Woman's Death Leads To Calls For Python Regulations
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Washington, D.C. (Oct 29th, 2008)
The death of a Virginia Beach woman who was reportedly asphyxiated by a pet reticulated python last week has led to calls for stricter regulations.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has called for the importation and ownership of large constrictor snakes to be more strictly regulated. At least 11 people have been killed by pet pythons in the United States since 1980, including men in Ohio and Indiana who were killed by their pet pythons in 2006.
Reptiles also carry Salmonella, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends keeping reptiles out of homes with children under five and people with weakened immune systems, who are most susceptible. They also cite the fact that escaped snakes can establish breeding populations in the wild, such as the Burmese pythons in the Everglades, damaging local ecosystems. Virginia prohibits certain reptiles such as alligators as pets, but pythons are allowed unless the locality has a stricter rule, and the HSUS is calling on Virginia Beach and the state to prohibit future acquisitions and sales of large constrictor snakes and other dangerous wild animals.
"Tragedies like this can be avoided with common-sense regulations at the local, state and federal levels," said Beth Preiss, director of the exotic pets campaign for The HSUS. "To protect public health and safety, animal welfare and the environment, large constrictor snakes should not be pets."
The first reported death caused by a reticulated python in the United States was in 1980 when a 7-month-old girl was killed by her father's 8-foot pet reticulated python after the snake had forced his way out of a covered aquarium. Before last week's incident, the most recent death was in Ohio in 2006, when a man died in hospital after being strangled by his pet python.
This news story is independently sourced and PetPeoplesPlace.com does not specifically endorse products or services offered by any company referenced in this article, or benefit from any association with any companies referenced.
I have been a proud snake owner for about 11 years now. I have had many pets in my life and feel that snakes are by far the best pets i have ever had.
Just like any other pet in the world, You have to be a good and responsible pet owner and know your animal and how to take care of it. If your dog,cat,or reptile is agressive or mean than keep them away from people. If you compare deaths,by dogs to snakes i'll bet dog related deaths out number all other pets in the world. also cleaning up after your pet or keeping them contained.
My snake doesnt run loose and use the bathroom in someone els's yard.
sorry, i have to disagree with all of you, dogs cannot swallow you whole.... drug dealers either, death is everywhere but it is mostly unhelped, a snake as a pet kind of is preventable, i agree some dogs should not be pets only because of their track record, such as pit bulls.... nasty bite they have.... but if raised right , people say they will not turn, not true, all dogs can turn, but as a more practical pet, i would say a dog over a snake anyday.....
I was in line to purchase the snake in Question, All the details were never disclosed. When talking to Amanda she never mentioned snake was sick(respitory inf). but mentioned a scar. I deciede not to buy.. Yes a man in Indiana was killed but for the same reason, A snake let alone a human does not like to be grabbed by the neck and have med or anything elas forced down their throats. Yes these accidents are tragic. But there is nothing wrong with having or owning a large constrictor as a pet. All these black marks hurt the wrong people, yet you don't see an all out war on drug pushers or gangs, and these kill.. There are a lot of people enjoy and love their pet snakes and take good care of them. Amanda or anyone else should of never attempted this on their own.
Too many times I have seen large snakes kept in small aquariums stuffed into a closet or laundry room. The only maintenance, throwing a rat in once and a while and cleaning the aquarium only when the stench is unbearable. It is usually during cleaning that the snake reacts, not attacks. It is highly beleived that snakes fed in their inclosures easily mistake a hand as food. This is just one example of knowledge that most do not know and should.
Why do people want a python, or boa? They see them in the pet store and think they are cute and don't realize what a 10' snake really is. The pet shops do not explain to the customers what they are getting into. The sale is usually closed with "snakes do not require much attention and they are easy to raise."
1. Any snake over 6 feet can be a handfull. you should not handle a snake this large by yourself.(This is written in every manual I have read.)
2. Snakes over 10' should only be handled for inspection or cleaning their inclosure. Again, never alone. The larger the snake, the more trained people you should have available in case of emergency.
3. No snake should be allowed to be anywhere near a person's neck. It takes only seconds to pass out from presure on the corroted artery and ony a few minutes to die.
4. Never use your hand to present food to any snake, especially large snakes.
The list goes on and on. I have had large snakes, both pythons and boas. I never kept them in an aquarium but in inclosures with strong latches. Snakes are very good escape artist.
Only the very knowledged should keep large snakes. They should have a purpose for keeping them. Be it a zoo or research, but never as a pet. The largest snake I would recommend as a pet is the Ball Python and they sometimes reach legnths over 6'.
Although the women's death is a tradegy, 11 deaths in 29 years isn't so bad that we have to regulate the reptiles. They are bigger animal threats in the U.S. that people need to be more worried about than snakes. For example, dogs. People are scared of what they don't understand, and regulate what they fear.
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I would be a lot more interested if this article had shown an acutal reticulated python. The python in the picture is a Ball Python and as a former owner of several, they make excellent pets for the new reptile owner. They rarely grow more than 4-5 feet long and respond to threats by balling up and hiding. I was only bitten once and that was when I was injecting it with a dose of medicine for a respiratory infection. It was like a paper cut. I washed it and put a little antiseptic and on it, and it was essentially gone in a few days. Don't regulate the smaller breeds, but the big ones are a problem. Just get them right.