Movies and the Pet Trade

[toker]

Hello all!

The wife and I went out to the movies last night and saw "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" Though it was a good movie I was very disturbed by the "snake room" shot.

As most people around me were either "Ewww" or "awesome" I couldn’t help but wonder, how many people are going to walk away from this movie and think, man that was cool, I want a burm to keep around my neck.

Now for those of you that have not seen it I wont spoil it for you. But it got me thinking. I saw at least 12 different critters, and all of them were either swinging from the rafters or in bird cages. I guess I am a nerd but things like this make me go nuts. How many people will, after seeing this movie think, man that is cool, I will just let this new Colombian free roam in the house! Hey I saw it in the movies!!!

Right about now most of you are prolly thinking that I am over reacting, but it wasn’t too long ago I saw a spot on the news about how fish breeders were asking people not to run out and buy clown fish, and that 99% of all drains DO NOT lead to the ocean. Can you guess which film that was? How many poor fish took the porcelain express to their doom? Think about it, they did a news spot on it!!

Don’t get me wrong, I happen to like seeing often misunderstood critters put in a light where they are not the ones being killed because they are the villain… well anyway, if I keep going I will spoil it for people that have yet to see it.

What are your thoughts… how much impact does movies and TV have on the pet trade?

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[Stormyva]

I have gotten used to seeing crap like that in the movies.... It was kind of cool to see the different species of snakes but the were wasnt a single one that was properly housed. The burm around the neck was a bit ridiculous.

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[ann0306]

I didn't even think of it- guess I need to get a bit more realistic. I took my son for his seventh birthday and he was very proud to recognize the burm and the milksnake.

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[JuliusSqueezer]

I watched the documentary about Alexander the Great last night on the History channel. They showed his mom laying in bed with a ball python and never mind there are no ball pythons in that part of the world...the narator called it a giant anaconda lol...I know...a bit off topic but sheesh...

I was watching cops yesterday too and some cop in Virgina beat a black ratsnake to death with a billy club. That was extremely upsetting to watch and I really wish someone would prosecute him for cruelty to animals. I don't know about Virginia law and I know regardless of the laws protecting snakes anywhere they are seldom if ever actually enforced... anyway... argggg

[toker]

I was watching cops yesterday too and some cop in Virgina beat a black ratsnake to death with a billy club.

That is so bad, I hated the show cops then and even more now. Yes I would love to see something happen, but, sad to say, snakes are equated to rats and other pests, the more you kill the better you are :-/

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[schmelkdog]

I figure movies and such can do good and bad. They can make these "strange and scary" animals we love seem not so scary to the general public. But then again just like the friend who sees a buddy with one or the person who walks into petco and sees the cute little snake they can encourage ignorant folks to buy one. Hopefully we can help educate those around us,,,,,though sometimes I wonder after bringing some pets to the local vet who treats reptiles and have the counter people freak out that I had a boa with me (in an secure carrier in a bag!!).
I do worry though when I see movies like anaconda or something like that coming out that reinforces the "huge slimy snake that will eat us all" idea.
I also had some issues with the history's channel alexander, though for the most part it was pretty decent. The interesting thing is Olympias (also the name of my BP but before the movie and all that came out ) did sleep and keep serpants. Alot of the evidence indicates that they were constrictors. Phillips court kept many animals from outside of the region,,,,how their husbandry was one can only shudder to think but with other african animals there it wouldn't be a huge shocker though they probably just used the balls because they're often seen as tamer.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

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[JuliusSqueezer]

Hollywood goes in either direction of extreme on venomous bites but NEVER portrays the reality. In a movie, if you are bitten by a venomous snake, you either gasp a bit and drop dead immediatly...or you get to the hospital just in time, get a single shot of antivenom and are right back on your feet with no side effects. umm...It just doesn't work like that unless it was a dry bite.

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[reptilemama]

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

I was watching cops yesterday too and some cop in Virgina beat a black ratsnake to death with a billy club. That was extremely upsetting to watch and I really wish someone would prosecute him for cruelty to animals. I don't know about Virginia law and I know regardless of the laws protecting snakes anywhere they are seldom if ever actually enforced... anyway... argggg

I remember that one Jules. I had to turn the channel. I did see one the other night with a woman who had a cornsnake in her kitchen. That one got scooped up and put in a paper bag, I assume to be relocated. I was a little amused though, watching two big burly cops use sticks to get a harmless little cornsnake into a bag.

[bpkid]

Don't get me started on Cold Creek Manor...

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[gruvinbass]

Unfortunately, that's Hollywood. This isn't the only hobby of mine that they routinely get wrong, and I've just resigned myself to them virtually never getting it right. Sometimes I wonder why they even bother with technical advisors, since, apparently, they ignore whatever the advisor is telling them, or alternately, that the advisor doesn't have a clue.

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[C. hortulanus bites]

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

I was watching cops yesterday too and some cop in Virgina beat a black ratsnake to death with a billy club. That was extremely upsetting to watch and I really wish someone would prosecute him for cruelty to animals. I don't know about Virginia law and I know regardless of the laws protecting snakes anywhere they are seldom if ever actually enforced... anyway... argggg

I saw it too. Very disturbing. I couldn't believe that the police would have treated the animal that way. Had it been a poblem dog the appropriate animal authorities would have been called in, but no, kill it, it's just a snake.

[olivetaffy]

it always bugs me when a red tail boa is referred to as a python on national geographic or some zoo books kids read. i believe they called it an indian python.

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[EyeOfTheStorm]

Suprised I havent seen the mention of that joke of a movie, Anaconda. That movie, like others (Python for example, with a snake on the cover with huge, fangs?)do nothing more than feed public ignorance toward reptiles, just for the shock factor, thus making a buck. The entire time trying to watch Anaconda, the thought just kept ringing in my head, "People will actually believe this garbage!"(Thats the G-Rated form of the thought of course ). It was almost as pathetic as 8 Legged Freaks. You have to "roll your pants legs up" when watching TV these days, especially if it has anything to do with reptiles or arachnids. I cant remember what movie this quote came from, but it makes you think about society as a whole.."A person may be smart, but people, are always stupid."

[CC]

A person may be smart, but people, are always stupid."

I believe that is from Men in Black. I think it goes "The person is smart, but people are dumb and dullwitted." That line stuck out to me too.

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[NicoleRussell]

renting ANACONDAS this week any comments?
(it's ok I'm wearing a helmet)

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[CC]

I rented it over Christmas break. Ill just say its not one of they best movies I have seen. I also hate the way that they make the snake look (graphics) in all the giant snake movies.....to me they don't look real at all.

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[NicoleRussell]

except in conan
that snake rocked.

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[nycsfinezt61189]

If its anything like the atrocity of ANACONDA, then I can assure you it will be really funny...(50 foot long shreiking anaconda, that eats like 5 people in the course of a few days). I found that movie more like a comedy than a horror movie.

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[reptilemama]

Originally Posted by NicoleRussell

except in conan
that snake rocked.

It always amazes me that a movie of that day did so much better with their special effects.