takes on a much more sinister tone.

By: Nately

Nately — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:44:32 +0000

As a snake owner I am very confident that if someone undergoes all the proper training and education, which is to say, if they know what the hell they are doing, accidents like this would not happen. However, just with the incident in Vegas where a three year old child was wrapped by a (I think it was..) 15′ reticulated python, the owner was seriously negligent of his pet. No constrictor that large should be kept in a home with small children, just as a principle.

#18 – I guarantee you that this Burmese Python in question was a captive bred animal and has never been outside of a human environment. Not to mention how many large constrictors and venomous snakes would be dumped into the (shrinking) habitats of the world, which would cause some even more serious issues. Like the problem that is currently going on in Florida – some idiot(s) couldn’t care for their growing Burmese, and therefore released it into the wild. Now they are breeding, and proliferating quite well, which is a problem considering they have no natural predators. Then it won’t be children being constricted in the house, it will be in their back yards.

#24 – Fantastic point. People have asked me why can’t I just buy a dog instead of a snake? Well…

By: Two to the Head

Two to the Head — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:48:28 +0000

If that was his baby it would qualify for a darwin award.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:35:47 +0000

#22
I suppose a better analogy would be that we should ban dogs since four times as many people are killed from dog attacks than from non-venomous snake bites.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:27:59 +0000

#5
No dumber than claiming that “Snakes are not pets.” There thousands of people with pet snakes that never have a problem. An eight foot Burmese is excessive IMO but that was their choice. Clearly, this guy did not know what he was doing. There is a reason that large snakes like Burmese require permits.

#7
It depends. I wouldn’t have a problem with corn snakes but I wouldn’t allow anything over a yard until the children were older.

#22
However, swimming pools do kill substantially more people per year than snakes. Instead of “creeping up at night” they lie in wait for their victims.

By: hhopper

hhopper — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:35:56 +0000

“After we ban pythons lets ban swimming pools because they are clearly the cause of drowning.”

Except that swimming pools don’t creep up at night and strangle you to death.