Snakes and Sh!t

Snakebytes.tv is a new site being launched soon by Brian Barczyk of BHB Reptiles.
It will be a weekly show about the world of a large scale reptile breeder. Word has it this may be the forerunner of an actual television show.
I’m really looking forward to the official launch of the site.

The website for Snakebytes.tv is http://www.snakebytes.tv/

I think a show like this, especially should it make it to television, has enormous potential for our hobby. It would help bring us more into the mainstream and legitimize our hobby if you will.
The great expansion of the reptile hobby over the last decade and a half is a double edged sword to me, but now that we have grown to the point we are, I feel it is important to bring the hobby to the forefront.

Many years ago we were basically ignored by lawmakers and the public in general due to our small numbers and general preference to operate “under the radar” so to speak. We have now reached a point that we are large enough to draw the attention of the public and the lawmakers, and all too often that attention is negative. We will now have to expand further to gain the strength to avoid being legislated out of existence.

Watch for the launch of Snakebytes.TV and support it. Tell your friends about it. Get the number of viewers as high as we can so show the interest is there.
We are at a precarious point in the development of the hobby, and the next few years will determine whether we will be the last generation to enjoy keeping reptiles like we do today.

Clay :: Jan.09.2008 :: Herp News, Reptile Related :: 1 Comment »

I always find the unique behaviors of many animals to be fascinating. No matter how much we learn about nature, it seems there’s always something else ready to amaze us.

I saw this article today about how squirrels in California were found to be using snake skin to scent themselves with to aid in avoiding rattlesnake predators.
An excerpt from the article:

Rattlesnakes often chow down on unwary squirrels, but new research shows the rodents fight back by eating, rubbing and even bathing themselves with pieces of discarded snake skin.

The reptilian musk helps California ground and rock squirrels mask their natural scent and thereby avoid detection from their slithering nemeses.

See this page for the full article http://tinyurl.com/2g4qzr

Every time I see something interesting such as this I can’t help but wonder just how much is going to go completely unknown as a result of species being driven to extinction from mankind’s relentless pursuit of “progress”.

Clay :: Dec.28.2007 :: Herp News, Random Thoughts, Reptile Related :: No Comments »

I must say this action is the single most ignorant and intentionally damaging act to be perpetrated on our hobby to date. The turtle farmers of Louisiana in their blind attempt to get the sale of hatchling red eared sliders legalized in the US have simultaneously endangered the entire reptile hobby.
I cannot believe the combination of gall and stupidity displayed here.

What has happened is an amendment has been added to an agricultural bill after it was passed by the Senate. The amendment was introduced by Senator Mary Landrew (D La). I’ll copy the full text of the amendment at the end of this post, read the entire thing, and pay particular attention to the bold text.

This amendment puts the entire reptile industry in jeopardy. The turtle farmers who pushed for this amendment obviously care nothing for the rest of the industry, only themselves, for what they have done is basically attempt screw the rest of us over completely.

Here is the text of the amendment. This is quoted from Herp Digest

Continue Reading »

Clay :: Dec.27.2007 :: Herp News, Reptile Related :: 1 Comment »

You know, 99% of the time I hate to see an article involving people and reptiles in the news. It almost always results in a bad image of herps, and this is yet another example.

Fortunately the snake wasn’t portrayed in nearly as bad a light as it could have been, thanks in part to the fact one of the cops was apparently somewhat knowledgeable about them.
Still, anytime the police are involved in something which also involves a reptile, it’s never good, and this instance just astounds me.

A 17 year old girl was bitten and constricted by a 2-3 foot long ball python, 2-3 FEET! and what do they do? They call the police! I couldn’t believe it when I read it. Why involve the police in something so trivial?

We’re not talking about a large constrictor, nothing that snake could have done would have endangered the girl in any way, but yet the police were called, which of course got the media involved.

I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve been snake bitten. I’ve been constricted by a number of smaller species as well, including ball pythons, but never did the idea of calling anyone, let alone the police, ever so much as cross my mind.

Every time something stupid like this happens and finds it’s way to the news media, it does just a little more damage to our hobby as a whole. It give just another bit of ammunition to those who desire to completely take away our ability to legally keep these animals.

This girl should have done us all a favor and stuck to keeping hamsters if she is no better prepared to deal with something as simple as a bite from a ball python.
It seems that every couple of months we are seeing yet another state or community proposing a ban on the keeping of snakes. Generally it’s an ill-worded piece of legislation which calls for a ban on “constrictors”, or some other similar wide ranging blanket legislation. Every time our reptiles are shown in an unfavorable light in the news, I always think, will this city be next on the list? How many more local civic leaders will be called upon to enact another piece of knee jerk legislation?

For the whole story see this link http://tinyurl.com/26bez6

Clay :: Nov.10.2007 :: Herp News :: No Comments »