Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

[Crotalus]

So I woke up to a text from my wife telling me that Sen. Nelson was on the radio show this morning. Evidently his main concern is that a tourist will get eaten by a 400lb, 18ft constrictor in the Everglades.

Here's the link to the radio station website.
Click on tuesday and open it.
The bite from Nelson is at 47:25.

US1 Radio The Florida Keys Most Listened to Station, Key West, Big Pine Key and Marathon


This guy makes me want to pull my hair out.

[Boa Amarali]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

he's a complete A$#@$$%##

[MLynch]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

...Formulating response to be emailed to Sen. Nelson.

[jvarner]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

...Formulating response to be emailed to Sen. Nelson.

I hear ya bro!

[MLynch]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

I'll post my email to him once I have it together. I'm trying to keep it rational an professional, so I find myself having to go back and rephrase portions.

BTW - anyone now of any statistics of human fatalities in the Burm's natural locality? I know they are exceedingly rare (to the point of being almost mythical) but pointing to clinical fact to support a statement is always good.

[Ace of Snakes]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

I'll post my email to him once I have it together. I'm trying to keep it rational an professional, so I find myself having to go back and rephrase portions.

BTW - anyone now of any statistics of human fatalities in the Burm's natural locality? I know they are exceedingly rare (to the point of being almost mythical) but pointing to clinical fact to support a statement is always good.

I do know the 28 mile stretch that connects South Florida to the Keys fatality rate is usually about 14 a year. They post it on a sign as you drive down since it is a dangerous stretch. That my friend has got to be more then the fatality rate for Burms and probably aligators also.

You know, the thing that makes me sooooooooooooo upset is we have ALOT and I mean ALOT of alligators yet very few problems with them.

Bill Nelson is a idiot.

[jvarner]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

I do know the 28 mile stretch that connects South Florida to the Keys fatality rate is usually about 14 a year. They post it on a sign as you drive down since it is a dangerous stretch. That my friend has got to be more then the fatality rate for Burms and probably aligators also.

You know, the thing that makes me sooooooooooooo upset is we have ALOT and I mean ALOT of alligators yet very few problems with them.

Bill Nelson is a idiot.

I agree, they don't want to eradicate the American Alligators!!!! What the blank!!! An alligator attack is more prone to happen instead of an attack by a burm or boa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Boa Amarali]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

I'll post my email to him once I have it together. I'm trying to keep it rational an professional, so I find myself having to go back and rephrase portions.

BTW - anyone now of any statistics of human fatalities in the Burm's natural locality? I know they are exceedingly rare (to the point of being almost mythical) but pointing to clinical fact to support a statement is always good.

I'm guessing in those countries there is no good statistical data
Indonesia,Burma Laos, Parts of India etc...

[MX121]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

This dumba*$ is more worried about a snake attacking a tourist then anything else. Hell if I went to the everglades I would be more worried about a gator getting me. Who elects these people?

[jvarner]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

This dumba*$ is more worried about a snake attacking a tourist then anything else. Hell if I went to the everglades I would be more worried about a gator getting me. Who elects these people?

Exactly, he is only worried about tourist money rolling in. Thats all.

[Hunglikeafruitbat]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

I do know the 28 mile stretch that connects South Florida to the Keys fatality rate is usually about 14 a year. They post it on a sign as you drive down since it is a dangerous stretch. That my friend has got to be more then the fatality rate for Burms and probably aligators also.

You know, the thing that makes me sooooooooooooo upset is we have ALOT and I mean ALOT of alligators yet very few problems with them.

Bill Nelson is a idiot.

Alligators are far more dangerous to people and animals I agree and also Epcot Center is ruining the lives of tourists every day, prioritize Floridian government, prioritize.

Mat.

[pookiebuttons]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

Exactly, he is only worried about tourist money rolling in. Thats all.

Yeah probably, they are all about money. Who care's about the people.

[MLynch]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

My email to Senator Nelson:

Senator Nelson –
My name is Michael Lynch, and I have over 11 years experience in keeping Boa Constrictors, and I am the leader of the local 4-H Herpetology Club (Morris County, New Jersey). This email is in response to your interview on US1 Radio – The Florida Keys Most Listened To Station.

I find your concerns about feral Burmese pythons in the Everglades to be misplaced. In the interview you stated that these reptiles were an accident waiting to happen, and that it was only a matter of time before one killed a tourist. I disagree with this comment. Even though the Burmese python can reach lengths of 19 feet, and is listed as one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, it is not known for killing/preying upon humans. As a matter of fact, human fatalities/consumption in Southeast Asia (the Burmese’s natural locality) are so rare they are almost mythical. It is a common misconception that simply because a snake is larger than a human it can eat a human. In the wild these snakes rarely reach their full potential in size due to predation, disease, parasites, and what might well be considered “acts of God” (flood, fire, famine, etc.). In captivity these reptiles can be kept free of these dangers and can live considerably longer lives - thereby allowing them to reach their full size. In the wild they face a great many problems that limit their life span which has an impact on the size they can grow to. So it is possible that we will find full-sized Burmese pythons in the Everglades, but the majority will most likely be only moderately sized (compared to their potential), and this further limits their likelihood of preying on humans.

It is worthy of mention that more people die each year from wild alligator attacks than they do large constrictors. In the United States alligators kill an average of 3 people each year. Large constrictor snakes are responsible for an average 0.5 deaths per year – that’s one every 2 years. Compare this with the average of 12 people who die each year as a result of venomous snake bites, the yearly average if 26 people who die each year as a result of (domestic) dog attacks, or the yearly average of 54 people who die as a result of bee/wasp/hornet stings. Everglades tourists are at a higher risk of being killed by alligators, native venomous snakes, and wasps than they are of Burmese pythons.

I fully support the preservation of the Everglades and its diverse ecosystems. I understand the importance the Everglades plays in our national environmental treasures, and I fully support human and scientific methods of dealing with non-native exotics in the Everglades, but attacking large constrictors through federal bans and uninformed comments is not what we need. The media has long played to the general public’s fear and misunderstanding of snakes – especially large constrictors. As a politician and a state senator it is your responsibility to elevate your constituents’ understanding of the issues that face them. It is your responsibility to do the necessary research and view these issues from all sides. The issues in the Everglades need to be addressed through science. We need a deeper understanding of the animals that are posing potential threats to our ecosystems. But so far that has yet to occur. I find it horribly disheartening and alarming that you are not pursuing a more scientific approach, and working with those that have a better understanding of the animals you are condemning. Your public position demands a more responsible course of action.

You even have experts residing in southern Florida whose knowledge and information could be invaluable to your cause in saving the Everglades. William E. Haast - the former curator of the Miami Serpentarium - has an amazing knowledge of the Everglades, and his experience and understanding of both native and non-native species of snake (venomous and non-venomous) is unparalleled, and could be an invaluable asset to your work in the Everglades. …And this is merely one example of the resources you have available. Yet you have yet to employ any such avenues.

Senator Nelson, this is a time that demands rational scientific understanding and approach. Not continued propagation of media fueled paranoia. The public deserves more than that. Your constituents deserve more that that. The United States deserves more than that.

Thank you –

Michael D. Lynch

[jvarner]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

My email to Senator Nelson:

Senator Nelson –
My name is Michael Lynch, and I have over 11 years experience in keeping Boa Constrictors, and I am the leader of the local 4-H Herpetology Club (Morris County, New Jersey). This email is in response to your interview on US1 Radio – The Florida Keys Most Listened To Station.

I find your concerns about feral Burmese pythons in the Everglades to be misplaced. In the interview you stated that these reptiles were an accident waiting to happen, and that it was only a matter of time before one killed a tourist. I disagree with this comment. Even though the Burmese python can reach lengths of 19 feet, and is listed as one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, it is not known for killing/preying upon humans. As a matter of fact, human fatalities/consumption in Southeast Asia (the Burmese’s natural locality) are so rare they are almost mythical. It is a common misconception that simply because a snake is larger than a human it can eat a human. In the wild these snakes rarely reach their full potential in size due to predation, disease, parasites, and what might well be considered “acts of God” (flood, fire, famine, etc.). In captivity these reptiles can be kept free of these dangers and can live considerably longer lives - thereby allowing them to reach their full size. In the wild they face a great many problems that limit their life span which has an impact on the size they can grow to. So it is possible that we will find full-sized Burmese pythons in the Everglades, but the majority will most likely be only moderately sized (compared to their potential), and this further limits their likelihood of preying on humans.

It is worthy of mention that more people die each year from wild alligator attacks than they do large constrictors. In the United States alligators kill an average of 3 people each year. Large constrictor snakes are responsible for an average 0.5 deaths per year – that’s one every 2 years. Compare this with the average of 12 people who die each year as a result of venomous snake bites, the yearly average if 26 people who die each year as a result of (domestic) dog attacks, or the yearly average of 54 people who die as a result of bee/wasp/hornet stings. Everglades tourists are at a higher risk of being killed by alligators, native venomous snakes, and wasps than they are of Burmese pythons.

I fully support the preservation of the Everglades and its diverse ecosystems. I understand the importance the Everglades plays in our national environmental treasures, and I fully support human and scientific methods of dealing with non-native exotics in the Everglades, but attacking large constrictors through federal bans and uninformed comments is not what we need. The media has long played to the general public’s fear and misunderstanding of snakes – especially large constrictors. As a politician and a state senator it is your responsibility to elevate your constituents’ understanding of the issues that face them. It is your responsibility to do the necessary research and view these issues from all sides. The issues in the Everglades need to be addressed through science. We need a deeper understanding of the animals that are posing potential threats to our ecosystems. But so far that has yet to occur. I find it horribly disheartening and alarming that you are not pursuing a more scientific approach, and working with those that have a better understanding of the animals you are condemning. Your public position demands a more responsible course of action.

You even have experts residing in southern Florida whose knowledge and information could be invaluable to your cause in saving the Everglades. William E. Haast - the former curator of the Miami Serpentarium - has an amazing knowledge of the Everglades, and his experience and understanding of both native and non-native species of snake (venomous and non-venomous) is unparalleled, and could be an invaluable asset to your work in the Everglades. …And this is merely one example of the resources you have available. Yet you have yet to employ any such avenues.

Senator Nelson, this is a time that demands rational scientific understanding and approach. Not continued propagation of media fueled paranoia. The public deserves more than that. Your constituents deserve more that that. The United States deserves more than that.

Thank you –

Michael D. Lynch

That is really great Mike! Thanks for sharing.

[b3napoleon]

Re: Bill Nelson on our Morning Radio

What an idiot!