Snakes World

Florida State Senator Eleanor Sobel plans to file a bill that would crush the Burmese python pet market by making it illegal to own this snake. Senator Sobel says it will “save our fragile environment and the people of Florida.” For the many snake lovers like myself, I think this is outrageous. How many people die each year from snakes? Very few relative to the deaths from other animals. The Burmese python makes a great pet. I had one myself a few years back. I am sure this is a result of the two year old that was suffocated recently by a python. I do sympathize with the family, but is one isolated tragedy reason enough to ban this great snake as a pet? If they ban this snake as a pet, it will cause snake owners to turn them loose before they ever turn them over to the authorities to have killed. I wonder if the politicians have considered this possibility.

Are you considering getting a pet? Then you should give some thought to a pet snake. Since you are here, we will assume that you are not petrified at the very sight of one. Therefore, here are some good reasons for having a pet snake. First things first. Let’s dispel some myths. Snakes are not slimy. Their skin is dry and cool to the touch usually. Second, snakes that are available for sale at pet stores are not poisonous. Finally, snakes do not seek out humans and try to kill them.

Now that those three things are taken care of, we can really talk benefits here. You only have to feed them once a week. An appropriately sized rodent works fine. Snakes are quiet, so they won’t make your neighbors mad. They only require a small space, such as a large aquarium, depending on their size. If you handle the snake frequently, it will become very comfortable around people. Do exercise caution if there are children. But since pet snakes are not slimy, usually not aggressive, and not poisonous, are quiet, clean, fun, interesting, and easy to care for, why not get you one!

Are you considering getting a boa? Or maybe you already have one and want to learn more about properly caring for it. Then you need to get the book ”Boa Care Made Easy.” It has some valuable information that you absolutely must have. For example, there are 8 main types of boas and only one is the ideal pet. Also you will learn about the right diet, substrate, and feeding techniques. Sometimes they won’t eat. There’s too much good information to mention it all here, so check it out at Boa Care Made Easy.

The most common of the venomous snakes in North America are the Cottonmouth, the Coral Snake, the Copperhead, and the Rattlesnake. The fear of snakes, known as ophidiaphobia, is elevated with the thought of being attacked by a venomous snake. The horror is very real, as several poisonous snakes can in fact cause serious injuries or, in certain cases, even death in humans. However, most snake bites in North America are the result of hunters trying to catch or kill a snake or from attempting to handle a snake held in captivity. The likelihood of human death from a snake bite in North America is very small.

There seems to be some controversy over which snake is the largest in the world. The battle is between the Anaconda and the Asiatic Reticulated Python. The clear winner in my mind is the Anaconda. The Python holds the record of the longest snake, measuring 33 feet in overall length. However, the Anaconda is a much larger snake in weight and girth. They are both very scary, but the Anaconda is so large it looks like something from a horror movie. Found in the deep secluded jungles of South America, giant Anacondas can be found that are as big around as a large man and weigh in at 550 LBS.You may read reports of a 100 FT Anaconda or tales from the locals of 50 FT snakes in the nearby jungle. But these stories are just a myth as a snake of this magnitude has never been captured or found dead in the jungle.If you are looking forward to swimming on your next South America vacation, it would be wise to do this at the hotel pool. Anacondas spend the majority of their time hunting in the rivers and streams. They would be very difficult to spot in swamp. Their dark color acts a camouflage in the marshy waters.

The Anaconda is considered to be a boa constrictor. The boa constrictor family of snakes use their body strength to coil around their prey. The victim is squeezed to death, dying from internal bleeding and massive injury. Then, like many snakes, the victim is swallowed whole. The size of the victim is of no concern to the snake as it will simply unlock its jaw to make room for dinner.The diet of the Anaconda includes fish, small alligators, crocodiles, and other snakes. They have even been known to dine on deer and jaguar. Now, an Anaconda isn’t going to outrun a deer or a jaguar; it will sneak up on its prey in stealth mode.While the Anaconda is the largest snake alive today, a team of researchers discovered a much larger fossil in the rainforest of north-east Columbia. It is estimated that the giant 42 foot long snake lived in the area 58 million years ago. The fossil of the snake is so large it reaches up to the hips of a tall man. It is estimated that the snake would have weighed in at approximately 2,500 LBS, as much as a small car.

Who would send a package of live snakes to someone? Doesn’t that sound cruel all the way around? Well, this very thing happened near Cincinnati, Ohio last week. The suspicious package was discovered when FedEx employees saw a parcel moving. The police were called and an officer confirmed there were boa constrictors in the package. A rescue group was contacted and took over from there. Apparently a man was sending the boas to someone in Arizona. This is obviously not the way to ship live reptiles. Was he trying to harm the snakes or the the man he was sending them too? Maybe neither, but at the very least, it was poor judgement. We don’t know yet, but for snake enthusiasts like myself, this is troubling. We know that the boa constrictors are not poisonous, but still…Oh by the way, the man in Arizona was told he “may not get the snakes.” No not now, I doubt that he will. A few years back, FedEx had some commercials where they would say “This is a job for FedEx.” Not this time.

The Louisiana Pine Snake is one of the rarest, and quite possibly, the rarest snake in North America. It is illegal to catch or possess one of these snakes in the state of Texas. It is mostly found in areas with sandy soils. The Lousiana pine snake’s breeding season is in the spring. Their eggs hatch in the fall. Click here for more information on this fascinating snake.