Nelson implores lawmakers to pass a ban on Burmese pythons

[alucard6969100]

FUCK ALL OF YOU POLITICS

[MRsuperlyawesome]

Oh right OK, because an animal is strong an is camouflaged it is somehow evil and needs to be slaughtered?

[IAMGiftbearer]

Interesting how he's not complaining about all the Alligators in the Everglades that have hurt people and their pets, just in banning these constrictors. This past year alot of states saw record numbers of Copperhead bites, yet he wants to ban these non-venomous snakes because of 4 or 5 alleged incidents. He's nuts!

The answer to the problem in the everglades is pretty simple; spay and neuter the feral ones that aren't tame enough to keep in captivity.

[Mechanical015]

The Everglades is the only small portion of Florida that has issues with Burmese Pythons, and also none of these constrictor snakes will ever be able to live in another part of the USA, and will immediately die in the wild because certain requirements will not be meant. Also Burmese Pythons are a gift from “mother nature!” Let’s focus on how forests, cypress trees, etc. are being demolished for man needs and are being taken away from nature.

[Mechanical015]

Wow! This reminds me of a really bad student who didn’t do his science report correctly. The statements that are being said are clearly fabricated. I really wish that people would do their homework, and read how Hurricane Andrew released Burmese Pythons into the Everglades; the little girl who died did not die from a WILD Burmese python that traveled into her house, but was a pet who wasn’t properly cared for. Just like how parents don’t properly care for their children.

[SuperHerpetologist]

fang they have teeth

[painter4769]

We as reptile owners need to stop this negative bull shit! I've owned Burmese pythons blood python ect for 8 years and I've Never been bit ever!

[cubee2000]

i breed burmese pythons and there the nicest snakes iv ever worked with!!!

[sugashane63]

ur a dumbass burmese pythons are great animals but dumbasses like u senator bullshit er w.e go and buy these creatures and hav no knowledge wat so ever if people knew alot of information like me or maby many of these viewers no tht if u know wat ur getting into u will b able to take care for it and know about and handle you will be ok not sure but if ur a dumbass like ppl like this guy ya u might hav a good chance of getting injured thumbs up if u agree!

[TheManuel22]

dumbass!!!

[TheDeathatron]

The only thing this guy got right was the pronunciation of the words "Burmese python"

[jenna2136]

Frist of all sharks kill about 25 people in a year a shark attacked my tech teacher and took a big cunk out of his leg wile he was surfing y don't u ban sharks????? And it's imposibal for a snake to swim all the way across a ocean ..... Retard

[jenna2136]

Go fuck yourself none of that is true

[tvfreak78]

lol at 9:15 he went to economy instead of ecological that tells me hes thinking of money

[bukakee1]

is speech got a little too graphic.

[agunsson]

lol hes good at telling us grade 3 stuff like pythons suffocate prey and kill rats and also showing picture of his vacation

and why complaining about 7 people who died over 10 years cuz they bought a snake and didn't know how to take care of them

[mugtar100]

I am neither a satanist or snake charmer.

[EricRoscoe2]

Furthermore, the USGS report being used to support these measures is flawed in numerous ways. A panel of 11 independent scientists criticized S373 as "unscientific" and "this document is not suitable as the basis for legislative or regulatory policies". So why then, is Senator Bill Nelson ignoring all of this evidence by continuing to push for this radical, over reaching bill?

[EricRoscoe2]

WinterHaven you are clearly not operating on any solid facts or rationality. The facts are, there have been 12 constrictor related deaths since 1980 (that's 30 years). If you perform the simple math, that only comes out to an average of 0.4 deaths per year. There are far more people killed or injured by horses annually alone for example than reptiles combined over 30 years. There is also a greater liklihood of being struck by lightning than attacks by a reptile.

[BLsHerps]

And?

[ItalianPyro92]

nice way to stereo type im not a snake charmer infact i dont abuse my snakes like snake charmers do oh and for the win im not davil cultest either so quit your stereo typing

[ItalianPyro92]

hey guess what sen bill nelson my snake has never tried to kill me :) your only looking at the bad parts of this do you have any idea what your doing to us hobbyist?

[contstrictorlover09]

burmese pythons DO NOT ATTACK anything

unless it is hungry

[DeviantConstrictors]

There is NO documentation that any person has EVER released a burmese python into the ENP. Just ask the ENP employees! But Hurrican Andrew dumped THOUSANDS into the ENP. Adding the 9 snakes to the Lacey Act will have ZERO effect on the ENP. It will:

-bankrupt tens of thousands of US citizens

-make it a felony to move from one state to another with a pet

-destroy a $3 billion reptile industry as boas & pythons represent 1/3 of the industry

-Show you support the extremists in the HSUS

[thedork48]

thats mother nature deal with it.

[BLsHerps]

If a pit bull attacks its owner, you don't ban all dogs. Ban the pitbull!!!! Same goes with Bums and other pythons. If Your problem is a burmese python, you don't ban a Ball Python.

[Thiswarisours56212]

o yeah and humans are even an endangerment to humans lol along with many other things that could also be banned, right? such as many dogs, cats, and other things.

[Thiswarisours56212]

last day to call in for HR2811!!!! call now, fax,email! Everything! and you shouldn't penilize everyone because a few irresponsible, ignorant keepers let their snakes get out.

[dons1976]

winterhaven shut up about health care man this is about the snakes!!! keep it on topic if you are gonna rant!

[iFeedMyDingoBiscuts]

Did you know cats r the most destructive indigenous species in all the us? They destroy thousands of endangered species every year... And dogs account for almost 4 times more deaths then any snake in the USA... also why ban ALL pythons? a nice ball python only grows only 3-5 feet only!! perhaps Burmese pythons shouldn't be allowed but not ALL pythons as states the bill that is trying to pass...

[mcdowelli76]

it,s obvious nelson knows nothing of the biology of snakes. barbs on teeth and such. what about the giant rats invading the keys and mainland florida. Not to mention all his other facts as well.

[muffdady2]

im 12 and have a burmese python and they are nice depending how u teach them but u must no how big they get there nice:)

[WinterHaven]

If these Burmese and Reticulated python zealots love their snakes so much and profess them so harmless, then why don't they wrap their loving snake around their throat? Let's see how much LOVE their snake gives them-they will end up as DINNER! In fact I read a report a snake DID kill an adult man with that special chokehold those snakes are soo good at doing.

[WinterHaven]

A person STUPID enough to keep a 25 - 30 foot snake in their house pretty much is asking for it and living on the edge of disaster. But I guess some people thrive on that.

[mugtar100]

I heard that dogs killed 32 people in 2007 60% I believe were children. but yeah snakes are bad and evil. dogs just try to rip out the throat of their victims.

I have bitten by more dogs than snakes.

[9N8X]

lol so true. it amazes me how ignorant people

are of snakes.

[WinterHaven]

I think there SHOULD be a law that allows individual States to propose breed specific legislation since DOG FIGHTING is a huge problem in our nation-recently the FBI confiscated 500 pit bulls from dog fighting rings-interstate rings. PIT BULLS need to be seriously banned to curtail vice associated with dog fighting, distribution of illegal weapons & narcotics at dog fighting rings, and vice. Don't give me that "punish the deed" malarkey-dog fighting already a felony in every state-does no good!

[redrider187x]

How can he sit there and state COMPLETELY FALSE Information! The Burmese Pythons DO NOT Have Barbed teeth like a fish hook, He has stated atleast 15 Complete FALSE Statements Just to Scare People even more. There not the Monsters he is making them out to be! Lay a Dead Dog on that Table and then show Pictures of all the Dog attacks and deaths in the US! More People die and are Mauled By PET dog"s Each Yr than a Burmese Python, Is he gonna BAN Dogs too? THIS IS AMERICA NOT COMMUNIST CHINA!

[WinterHaven]

Of course I believe you-these snakes are so harmless they just eat children, that's all.

[redrider187x]

A Python has NEVER eaten a Child, Yes they can Kill But so can your Pet Dog which has Mauled attacked and Killed 50 times More Children than a day than Burmese Python"s have in there lifetime! That is a FACT! Now lets BAN, trap and Kill all Dogs! Dogs have Killed Children Havent they? As a Matter of fact theres Multiple dog attacks every Minute of every day not to mention the deaths!

[WinterHaven]

That is where you are WRONG. Google it. Child eaten by python. I see lots of entries/news articles that these pythons have in fact swallowed children.

[WinterHaven]

By your criteria-then why not legalize any kind of animal like Funnel Web spiders, which is the deadliest spider on earth. Problem with these huge Snakes-they have INVADED Florida and are eating up the native wildlife. Laws were created to safeguard a society and Burmese and reticulated pythons SHOULD and MUST be banned.

[2006nationalchamps]

well thats the first thing i can agree wtih you they dont care who they seel it to and also whoever sadi that you could keep this snake in a 20 gallon take is an idiot mine is in a 180 gal tank ,thw other thing is the burms in the everglades are wild and must be delt with personal responcible snake owners should not be ban from these snakes trust you have seen my post winterhaven

[WinterHaven]

Pitbull dogs should be banned due to the epidemic of dog fighting. 90% of them end up dead in either dog fighting rings or get killed in dog pounds. 70% of all dogs in pounds are pit bulls or pit bull mixes. It costs Americans $2.5 BILLION dollars a year to kill pets in pounds. So yeah it would be nice to have a pit bull dog ban. Absolutely!!!! And those dogs are used by thugs for dog fighting and to guard crack and crank houses from the police. They SHOULD be banned.

[onlyrey]

Sen. Bill Nelson, it is insulting that you spend time on this. This is what we want you to work on:

Health Care Reform with A Health Care Public Plan Option

This is what most Florida residents want; we will continue to support you if you support the public plan option.

Make a committee of environmentalists and petowners and let them decide on strategies and regulations to make things better. PUT YOUR TIME INTO HEALTHCARE.

.

[WinterHaven]

Invasive species IS a serious problem in Florida-they are eating all of the native wildlife.

[WinterHaven]

Don't even go there-a single payer system is going to bankrupt our nation-too many people abusing their bodies with a nation full of fatties who are diabetic and have high blood pressure due to lifestyle choices patronizing McDonalds, KFC fried shit and the Heart Atttack Grill eating Asystole burgers made of pure lard. So don't go there with a single payer plan.

[onlyrey]

@WinterHaven, The Public Plan Option is NOT single-payer. A public plan option will require that people pay into it BUT will force the insurance companies to adapt and bring real value to patients. The status quo WILL bankrupt the country.

We have to stop blaming ourselves for the disastrous health care system and start thinking on how to fix it. Don't blame the overweight, blame the corrupt system, and support efforts to fix it.

Health insurance companies are out of control abusive.

.

[WinterHaven]

Oh you are right about health care-the way things are going, costs are escalating to the point most cannot afford insurance. "Cash accounts" in hospitals mean they won't get any money so WITHOUT an overhaul - too many "cash accounts" means bye bye hospitals. Basically America will be headed toward a third-world conditions to the exception of the very rich. That's what Republicans WANT. Seriously. I don't believe it's going to pass-the republicans do NOT want Americans to have ANY health insur

[WinterHaven]

Republicans don't care about health insurance-they got theirs. So it doesn't affect them. Mike Huckabee said "I want my doctor to make tons of money because I want a specialist to operate on me," well, with hospitals going bankrupt due to NO health insurance with more and more people-there won't be any left to do any surgeries-UNLESS you are rich like the politicians or oil barons. Republicans don't care about anybody except themselves.

[WinterHaven]

I pay $500 a month just to have health insurance-with a $500 deductible yearly. ONE person, 49 years old. NO health problems, NO prescriptions, perfect checkups all the time. Even a check up costs me several hundred dollars-WITH insurance. Frankly I would rather pay higher taxes and be freed of the burdeon of $500 a month just to have fucking health insurance. GOD FORBID if you have a family-you will be paying over $1,000.00 a month, even if it's just one dependent. Republicans do NOT care.

[repogod911]

Leave it to a politician to fear monger like this. The snakes are already out there, banning them will do NOTHING to fix the problem.

[WinterHaven]

You can ban them, just like they ban the importation of Madagascar cockroaches. Sure there is a fix.

[AGator41]

Who are you to tell people what people can and cant have Just because your a forked tongue politican doesn't give you a right to implement any sort of control over american citizens... Dont Tread On Me

[snakes4310]

These snakes are really good pets, its the owners that are irresponsible!!! If the guy that got his 2 year-old daughter killed was responsible and got a lock on the cage, then this wouldn't have happened... instead of trying to punish this species of snakes and everyone else who loves these snakes, he should try and file a law suit against this guy, for child indangerment or neglect! And as for the Florida problem, its called wild life, we can't help what mother nature does...

[Fuyosa]

This guy's personal mantra- "Release the bogus!"

[brellnob]

Pythons don't have fangs.

[WinterHaven]

Of course they don't have fangs-they just squeeze kids to death. A 25 foot snake would find a child a tasty snack.

[huwjun]

they are bread in the country for a start, also the snake that he has killed for visual purposes is much bigger than 7ft which he stated was their size plus they don't eat big meals very often so the amount that they would consume would be less than damaging i'm done listening to this twat

[ilovesnakes4]

this guy just seems to be against snake there are beautiful and then for him to say 7 people killed a year well ciggaretts kill 18 billion or so like every day so why donsnt this idiot take the real danger out of the us because its not the snakes falt its stupid people that are responsable for the snakes bing in the wild do not punish the us for a few people

[huwjun]

if cigarettes killed 18 billion a day there wouldn't be any humans remaining on this planet of just over 6.5 billion your figures are slightly out lmfao

[BCSGTO]

I personally own 6 Boas and 1 Retic and I don't find myself morbid or ignorant. I have my permits, I did my homework before I purchased any of them and I don't get my rocks by watching them eat.I feed frozen thawed rodents and would never feed a dog or cat, they are nasty diseased animals that could harm my snakes.I grew up with terrible allergies so a Reptile was the perfect pet for me. As for size, y am I sick for owning a retic, that is like some people buying a weener dogs and others rots

[Fuyosa]

See, but many of them don't.

[AgainstCruelty1]

Most people don't do their homework and get these snakes with back yard breeders. No papers!

[GardenSpider]

Don't ban, educate.

Why are pet shops selling these snakes to anyone who walks in? Why can someone with no knowledge of snakes obtain one and do what they like with it? Burmese pythons are beautiful snakes and as babies they seem to be a manageable size. Where is the literature telling potential owners how big they grow?

When you outlaw trade, only the outlaws trade. Bans like this only punish responsible owners (yes, they do exist! The media just crows about the bad ones).

[WinterHaven]

Pet stores don't give a flying flip about educating. THey just want to sell a snake and it becomes the consumers' problem. I remember this one store sold Burmese python babies and she said you can keep it in a 20 gallon tank its whole life. HA! -seriously-I heard that with my own ears!!

[NineCatsz]

@GardenSpider In this day and age, how can ANYONE not know how big a Burmese python gets? I mean come on...it's all over the news.

[oceandoggreen]

To Senator Nelson,or whomever may Concern.

What about the 1300 attacks and deaths by dogs? Also the fact that Their are WAY more dogs and cats Loose in the U.S. All over Way further than Burmese Pythons!Their has been less than 15 deaths by Pythons.What about Equal rights dont seem Equal to Me? So If you Ban the Burmese Dogs and cats should be banned too,Because Dogs and cats Infestation are not just in flordia But all over the U.S. By the Millions,Where the Ban There? REPLY!

[WinterHaven]

Pit bulls SHOULD be banned. There is so much dog fighting, and thugs use dog fighting rings to distribute cocaine and illegal weapons. Gangs also use pit bulls to guard their crack and crank and prostitution houses. I fully 100% agree that pit bulls should be banned and strictly enforced and according to thoracic surgeons, pit bulls account for MOST of the maulings on children requiring reconstructive surgery. Of all dogs shot by police due to attacks, PIT BULLS were shot the most.

[Aerodeth]

Well... have these people ever considered EATING the snakes?

Seriously, snake-meat isnt so bad. It aint exactly filet mignon, but you sprinkle the right seasonings and slap on a bit of A-1 sauce, you got yourself some fine dining there!

"I'm still... in a dream.... Snake-Eater...."

[WinterHaven]

Granted, MAYBE not you-but Of course people who do these things aren't going to admit it or public with it. It's done in secret. Nobody is going to check up on a stray cat or free to good home pet. They become snake food.

[AgainstCruelty1]

You are an idiot-of course these snakes that grow 25 feet long eat dogs and cats. And they will not hesitate to eat a child if he crosses the snake's path.

[WinterHaven]

One time while driving down the road some years ago I seen this HUGE BUrmese python crossing the road. God it was huge. Well, did see it. It went SPLAT under my tires. I did Florida a favor!

[WinterHaven]

These snakes grow 30 feet long-and yes they DO eat cats and dogs, and people who OWN these snakes WILL "adopt" these kittens and puppies and feed them to their SNAKE because it is FREE FOOD! It's 100% TRUE!

[AgainstCruelty1]

Actually this is true. It's more common than you think. Sadly.

[WinterHaven]

Excuse me? Rats? These Burmese pythons would not even find rats a small snack. They eat full grown goats and rabbits. The way the economy is, people are feeding these pythons and anacondas and retiuclated pythons stray cats, and free to good home dogs and cats-to them they "justify it" because "the snake needs to eat". Well-quit BREEDING these monster snake and BAN THEM. Every single anaconda, BUrmese Python, and reticulated python, and ALL of those monster snakes need to be DESTROYED.

[MercifulMing]

So, ban them in florida. why bring it to the US senate.

[mark3611]

Seven people were killed by pythons in the last ten years according to your figures. 28 people were killed by dog bites in 2008 alone. Why aren't you trying to ban dogs as pets, too, senator Hypocrite?

[WinterHaven]

What about the invasiveness of these snakes. And people DO feed them dogs and cats-those free to good home ads.

[molurusbivitatus]

prove it

[WinterHaven]

And I bet some of those "accidents" were not accidents. It's a legal way to murder one's own child and get away with it.

[AgainstCruelty1]

People have been known to murder their own kids.

[mark3611]

I hope Bill Nelson gets trapped on a plane with a whole lot of snakes on it and there's no Samuel L. Jackson there to save him, so the giant python swallows him whole and takes three months to fully digest him.

[mark3611]

Seriously, though. Who cares about some wood rat? There are already way too many rats in the world, and pythons are 100x cooler anyway. We need more pythons in Florida so that they can eliminate the rest of the rat population and possibly a few losers like Sen. Nelson.

[WinterHaven]

These monsterous snakes are being set loose all of the State of Florida and poses a risk to children and pets. And they are killing off our wild life. They do NOT just eat rats-that is not enough for them. WE have plenty of garden and black snakes that do that job that do NOT grow to monsterous sizes and do not eat children.

[WinterHaven]

You are an idiot mark3611-these pythons that grow 25 to 30 feet do NOT eat rats-they eat dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, and children who happen to accidentally cross their path. Or do you care about that. Guess not. There are indigenous snakes all over Florida that take care of rats like those black snakes, and gardne snakes, which do not grow any more than 2 feet long. Which these Burmese pythons are eating to extinction.

[molurusbivitatus]

just so you know it has not ever been proven that a snake has consumed a child, or any human for that matter. what the snake eats is not always up to them. dont take shit out on the snake because of an owners ignorance. feeding any snake a cat or a dog is highly frowned on by everyone i know. nad yea i do care i think the problem in the everglades is serious and needs to have something done about it. and btwm u say burms are eating black snakes to extinction, they dont eat snakes.

[WinterHaven]

Oh yes they do! I seen those snakes eating other snakes on an animal program on television, though GRANTED in most cases they don't-they are too busy eating stray cats and dogs and children who happen to cross their path.

[molurusbivitatus]

what do you do copy and paste all your posts? yea snakes eat other snakes. some species its a well known fact such as kingsnakes and cobras...they eat other snakes. will a burm do it? yea but its uncommon

[WinterHaven]

Do you think for a SECOND those snake owners are going to fess up feeding their snake homeless cats and free to good home cats, dogs, puppies and kitties? Of course not. BUT IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!

[molurusbivitatus]

and just so you know, i also have a cat and a dog, neither of which are food for my snake

[WinterHaven]

If that snake ever got out even by accident they would easily become dinner.

[WinterHaven]

I do not hate snakes. I have a family of black snakes near my house and I find comfort they are around. They keep the rats and mice away. I sometimes see them crossing my back yard and we sometimes look at each other momentarily and I ignore it completely and it goes its merry way. But if I see a monsterous Burmese python or anaconda, I will NOT hesitate to get my ax out and chop it up to pieces!!! Burmese pythons ALL need to be EXTERMINATED!!

[molurusbivitatus]

people like you are what needs to be exterminated. you come here and make multiple posts that same the same shit, theres a huge presence of ignorance in every post you make, and you automatically think your right.

[WinterHaven]

Actually, I am right. People who keep 25 - 30 foot snakes HAS A SCREW loose in their heads. Seriously.

[molurusbivitatus]

again, you have no facts to back this up with. i say you are a sad human being because you are an ignorant closed minded indiviudual and you think you know everything

[redrider187x]

Its Not about keeping a 25ft pet, Its about Having the FREEDOM to do so if you wish! It"s about our RIGHTS! You are Failing to see the Big Picture! This is the LAND OF THE FREE, WE are slowly Letting them Take our rights away 1 by 1. Senator Nelson you are the Biggest Snake of them all!

[WinterHaven]

I think it's wonderful he is addressing a serious problem and these pythons are a serious invasion to our State. BAN ALL HUGE PYTHONS! PERIOD!!!

[WinterHaven]

"Freedom" to do so? I bet there are tons of avid spider and tarantula keepers who would LOVE to get an Australian Funnel Web Spider-the DEADLIEST spider on earth. One bite a person is dead within minutes. Total freedom? Do away with laws-people would shoot each other for target practice or just for the hell of it and not give it a second thought. I'm not joking. Laws were created for one reason: SAFETY. Safety must NEVER be compromised-otherwise you violate the rights of others.

[molurusbivitatus]

people like you make me sick. you thiknk you know everything about these animals, when more than likly your just feeding of a media frenzy. and stop bringing up the crushed kitten thing, yea its disgusting but has nothing to do with this topic.

[WinterHaven]

I bet you are the owner of a huge snake-your post only illustrates the mentality of such snake owners,which is quite disturbing. Keep in mind he is a United States Senator and a VERY GOOD ONE at that! You are very disrespectful. Reflecting the mentality of these monstrous snake owners.

[molurusbivitatus]

im very disrespectful? my mentality is disturbing? whats disturbing about it? that i know facts to counter every ignorant rant you can come up with? and btw from what i read about this guy hes not all that great. you are the desrespectful one, you shouldnt open your mouth about something you dont know shit about. its people like you, with the ignorant mentality, who are the danger to mankind.

[WinterHaven]

If you keep a 30 foot snake for a pet, I would say you are disturbed.

[WinterHaven]

People are also letting them loose when they get big and they are INVADING FLORIDA and people also use these huge snakes as a means of hideous animal cruelty (feeding them puppies and kittens) - but ALSO as a means of murdering their own children under the guise of an "accident" and they will get away with it. PLEASE BAN THESE HUGE SNAKES!~!!

[molurusbivitatus]

you are a sad, sad human being

[WinterHaven]

Sad human being for what? Telling the TRUTH?

[WinterHaven]

People who own these Burmese pythons are sick perverts-they literally trap stray cats and answer free to good home cats and dogs, puppies and kittens-and use them as SNAKE FOOD! They get off watching these animals SLOWLY die as their bones break and suffocate as the snake constricts them. Death is NOT quick. They SUFFER! As these animals' bones break, these people get off watching it and masturbate-it's a sick perversion they have. No different than those crush kitten videos. BAN THESE SNAKES!

[molurusbivitatus]

again, prove this

[WinterHaven]

All I need to say is ANYBODY who keeps a 25 to 30 foot snake for a pet HAS A SCREW LOOSE IN THEIR HEAD!!

[molurusbivitatus]

thats all you can say and you cant even back it up

[RetiredNavyWill]

I disagree with you on many issues, Senator, but on this we have common ground.