What Does the Treatment of Captive Reptiles and Amphibians Look Like

Today and What is the Most Ethical Practice for Exotic Pet Ownership,
Buying, Selling, and Breeding?

Raimy A. Sporl

Senior Project Advisor: Tina Hott

Abstract:

For as long as humans have owned domesticated and exotic animals, reptiles and amphibians
have faced trials and tribulations through all stages of life. This includes breeding practices, legal
and illegal exotic animal trade, and a lack of education in new owners regarding the housing of
said creatures. Each of these issues connecting to one another and causing each other. All these
issues have their own implications towards reptile and amphibian livelihood and even the
biodiversity of ecosystems in the United States. The fear mongering and societal bias
surrounding snake and reptile kind alike has caused human error to fall upon these creatures,
creating a never ending cycle. Although there are never concrete answers to resolve these issues,
there are a few simple ways to help fix an ever growing problem with many branches.

12​th​ Grade Humanities

People naturally are prone to fear dangerous creatures, it is pure instinct. When it comes

to the way snakes are bred, kept, sold, and cared for, there seems to be a lack of consideration for

the wellbeing of these creatures. These mistreatments stem from the incorrect outlook humans

have on snakes; seeing them as unfeeling and soulless- which, in some ways, is true.

Interestingly enough, breeding and trading pythons is one of the most profitable businesses on

Earth. Within an academic journal written by Janine E. Robinson, Freya A. V. St. John, and

David L. Robinson, it is estimated that “[t]he global legal trade in live animals〚…〛 [was]

worth €406 million in 2005”​ ​(1). Although these are profitable creatures and there is an

immense price placed upon them, the actual value of their quality of life is nothing. A quote

from Oscar Wilde states that, “[t]he cynic knows the price of everything and the value of

nothing.”

From wrongful methods used to breed these creatures, lack of regulations, law

intervision, and safe transport in the trading process, to finally of course the lack of education

that is needed to become a fit owner of an exotic animal; it is no wonder these creatures are often

abused and mistreated. To ensure the most ethical, proper, and best treatment of reptiles and

amphibians, a societal bias needs to be broken, new regulations must be put in place, and

educating new owners is a must.

Part II: Historical Context/Background Knowledge

It is estimated that the first domesticated dog lived over 20,000 to 40,000 years ago,

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meaning pets have been around since before the birth of Christ and even before the formation of

the largest Chinese dynasty (Capehart). From the domesticated wolves that hunted alongside

early man, to the cats worshiped in ancient Egypt, pets have made a very important impact on

both human history and the enjoyment of life overall. Just as dogs and other domesticated

animals can aid humans with work and services, they also act as companions. People enjoy

spending time with their pets; either playing with toys or going on walks. However, as humans

tend to do, they strive past the common and move into the exotic, seeking animals that give a

different kind of enjoyment. Exocitc aniamls, most importantly reptiles and amphibians, are

heavily sought after creatures. In the 1980s, the love for pythons and snake kind alike

skyrocketed as an influx of the Burmees python hit herpetoculture; herpetoculture being a branch

of zoology that includes the study of amphibians and reptiles as well as the keeping of these

creatures as a hobby (Discovery Animals). From this point on, snakes have been a part of North

American pop culture. These creatures are seen in movies and TV shows and it is common to

even see celebrities wearing large snakes as accessories. One can even find these dangerous

animals in local pet shops. Yet, no matter how many people love snakes, one thing that will

always remain is society’s disdain for these creatures.

Part III: Research and Analysis

Captive Breeding:

In order to understand the problems that face pythons and exotic animals alike, one must

begin with the actual start of the lives of these animals: the breeding and home. Breeders are

often more focused on the profit of the animal, rather than the actual life of the animal. It is

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common in the breeding world for breeders to mix two types of snakes without thinking about

the amount of stillbirths or brain deficits it could cause in the future. This seems drastically

different than how people seem to view more traditional pets. When the word “pet” is said, the

first thing that comes to mind for most is a dog or cat. Reptiles and amphibians, while still

holding this title of pet, do not receive the same treatment from society. This is not to say that

traditional pets are not abused and mistreated by the breeding system, it is just to say that snakes,

while being abused by breeders, are also put through pain after the fact. Reptile and amphibian

life runs in a loop. A pattern in which each factor causes the next, but in turn folds back onto

itself to once again start over. Like an infinity sign, the life of a ball python starts and ends in the

hands of an average breeder.

Captive breeding is the process of keeping and maintaining animals in controlled

environments. This includes zoos, wildlife reserves, and places of animal conservation. Captive

breeding is meant for large scale animal trade, gene manipulation, or endangered animal

conservation. At face value, this does not seem like a big problem, and in truth it is not. It is the

problems within captive breeding that are bad for snake life; including malpractices, storage, and

the unthoughtful or lethal gene manipulation. This is not to say all breeders are ignorant and treat

their snakes poorly, it is the few that do that spoil the whole batch and these are the ones to focus

on. The topic of captive reptile and amphibian breeding is one full of controversy and

comendment. There are always two sides to this argument; one being that captive breeding must

be completely stopped and is a detriment to the livelihood of animals, and the other being that

there is actually a lot of good that can come from captive breeding. Within the scope of all

animal breeding, the main focus of this section will be the breeding of ball pythons and the

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complications -and benefits- this has on the overall breeding realm.

The most compelling article about this was written by Mark Rose and David Williams,

titled ​Neurological Dysfunction in a Ball Python, Colour Morph and Implications for Welfare.

This article both repermades breeding, while also giving a good side. However, it is inevitable

that the “bad” will outweigh the “good”. As the popularization of captive ball python breeding

and the demand for these creatures goes up, so does the likelihood of neurological deficits,

infertility of snakes and stillborns and forced immunizations. Morph is the term used to describe

the pattern and color of a snake or other reptile, this is why snakes are so thoroughly bred to

obtain certain morphs. There are twenty-six morphs and over 7,000 sub-morphs, sub-morphs

being combinations of the original twenty-six. This is why snakes are priced so highly regarding

their physical appearance, because it takes generations of breeding to get a few snakes of a

desired morph. Out of these twenty-six, there is a particular morph that stands out. That being the

spider morph, it gives the snake a light brown, black, yellow or white color and a striped looking

pattern on its back with patches of white on its belly. Being very beautiful, this type of morph

that is heavily sought after by collectors, however, is also reprimanded by the community. The

most prominent neurological deficit that occurs in ball pythons is the well named “wobble

syndrome”. The “wobble syndrome” is a condition caused by a genetic disorder in ball pythons

(as well as other animals that are bred to change appearance), that causes the head to wobble,

twist or “corkscrew” uncontrollably. This deficit is linked directly to the spider morph and is

passed down in the process of heredity. One cannot obtain the spider morph without this

syndrome, but symptoms can range from completely undetected to extremely severe. This

certain morph is not commonly bred due to this, yet this does not stop certain breeders from

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doing it. There is a noticeable lack of empathy when it comes to issues of captive breeding;

seeing as snakes are very far from humans, it is hard to determine the amount of pain and poor

quality of life a neurological deficit can cause a snake. When questioning how badly a snake’s

quality of life would be affected by this syndrome, Rose and Williams’ article concluded that:

Although breeders generally agreed that the quality of life was not significantly

affected〚…〛 89% of welfare scientists concluded a moderate to high welfare

effect based on the information available〚...〛One animal welfare respondent

stated, ‘Mild torticollis’ would still be quite uncomfortable, according to the ‘how

would that make you feel?’ principle (7).

While some specialists agreed that this syndrome could drastically affect the life of a

python in a negative way, others that were questioned for Rose and Williams’ study declared that

the overall quality of life is not affected in full adults who suffer from the wobble syndrome;

however, it can be assumed that this statement presents an essential bias (7). Just as a snake

cannot perceive what it means to be human, humans cannot understand what pain this syndrome

causes these animals. As well as this bias being presented within the statements and thoughts

given by welfare specialists, the 100 breeders surveyed in the study seem to carry this same bias.

“Breeders generally reported a minimal effect on quality of life in most snake cases in which

clinical signs of wobble syndrome were detected, with typical statements including ‘...even

severely affected adults eat great, breed and will lay good eggs’” (6). However, the data gathered

from the study’s tests seem to say otherwise, “〚...〛owing to poor motor skills, strike accuracy

is often poor. Euthanaisa of [two] individuals was reported, with poor feeding cited as the

primary reason for the decision” (6). When captive breeding comes to a point where humans are

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basically breeding animals into a life of pain, when is it the right time to stop? ​In Praise of

Snakes b​ y Fredric Golden is a ​Time Magazine​ article speaking out about the social bias against

snakes and puts a fair opinion into the minds of common readers. The article persuades:

Ever since the wily serpent urged Eve to take that fateful bite out of the apple, snakes

have been on just about everybody’s enemies list but why?〚...〛We ought to consider

them ‘worthy of respect’ and ‘deserving of a place in nature’〚...〛we should suspend

our natural preference for animals with fur, feathers and facial expressions. Then we

would be able to start appreciating snakes for their special beauty and mystique (1).

Although the most reasonable answer to this problem would be to stop the breeding of

spider ball pythons completely, it is not as simple as that and many breeders do not comply.

Seeing as an average spider ball python can be sold for up to $5,000 or more depending on the

morph combination, it makes sense that breeders do not want to give up those types of earnings.

Of course, not all breeders should be demonized for this and some have found a way around it.

“A lot of breeders around here do what they gotta do,” A small time breeder named Andrew

spoke out at the National Reptile Expo in Denver, Colorado. He communicated the ways other

breeders at the expo and in the community go about getting certain morphs, “I like to breed pied

ball pythons, but there are a lot of problems that happen with that morph.” Of course, Andrew is

talking about breeding two pied ball pythons together to get the maximum amount of pied eggs.

The problem with this is that this combination (pied x pied) causes a lot of stillbirths. To avoid

this he says, “I like to take a pied female and a natural type male and breed them together. I

mean, I might get a mixed batch of eggs. Some pied and some normal. But at least I don’t have a

bunch of dead snakes on my hands.” This is an interesting way to avoid problems caused by

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morphs, although Andrew may not get a lot of pied snakes to sell, he shows care for the lives of

snakes instead of looking at the profits. “Most breeders here will just throw them [the unwanted

morphs] in the freezer because it is more cost-effective to do that than to raise snakes that won’t

make you money. But I don’t want to do that, I love these animals.”

To combat all the beliefs that captive breeding is completely bad for the reptile

community, some look to the actual good that large scale breeding can do for reptile quality of

life. As stated prior, the study done by Rose and Williams perfectly describes each side of the

argument, including the good. The popularization of ball python breeding causes more eyes to be

turned towards the reptile community, therefore causing more awareness on issues such as the

wobble syndrome. As proclaimed by Rose and Williams, “[a]spects of reptile welfare may have

benefited from the growth of captive breeding. In the past, it has been more financially viable to

replace a diseased reptile than to seek veterinary intervention. This is no longer the case” (9). As

well as popularization and communal growth of ball python breeding aiding in spreading

awareness, the act of captive breeding itself can actually save certain species from extinction,

such as the colubrid snakes of the Crimean fauna. A study written and conducted by Ekaterina

Polyakova, Ilya Korshunov, Svetlana Popovskaya, and Oleg Kukushkin, follows seven snake

species that have been poorly studied and are at the brink of extinction. “The available data on

reproductive biology of Crimean ophidiophobia representatives still remain insufficient” (1). It

was already a task to study these creatures, not to mention the lack of previous data that had been

recorded. In this journal, these scientists study the reproductive nature of these snakes in nature

and in the wild, in hopes of finding a proper way of bringing the species out of endangerment.

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With the popularization of breeding and studies like this, these snakes have a chance of coming

back from endangerment or near extinction.

Captive breeding and the keeping of reptiles is already a conversation on its own, let

alone delving into the two sides of a very intertwined topic. Both sides influence each other and

both cause one another. As popularization of snakes and captive breeding go up, so does the

amount of problems that can occur. As the amount of problems arises, so does the need for new

research and medical attention, which in turn brings attention to issues like the spider morph. A

final take on this is that one must use an empathic eye to view the mistreatment of snakes, and

never downplay these creatures’ pain. As well as this, breeders should be taking a more viable

approach like the one demonstrated by Andrew, only then can one say that captive breeding is

problemless.

Legal and Illegal Exotic Animal Trade:

From the birthplace and breeding homes of these brilliant creatures, to the next link in the

chain of a snakes life, the focus now shifts to the hostile and dangerous topic of exotic animal

trade. Exotic animal trade can be profitable, legal, and safe; however, there is a dark and

mysterious side that is not normally talked about in mainstream news. That being the illegal

practices that occur in exotic animal trade and the death rates of animals caused by oversea

shipping. Although exotic animal trade is subject to varying levels of national and international

regulation, as written about in the academic journal written by Janine E. Robinson et al. There is

still room for improvement, improvement that could potentially save hundreds of thousands of

animals’ lives (2). As well as this, there is also the opinion that oversea animal shipping and

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trade should be completely stopped and local purchasing and breeding is endorsed and better for

the overall livelihood of reptile and amphibian species. Due to environmental, animal welfare

and health, and the ethical and moral considerations, the topic of exotic animal trade has sparked

debates and discussions between animal rights activists, conservationists, bio-scientists, and even

pet owners on whether the current regulations and laws are enough to protect and aid the safe

transport of these animals.

Reptiles and amphibians are popular and profitable animals that make up a large

percentage of the exotic animals trafficked in and out of the United States and the United

Kingdom, “[comprising] an estimate of 21% of the value of the live animal trade” (1). In an

article titled “Opportunity or threat: The role of the European Union in global wildlife trade”

written by Engler M. Parry-Jones and cited within the study conducted by Janine E. Robinson,

Freya A. V. St. John, and David L. Robinson titled “Captive Reptile Mortality Rates in the Home

and Implications of the Wildlife Trade” states that: “The global legal trade in live animals

(including primates, cage birds, birds of prey, reptiles and ornamental fish) was estimated to be

worth €406 million in 2005, involving hundreds of millions of animals” (1). Within this the true

percentage of reptile and amphibian trafficking can be seen, “[i]n the UK, the reptile sector of the

pet industry alone is estimated to be worth £200 million, with approximately 250,000 reptiles

and amphibians bred each year” (1). Meaning that reptiles and amphibians alike create almost

half of the profits of exotic animal trade. The machine that is extoic animal trade is ever moving,

fueled by the lust for profits and damaging the lives of many animals.

The biggest issues that surround trading and transport of these animals are the enormous

percentages of DOA (dead on arrival) animals. Robinson’s study argues that although trading

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and keeping of exotic animals is subject to varying degrees of regulation and international

legislation, like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, there are still

complications that are occurring and reoccurring (2). “For example,” the study drills, “the most

comprehensive study to date concerning mortality in transit, analysed data for more than 7.4

million individual animals and reported an average dead on arrival (DOA) mortality rate of

3.14% for reptiles” (2). Although 3.14% does not seem like a very impactful number, this

percent translates to over 230,300 reptiles. A frightening number that should have any animal

lover, activist, or conservationist questioning the practice of oversea trading.

This is not to say that efforts are not being made to solve this ever growing delima. In the

United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has created programs to protect animals of all

types that reside or will reside within the nation. “In response to the increasing level of illegal

wildlife trade over the last several decades, the Service has developed the most advanced and

robust wildlife law enforcement program in the world〚...〛Stationing inspectors at ports across

the country and providing enforcement training around the world, the United States is an

international leader in combating wildlife crime” (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). In addition to

these efforts, the Service has also worked towards an informed society, increasing consumer

awareness, outreaching to travelers going abroad and explaining the benefits of local animal

purchasing.

The reason behind these mortality rates is not necessarily because of lack of regulation on

illegal trade, although more regulation would be beneficial. It actually comes down to trading

overseas in general, whether it be legal or illegal. Even though many countries have established

strict regulations, animals still continuously turn up dead or traumatized from the ordeal. Why is

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this? Some would speculate that it is due to the compartments the reptiles are transported in.

Although the compartments are reported to be very small boxes, tubes, and pouches with one or

two breathing holes, reptiles and especially ball pythons are already accustomed to these living

conditions due to the way breeders often store and transport them (Carter). However, even

though these creatures are used to that kind of environment, these spaces are especially small and

will be shaken and moved quite a bit throughout the trading process. “Animals may die during

any part of the trade chain, from collection in the wild, in transit, or in the home” (2). Collection

from the wild is an especially stressful process for any animal, not only reptiles and amphibians.

The animal is not accustomed to human interaction and more than likely will be abused if lashing

out.

Transport and shipping can be an extremely stressful and an anxiety inducing process for

the reptile and is one of the main reasons for death. An answer many have discussed to combat

the ever growing problem of outsourcing and oversea shipping of animals is to rely on breeders

like Andrew in the last section. While exotic animals such as chimpanzees and tigers are not

commonly bred within the United States and the United Kingdom, ball pythons and leopard

geckos are a different story. There are thousands of North American and European reptile

breeders who practice moral, ethical, and fair breeding techniques that go unnoticed by large

scale pet stores like PetCo and PetSmart that outsource their animals from other countries where

it is cheaper to breed and capture them. By taking a stand and purchasing reptiles and

amphibians from small breeders local to the country one lives in, like the ones seen at the

National Reptile Expo in Denver, Colorado, there are hopes that 3.14% percentage will go down

to zero (Robinson). An example of a very problematic incident was given in Robinson’s

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academic study; while not necessarily caused by human beings nor was it purposefully

conducted, it is yet another reason why animals, including reptiles and amphibians, should be

locally bred and sourced from the same country they are sold in. “400 reptiles and amphibians

from Madagascar died in transit in South Africa due to flight delays following bad weather, and

a mortality rate of 72% was reported during a six week stock turnover period in one wildlife

wholesaler” (2),

Local breeding and transport seems to be the most ethical and morally correct answer to

solving the DOA rates, yet this is a hard argument to make seeing as these animals are labeled as

exotic; meaning that come from faraway land and are not traditional pets. To have ball pythons

in the United States means that at one point these creatures must have been transported from

Asia, their natural habitat. Although this has happened in the past, ball pythons now reside in

abundance in North America and pythons even roam the everglades of Florida freely, there

should be no need to continue to seek these animals from other countries. This also includes

other reptiles and amphibians such as iguanas, chameleons, leggless lizards, komodo dragons,

monitor lizards, leopard geckos, leaf tailed geckos, boas, and plenty more examples of exotic

animals. At what point will this large, varying, and diverse amount of creatures be enough to

satisfy the United States and the United Kingdom? Is it fair to continue bringing “new” and

“rare” reptile species into these nations just on the merit of “we want more”?

It would seem that although there is strict regulation on animal trade as well as animal

conservation and protection programs being in place, there still is a high mortality rate when it

comes to oversea shipping and large scale trade. Simply, this comes down to the fact that fragile

animals like reptiles and amphibians are not meant to spend hours in transit and should not be

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taken from the wild once accustomed to that lifestyle. It induces stress and can lead to a lot of

problems immediately or later on in life. There is no need to completely stop residents, future

animal breeders and owners, and citizens from owning these mysterious and exotic animals;

however, one idea to lower these mortality rates is to buy from local breeders within one’s own

country and to not endorse large scale pet stores that outsource animals from other countries.

Taking animals directly from the wild can cause biodiversity and ecosystem problems, as well as

placing an unaccustomed animal in the hands of a human.

Exotic Animal Ownership - Fit and Unfit:

The final step of a snake’s life is one that can be extremely positive or can end up in the

devastation of an entire ecosystem: ownership. Finally, after the tribulation of breeders and the

survival of transport and trade, the ball python can come to rest in the hands of a human being

who is meant to treat this animal as the dangerous spectacle and absolute beauty it rightfully is.

This seems like the most wholesome and best place for the reptile to land in, with a nice

terrarium and a large rat to eat, and for most snakes this is the case. There are many examples of

splendid owners who care for these creatures in ethical, fair, and fantastic ways. Many owners,

and especially breeders, have done extreme amounts of research or have even gone to school for

care and breeding before owning an exotic animal. Classes, programs, and even online outlets

are available for new owners to use in order to insure a happy and healthy life for a pet. For the

most part, owners who go to local pet stores and buy small snakes, lizards, or tropical fish have

at least done a miniscule amount of research before purchasing. With this, some pet store

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employees will even be trained to give basic care instructions and information before allowing

the person to purchase.

This does not initially seem like a tremendous issue, however, when it comes to larger

and more dangerous creatures such as Burmees and retic pythons and large poisonous lizards,

that is when this simple and merger education process becomes a problem. The treatment, care,

and housing of an exotic animal -whether it be a small beta fish or a lengthy Burmees python- is

not common knowledge; however, ownership of these creatures is rather common. Although for

larger snakes some permits are needed in certain states, it is easy to obtain some breeds illegally

especially in high trade and trafficking areas such as Florida in the United States. Due to the

popularization of snakes such as the Burmees python in pop culture and herpetoculture, the want

for these large snakes has greatly increased. An average and responsible person could potentially

care for a ball python by simply watching internet tutorials and getting advice from another

owner. Yet, the story is drastically different when an inexperienced and new owner purchases a

large constrictor without proper training. There have been many problems erupting from

situations such as this. Not only does this lead to the mistreatment and abuse of an exotic animal,

but it has caused the absolute deviation of an ecosystem and even the loss of a child. All of

which could have been easily avoided with more education to the public, more restrictions on

who is fit to own a large snake, and more attention to a socialitail bias.

When thinking of the ideal example of an educated and fit owner, a breeder that comes to

mind is Charles Wenner with the breeding and conservation organization ​Wildfire Retics​.

Wenner is a charming and well trained breeder that has been studying and treating pythons of

various types for over eight years. “It is my passion,” Wenner spoke out during the Nation

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Reptile Expo in Denver, Colorado while giving a speech to a restless crowd of snake lovers. He

held a large retic python in his arms, the creature easily stretching eight feet and weighing more

than 100 pounds. “They [the pythons] are extremely misunderstood animals〚...〛does she look

scary to you? Not to me〚...〛Alice is my bestie,” Wenner of course was referring to the large

retic python in his arms, rightly named Alice for her golden blonde colored scales. Wenner, like

many others, is a North American breeder in the United States that has been breeding retic

pythons for years. He shares stories during this speech of the many snakes he has come across

including the mighty Alice that had begun to wrap around his leg. Looking deeper into Wenner’s

methods, one will see that this man has the proper gear to be handling large and dangerous

constrictors, as well as employees who have trained by his side to insure the safety of the people

around the snakes and the safety of the snakes themselves. “These aren't for everyone,” he says

wielding the large snake in front of a group of children, “but if raised right they can be.” The

words of Wenner rang inspiring to the future pet owners that listened in. ​Wildfire Retics ​is a

breeding company that mostly deals with retic pythons as well as other large constrictors. This

business owns many warehouses to breed, hold and store pythons safely and keep them away

from the public. Of course this level of care and precision when handling large pythons cannot

be expected from your average snake owner, and that is why it is important to leave owning

dangerous creatures like Alice up to people like Wenner. This is not to say large constrictors

should be kept away from everyone, it is to say however, that these future owners should be

prepared for the mighty task of caring and housing large snakes such as this. If not, horrible

consequences may ensue.

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 Like most things in life, there is always a darker side to a situation. In this case, it is the

owners that stray far from the organization, care, and education of Wenner and into the realm of

an ignorant pet owner without the skills to take care of a large exotic animal. This lack of care

has led to countless tales of exotic animal death and even loss of a child. A seemingly stark

contrast to the story of Wenner and Alice would be that of Jaren Hare, Jason Damell and their

large, albino constrictor Gypsy. Back in 2011, the pair had been charge and found guilty of third

degree murder, manslaughter and child neglect after their pet python strangled a two-year-old

girl to death in their care. Multiple news outlets including ABC, McClatchy-Tribune News

Service and CBS had reported that Gypsy, an eight foot long albino Burmees python, had

escaped from a bag through a baseball sized hole and had slithered into the bedroom of the

sleeping two-year-old (McClatchy-Tribune News Service). Due to the lack of education and

training of Gypsy’s owners, they did not know how much to feed such a large animal and had

not fed her in about a month. The pair also later admitted that she had escaped her tank ten other

times since her last meal, which had been a meger road-kill squirrel, according to newly released

documents regarding the trial. Reports of the July 1, 2009 tragedy show that the child's mother

(Jaren) and the mother's boyfriend (Jason) had obtained the snake through a flea market

purchase, which is illegal and had kept the snake in violation of Florida wildlife rules. The snake

had been previously held in a large terrarium with a mere blanket tossed over the top. Any

educated breeder and/or owner could tell you a Burmees python of that size definitely has the

strength to push past a blanket, and it is known the terrariums must be sealed with clamps or

locks to insure safety.

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 Along with the tragedy that is the death of two-year-old Shaianna Hare, there are more

social implications that come with cases like this. After the trial erupted and caused a firestorm

in the media, all eyes fell on Gypsy the Burmees python. Although, yes, this animal was the one

commiting the act and had been the one to kill the child in the end; who is really at fault here?

Should a snake be put down by freezing temperatures because of the ignorance of its owners?

These reptiles are mysterious and dangerous creatures, they are beautiful to observe but need

specialized care to own. It was an act of human error that led to these events, aided by the illegal

market of exotic animals and the bringing of Burmees pythons to The United States. Just as

snakes have always been seen as the villian or criten, this is yet another scenario in which the

lack of care and education of owners lead to the death of a young child and a exotic animal, as

well as added to the fear society has of these creatures.

Exotic Animal Ownership - Burmees Pythons of the Florida Everglades:

Just like in the case of Gypsy the Burmees python, there are many other cases of

uneducated owners purchasing large reptiles without the skills and knowledge to handle such a

creature. The want for a dangerous beast does not equate to the genuine readiness someone has

to actually care for these creatures. Christian Capehart et al describes perfectly the mindset of

any exotic owners when things get more difficult,

[w]hen the owners of unusual pets realize that their pet snake requires more work

than a normal pet such as a dog or cat, they panic and they do what humans tend

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 to do what they do with trash, simply throw it away somewhere and forget about

it (2).

Unlike an old news paper or food scraps, an animal will not simply disappear into the

ground or pile up in a landfill. They will continue to roam, eat, breed, and disburse into the

ecosystem around them. The Burmees python, like Gypsy, is one such creature that human

beings tend to “throw away” and forget about. However, this particular species is very hard to

forget and resides heavily in the minds of many Florida residents. A biodiversity and ecosystem

problem has arisen in the Florida Everglades national swamp land due to the sheer amount of

unfit owners releasing their large constrictors into the wild. This small action has sent waves of

destruction throughout Florida and even spreading into the Louisiana area for years now, and has

wreaked havoc upon the fragile and important ecosystems there. Christian Capehart et al

explains in a book titled ​Burmees Python An Invasive Species,​ “[t]he main reason that people

choose to release these animals into the Florida Everglades is how tough they are to keep in

captivity due to their inability to be domesticated like other pets” (2). The sheer horrors of the

July 1, 2009 incident regarding Gypsy the Burmees python are enough to scare an entire nation,

let alone the countless other pythons that are now roaming freely in the swamp lands.

Each issue that faces reptile and snake kind link back to one another, this can be seen in

the connection between illegal trade and the now ever growing Burmees python problem of the

Florida Everglades. Many people acquire Burmees pythons through black market trade and are

almost completely unfit, ill-prepared, and definitely ill-informed by the trader on how to properly

take care of such a beast. Although there have been crackdowns by the government and state on

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black market trade, some snakes and animals can slip through the cracks (U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Services). On top of this, animals such as snakes are easily passed around from owner to owner.

Seeing as they are seen by society and many people as unfeeling, not capable of love, and unable

to get attached, it is an easy task to give away a snake or other reptile. This causes more unfit

transportation methods, giving the snake an uneasy and scared outlook on life and furthering its

inability to remain calm in the hands of a human.

Although the Bumees python species is perfectly fit to live in the Everglades and will

survive, the problem with releasing these animals is that these snakes come from a completely

different part of the world and do not belong in the Florida Everglades ecosystem. Burmees

pythons are native to the jungles and grassy marshes of Southeast Asia. Their natural ecosystem

spreads over thousands of miles and has a sparse amount of animals for them to eat so it is a

challenge to find food. In the Everglades, however, the situation is completely different.

Burmees pythons are natural swimmers and excellent climbers making the swamp land an ideal

hunting ground. Due to its hunting precious, large size, speed, and method of killing, the

Burmees python has almost completely wiped out the mammal population in the Everglades of

Florida. The species has been labelled as invasive. In the academic study done by Michael E.

Dorcas et al it states that, “Severe mammal declines coincide with proliferation of invasive

Burmees pythons in Everglades National Park”, it is noted that, “[i]nvasive species represent a

significant threat to global biodiversity and a substantial economic burden” (1). This, of course,

is the case with the Burmees pythons. As well as giving this fact, Dorcas’ study delves into the

actual statistics surrounding the severe mammal decline:

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 Before 2000, mammals were encountered frequently during nocturnal road surveys

within [Everglades National Park]. In contrast, road surveys totaling 56,971 km from

2003-2011 documented a 99.3% decrease in the frequency of raccoon observations,

decreases of 98.9% and 87.5% for opossum and bobcat observations, respectively, and

failed to detect rabbits (1).

These findings would suggest that the predation of pythons in the Everglades has resulted

in a drastic decline in mammals within the nation park and posing an extreme threat on the

fragile ecosystem (Dorcas). The most difficult condition that faces this land is the fact that

Burmees pythons are considered apex predators, meaning they have no known natural predators

and are at the top of the food chain (Capehart). Even the alligators of the Florida swamp land

have fallen prey to the large constrictors. With the opposing hazard of Burmees python

population, many locals and the Nation Park service have been debating the right course of

action and speculating the original origin of all these pythons. “Many believe that they were kept

as pets by the people living in south Florida,” Capehart et al therorizes, “[o]thers believe that

they were accidently released into the wild during the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in 1992”

(5). No matter what the cause, each theory returns back to the act of human intervention and

interaction with these dangerous creatures.

Although this situation seems hopeless and absolutely negative, there are a few positives

that have come from it. With the increased number of Burmees pythons in the swamp, the need

for hunters and trappers has risen to great heights; opening up many job opportunities to locals in

Florida. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has even sponsored large scale hunting

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contests and operations in hopes of creating fun out of a terrible situation. Killing the snakes has

never been the problem, it has always been finding them, seeing as they are extremely elusive

and solitary creatures (Capehart). Snake hunters all over the nation have traveled to Florida in

hopes of a good and difficult hunt for the Burmees python. However, with killing animals by the

masses comes, of course, the ethical concern from animal rights activists and lovers in general.

Seeing as this problem was initially created by human error and uneducated owners, is it really

humans responsibility to remove these snakes by killing them or have humans disurbed the

Everglades enough?

The question becomes one of ethics and morals, how do humans manage the python

population without crossing any ethical boundaries? As mentioned previously, a contest was held

by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision to kill as many pythons as possible. When

killing a python, the hunters preferred method was to cut off the head of the snake and bring

back the still moving body. “However, animal rights activists have urged and protested that this

is not a humane way to kill the snake because they say that this leaves the snake in pain and in

agony for up to an hour” (10) as stated in the book by Capehart et al. This is not to say animal

rights activists want the Burmees pythons to continue to ravage the swamp ecosystem, simply

they want a more ethical way of executing each snake. “They are urging hunters to change the

way they kill the snakes and use a gun to shoot the snake in the head. This will eliminate the

agony and kill the snake instantly” (10). In simple terms, humans brought these creatures here

and caused this problem so it is their duty and responsibility to get them out properly and

humanly.

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 All of these problems and incidents, ranging from the killing of a two-year-old girl to the

rapid mammal decline in the Everglades of Florida all come down to one main cause. That being

the lack of care, education, and awareness of large exotic animal owners. These creatures are not

to be dealt with lightly and need a lot of work. Although there are many capable breeders and

owners out there like Wenner with ​Wildfire Retics,​ there are also plenty of owners like Jason and

Jaren. To stop these issues and events from occurring more regulations and permits should be

inplace and needed before one can own a large predator. As well as this, pet stores should be

educating owners before the animal can leave the building. Exotic animals should be purchased

legally and safely by educated and skilled owners, meaning the black market and illegal animal

trade must be simmered out in order to do this.

Part IV: Discussion and Conclusions

It would seem that families enjoy the company of animals, from furry friends to glittery

fish, so much that over “68 percent of households in the United States have at least one pet” (1)

as cited in Christian Capehart’s et al article about Burmees Pythons and other large pets. It would

seem that with advancements in training practices, catching methods, and the act of

domestication, any animal can become a pet. Humans have strived past the normal once again

and have extended this label of ‘pet’ into a more exotic and broader realm. It is common to have

a tranacuala, tigar, poisonous dart frog, and even a large constrictor snake such as the Burmees

python as pets. Many people around the nation see these animals for their mystic beauty and lust

for the dangerous feeling of owning a creature at this level. When it comes to snakes, these

reptiles can be rather harmless individuals if the right precautions are taken to insure the safety of

all. However, they continue to hold the title of exotic animal because they can never be

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domesticated (Capeharts). There is a wide spread love for reptiles, amphibians, and all of

snake-kind, conventions even being held to show off different species and honor the scaled

creatures. Yet, with love there must be hate and that can truly be seen within the realm of snake

keeping, trading and breeding. With an ingrained societal bias against these creatures,

mistreatments and issues spring up in every part of a reptiles life from its birthing place to the

trading and selling of said creaute to even the final home destination.

When it comes to breeding, there is an immense lack of empathy used to define and

determine how much pain a snake is in caused by birth defects and neurological issues. Issues

and defects that could have been avoided if morally correct and safe breeding techniques were

used. One would ask, why are not all breeders using these techniques if these issues are

reoccurring within snakes and can be avoided? The simple answer to that, profits are

outweighing the genuine value of the animal’s quality of life. If society continues to hold these

beautiful animals at such high regard and price, asking between $100 and $10,000 USD per

snake, then the health and wellness of these creatures should be held just as high. There are many

breeders out there who do in fact practice good breeding techniques and treat the animals and

their future offspring with respect; however, there are the few that spoil the inter batch. This is

not to say that there are not any members of society who care for and enjoy these reptiles and

amphibians. There is a tremendous amount of support from activists and conservation scientists

to ensure that these creatures will have a good quality of life even when taken away from their

natural habitat.

Taking animals from their natural habitat can cause many issues to arise. It creates a

stressful environment for the snake and transport methods are not up to par. Overseas shipping

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and transport has caused many deaths over the years, including a 3.14% DOA rate (Robinson). In

order to avoid these numbers, one must look to solutions such as local animal purchasing and

breeding within the same countries they reside in. There are many fit breeders who practice

moral and ethical techniques and forms of breeding including people like Andrew and Wenner.

Both of which are perfectly suited to purchase from. Although it cannot be expected that all

owners will begin to purchase locally, the message should still be blasted in the media. This in

turn might have the chance to slow down the rate of illegal purchases and stop animals from

ending up in the hands of unfit owners.

Just as malpractice breeding and transport are raging issues in the reptiles and amphibian

community, one of the biggest and most common problems that occur is that of animals landing

in the hands of unfit owners. This happens mostly through illegal buying and selling, seeing as a

blackmarket salesperson does not necessarily care about who the owner of the snake will be,

their thoughts reside within the profits. The lack of education and awareness can lead to large

and unfortunate events. Some of which include the tale of Gypsy the python and of course the

more notable issue of the invasive Burmees python problem in the United States. In order to stop

these problems, more regulations should be in place and education of owners is a must.

In the end, people from any walk of life should be able to enjoy and care for the

mysterious, beautiful, and thrilling creatures that are reptiles and amphibians; that is to say if

they have the financial support to do so. They are a glimmering and mystic species that can

provide a wonderful atmosphere to any home or business. However, as well as being a spectacle

for the eyes, they are also a very dangerous creature that needs a lot of precarious care and

precaution when being handled. One must be mentally and physically prepared to own such a

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beast, from small toads to humongous snakes, in order to give the proper care to such a creature.

It takes lots of education and training to become an owner, which many people are capable of,

yet, this is not the case for all. Snakes are indeed feared by many, that is why they are not a

perfect fit for most typical pet owners. Society, of course, as a whole seems to have a lot of

ingrained disdain, fear and bias against these animals. This is reasonable, however, seeing as

they are predators and it is a survival tactic in human psychology to be cautious around them.

Yet, this fear does not justify the mistreatment of any animal. Breeding should be done in an

ethical and morally correct way, where the health and wellness of a snake is put before the

profits. When it comes to trading, transport of animals should be performed with proper

methods such as larger shipping containers and should not necessarily be conducted over large

distances such as oceans. The only way to really make an impact in the maltreatment of snakes in

their final home is to eliminate illegal trade to stop uneducated owners from obtaining snakes

that they are not prepared for. Along with this, education of new owners is a must and needs to

be enforced by pet stores and/or breeders who sell animals. The road to a world without reptile

and amphibian mistreatment is a long and winding one, there are many steps that need to be

taken to insure the health and wellness of all these beautiful creatures. The first step: eliminating

the societal bias ingrained within humans against snakes.

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 Work Cited

Capehart, Christian, et al. “Burmees Pythons An Invasive Species .” ​Pythons​, Environment and

Society at the University of Oklahoma, 2018, pp. 2–14.

Carter, Lou. “How to Ship Snakes Internationally (Shipping Companies + Rules).” ​Snakes for

Pets,​ Snakes for Pets, 12 Feb. 2020,

www.snakesforpets.com/how-to-ship-snakes-internationally/.

DiscoverAnimals.org, N/A. “Herpetoculture.” ​Herpetoculture | Discover Animals,​

DiscoverAnimals, 2014, www.discoveranimals.org/pets/type/category/Herpetoculture.

Dorcas, Michael, et al. ​Severe Mammal Declines Coincide with Proliferation of Invasive

Burmese Pythons in Everglades National Park

Golden/Berkeley, Frederic. “IN PRAISE OF SNAKES.” ​Time​, Time Inc., 13 Oct. 1997,

content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987171,00.html.

Hudak, Stephan. “Snake That Killed Florida Child Hadn't Been Fed in a Month.” ​Mcclatchydc,​

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 McClatchy Washington Bureau, 1 Jan. 2011,

www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article24606187.html#storylink=cpy.

Popovskaya, Svetlana P., et al. “CAPTIVE BREEDING OF TWO COLUBRID SPECIES

Zamenis SitulaANDElaphe Sauromates(SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE)AND THEIR

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY IN THE CRIMEA.” ​The Russian Journal of Herpetology​,

Vol. 26, 30 Nov. 2018, pp. 354–366.

Robinson, Janine E., et al. “Captive Reptile Mortality Rates in the Home and Implications for the

Wildlife Trade.”, 10 Nov. 2015, pp. 1–16.

Rose, Mark P., et al. “Neurologic Dysfunction in a Ball Python (Python Regius)

Color Morph, and Implications for Welfare.” ​Journal of Exoctic Pet Medicine ​, July

2014, pp. 1–8.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. “Illegal Wildlife Trade.” ​Official Web Page of the U S Fish and

Wildlife Service,​ N/A, 2014,

www.fws.gov/international/travel-and-trade/illegal-wildlife-trade.html.

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