Python incident in the news

[Noelle7206]

Just sharing this...and please note, the snake shown in the photo is NOT the "accused"! The store's owner was the victim-
Kentucky pet store worker nearly crushed to death by python - BBC News

[Zaphod42]

Re: Python incident in the news

There are some other new stories that show pictures of the snake. Looks like a retic and the cage looks extremely dirty and cramped : /

[Velle96]

Re: Python incident in the news

Here's the snake that attacked the store owner out of what sounds like a feeding response to me. Definitely looks like a Retic.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Python incident in the news

To be clear, I'm liking your post, not what I'm seeing in the cage! Poor snake! Accident was clearly the owner's fault & I feel like choking him too.

I have to wonder if a snake this size can be considered a good pet if this is what most of them can look 'forward to' in the way of accommodations. I think at some point,
their giant size makes them extremely impractical....too hard to handle, too expensive to feed and especially, too expensive to house PROPERLY & too difficult to keep CLEAN.
(I'm sure there ARE owners who are doing all the right stuff with snakes like these, but sadly I also think they're in the minority.)

Freedom to own something should NOT mean the freedom to abuse or neglect something...and you'd think someone in the business of selling such animals would set a better
example, both in safe handling and in care of the animal. This is so embarrassing to our 'community'.

[acephantom903]

Re: Python incident in the news

When I saw this this morning, they didn't mention the snake species, but from the line in the article I saw "blood everywhere" I thought "Retic". Those guys have some serious teeth. I haven't seen anything ever about a retic coiling someone out of a defensive strike. He must have been handling food and didn't wash up. From the article I read it sounded like the second person with him wasn't much help and immediately called 911 instead of trying to help by unwrapping the tail.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Python incident in the news

... From the article I read it sounded like the second person with him wasn't much help and immediately called 911 instead of trying to help by unwrapping the tail.

I'm guessing it was the daughter who didn't believe her father was in that much danger ("since he has recovered"?)....anyone that clueless has no business being around snakes like these.
There are truly enough snake-haters (& those who fear them) without adding gasoline to the flames of intolerance with bad press like this. And he sure wasn't following the "two (or three+) person rule" for safety!
Ever notice how bad husbandry and bad techniques (taking chances) often go hand in hand???

Those other people on hand are supposed to actually DO something to help (by unwinding the snake etc)...you cannot rely on a 911 call to get help fast enough. I'm likewise assuming this was a feeding mistake,
though if you have a large boid that's never handled & you decide to be pushy about handling it, I can imagine it might decide to coil someone in 'self-defense'....but I have NO experience working with these.

[Jrock23]

Re: Python incident in the news

Yes you are correct, it was a retic and i read about this on a facebook post. I didn't believe it at first because a lot of facebook ads are untrue or don't have proper facts. This attack was due to the owner and he is at fault for this and i also believe they were talking about putting the snake down.. But very very poor housing for this snake..

[Noelle7206]

Re: Python incident in the news

...I also believe they were talking about putting the snake down.. But very very poor housing for this snake..

How sad...any way I look at it, this was a very slow train wreck that we've all seen before. Does anyone NOT know this snake wouldn't be "convenient" to keep, at some point?
And just like circus elephants that won't take any more bad treatment, it's always the animals they blame & put down.

[Velle96]

Re: Python incident in the news

To be clear, I'm liking your post, not what I'm seeing in the cage! Poor snake! Accident was clearly the owner's fault & I feel like choking him too.

I have to wonder if a snake this size can be considered a good pet if this is what most of them can look 'forward to' in the way of accommodations. I think at some point,
their giant size makes them extremely impractical....too hard to handle, too expensive to feed and especially, too expensive to house PROPERLY & too difficult to keep CLEAN.
(I'm sure there ARE owners who are doing all the right stuff with snakes like these, but sadly I also think they're in the minority. Freedom to own something should NOT mean the freedom to abuse or neglect something...and you'd think someone in the business of selling such animals would set a better
example, both in safe handling and in care of the animal. This is so embarrassing to our 'community'.

Can agree 100%

[natieb]

Re: Python incident in the news

I know RTB isn't the place for BOI-type posts, so I'll (try to) keep it brief and objective. This guy's other store is close to me, but I won't step foot in there because it's filthy and the animals are kept in unsanitary cages that are way too small. The owner is a loudmouth homophobic conspiracy theorist moron, and is bad for the hobby.

[Noelle7206]

Re: Python incident in the news

I know RTB isn't the place for BOI-type posts, so I'll (try to) keep it brief and objective. This guy's other store is close to me, but I won't step foot in there because it's filthy and the animals are kept in unsanitary cages that are way too small. The owner is a loudmouth homophobic conspiracy theorist moron, and is bad for the hobby.

So maybe snakes CAN HEAR after all!?? ha ha... (too bad they pulled the snake off him...though I guess I shouldn't say that either)

[bcr_229]

Re: Python incident in the news

While I've read about the incident I hadn't seen the snake or the pictures yet. That cage is disgusting. I won't comment on the owner except to say he has a long and less than stellar history on the Fauna BOI and quite a few people are thinking "Karma" after the incident. I'm also very concerned about the effect this incident will have on USARK's lawsuit as the guy in the incident is also involved in the suit.

I own several retics. My largest is a 13 foot long adult male that lives in an 8'x30"x18" Boamaster melamine enclosure. My oldest mainland female will be moved into a similar enclosure - currently empty and waiting - by the end of the year. I have a few others that will be fine in their six foot enclosures for several years.

Keeping the giant mainland snakes is a lot of work. For safety sake feeding and cleaning is always a two-person job once they get over about eight feet and start thickening up. Enclosures are never cleaned with the snake in them as some get quite territorial; the snake either goes into a travel tub or is taken outside into the yard for exercise if the weather is decent.

For feeding, we offer f/t rabbits using 36" field tongs so we can stand well out of the way. Rabbit feeders can be expensive if purchased online and shipped, fortunately we have a local source that supplies them at $2/pound for everything from kits, which our king snakes love, all the way through 5# adults. Ounce for ounce (or gram for gram) they are cheaper for us than rats, which is why we alternate our boas between rabbits and rats.

Someone asked about rehabbing an abused/neglected retic and whether it could be done. The answer is yes, as much as any other animal can be, if the keeper is experienced and patient. Retics are very quick to pick up on routine and can differentiate between people.

Unfortunately due to the Lacey Act panic buying earlier this year I expect a lot of retics will end up in rescues in the next year or so, if not sooner. Too many buyers got their snakes as an impulsive purchase just prior to the impending ban, and not because they were truly prepared to take on owning one.

[ldydrgn]

Re: Python incident in the news

The guy is clueless as to care of bearded dragons let alone a large retic. We keep a few and we follow safety protocols just in case one of them decides to have a bad scale day (which males can sometimes have during breeding season). Even though ours have been handled and "hook trained" since they were babies doesn't mean they should ever be underestimated.

[zamora]

Re: Python incident in the news

I know RTB isn't the place for BOI-type posts, so I'll (try to) keep it brief and objective. This guy's other store is close to me, but I won't step foot in there because it's filthy and the animals are kept in unsanitary cages that are way too small. The owner is a loudmouth homophobic conspiracy theorist moron, and is bad for the hobby.

[MENTION=7862]natieb[/MENTION] Are you trying to say something specific here? I'm having a difficult time 'reading between the lines'. Unfortunately there are so many of these type people, there was a store down here that was absolutely horrible in their keeping practices, I could write a book on it so I totally understand what you mean. Sad that the uninformed venture into these places and think that level of care or lack thereof is acceptable.

[Primolilla]

Re: Python incident in the news

Probably 100 or more people were injured or killed in traffic accidents nation wide yesterday and this is what actually makes the headlines?

Sad how the media decides what "horrific and dangerous" is.

If you start your grill with gas and a match you may get blown up. If you treat your pet like trash and ignore all safety precautions when feeding you may be mistaken for food.

Nothing out of the ordinary here. Doing stupid things and not paying attention is usually followed by something like this no matter what activity you are doing.