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Burmese python panic
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It's good that people are becoming aware of the issue of irresponsible pet ownership. It's very sad that a two-year-old girl had to die for people to become aware. I understand Senator Nelson's using this tragedy to raise awareness of the problems of invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades and of improperly supervised pets endangering children. However, his proposed legislation would ban importing pythons and trading them across state lines, but the snakes are already here. There are enough pet snakes, and enough feral snakes in the Everglades, to keep Florida and the entire country well supplied, or over-supplied, with Burmese pythons. It's a good idea not to bring more Burmese pythons into the country, but since the state with their preferred habitat is Florida and they're already invasive here, I'm not sure what regulating their trade across state lines would do to help. If anything, it might prevent an overwhelmed owner in one state from getting the python to a capable owner in another state.
A properly kept Burmese python will never cause environmental problems or harm a child. A well cared for Burmese python will slither around its large, comfortable, locked habitat, look gorgeous, eat the rats and rabbits carefully provided by its adoring human (okay, adoration is optional), be gently and carefully handled by experienced adults when necessary, have a micro-chip in case of accidental escape, and never cause any problem to anyone. They don't even bark. We need to get the Burmese pythons already in the state and country under proper care, and Senator Nelson's bill doesn't do this.
We've got a licensing requirement in place already, but it clearly isn't doing the job. The requirements are adequate, but a lot of people are unaware of them or ignoring them. What we need is a law prohibiting the sale of Burmese pythons unless the buyer can produce a valid license. This won't hurt reputable snake dealers, who probably do this already. It will just give them a structure for checking on snake adopters and legal backup for refusing to sell to anyone who, in their judgment, is just not right for the snake.
Enforcement should be through public education. Through schools, veterinarians, reptile shows, and public service announcements on radio and television stations, people should be educated on which pets require licensing, which pets can become invasive locally, and how to find a dealer who will work with them as they learn to care for their new snake friend. A certificate for dealers who are demonstrably in compliance with the law would help consumers enforce the law. Educated consumers will not buy from careless vendors when they know there's an alternative, and conscientious vendors will ensure that their customers are educated caretakers. We'd still have the snakes, but we'd have much better control of them.
Yesterday, a relatively small, thin, Burmese python, dormant from the cold, was found in a Pennsylvania laundromat. According to the police officer who picked up the snake, the creature was too chilled to pose a threat to anyone. This snake is now at Forgotten Friends Reptile Sanctuary, receiving love (yes, responsible people can respond to huge reptiles with care and affection) and lots of food, as the snake was underweight. Even the police officer who was called in to remove the snake from the laundromat observed that in this case, the snake was the creature in need of resscue, not any people in the area. Although it can be hard to remember in the case of the 200 pound snake, it is true that they have more reason to fear us than we do them.
For more information on legislation concerning Burmese pythons:
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