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Just for clarification, I have no desire for the state to regulate non-venomous snakes. My example upthread of Burmese pythons getting outin Florida was just to provide an example of snake escapes, not to call for regulation. That said, some of these constrictors are getting pretty huge, and there might be a need to deal with those large ones, say a permit for a constrictor that is big enough to take down a child.

And for sure you are correct about the health problem wth dogs and cats. It's huge. The shelters in my area are no-kill, and there are enough feral cats in the woddy parts of town to sink a fleet.

Thanks for the clarification. While I hadn't posted specifically to you, I had seen your comments and was bothered by the inferences that I drew. Thanks for reasonable discussion and letting me know where you stand.

I'm always very skeptical of permitting processes. I think most people's behavior is based on how they were raised and possibly some inherent personality traits, and I don't see bureaucracies and their permitting processes having much impact on that behavior. Our society's strong faith in permitting as the cure for most ills bothers me tremendously. We need to be a society where parents inculcate a strong sense of responsibility in their own kids as the first line of defense for every kind of problem. Any other kind of society will never solve its problems.

I can grudgingly accept the permitting of "the big 5" species and all venomous species even though I really don't see that process as being particularly effective. Louisiana has a law that requires people to have a permit for all species that will reach over 12 feet in length and all venomous species. For venomous species, there may be a requirement to keep anti-venom on the premises. I don't keep venomous snakes or large snakes, so I don't know the details. A snake's inherent behaviors make even the large species less dangerous than the dogs that people let roam free in neighborhoods, but as permit laws go, I'm okay with what Louisiana has right now. Unfortunately, some idiots want to expand the law to require permitting for the species I have and want to stop people like me from expanding our collections.

I think the Louisiana law also requires the implantation of a small ID chip in the big snakes. I don't remember whether the chip is required as soon as the snake is big enough to accept the chip safely or whether the chip is required only when the snake reaches 12 feet. Owners who have a snake escape are required to report the snake immediately. If the owner doesn't report the escape and the snake is found and ID'ed by the chip, there's a fine.

Thanks,

Bill