Lol, that silly myth again...

[traceylee]

I was just listening to Dr Chris Brown on the radio; he was saying how he doesn't understand the whole pet snake thing.... Blah blah blah...
He then went on about the myth about the python sizing up it's owner to eat it (wish I had a dollar for every time someone's told me that) and he said that he knew of a lady in which this actually happened to. Said a lady hadn't been heard from for a few days and had been killed by her scrub in Victoria ...
All of a sudden my level of respect has dropped a bit...

 

[Grogshla]

People fear what they don't understand!
Im suprised that Dr Brown would say that he seems pretty cool but Im not suprised.
We need more reptile ambassadors in Oz that have the chance to connect to people via the media!!

 

[GlenClark]

what a drongo!

 

[damian83]

yeah its shocking the amount of people that think like this...
everyone go to a reptile show and learn something!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[traceylee]

I was a little surprised by it

 

[Bez84]

Im personally tired of people trying to convince me that wild pythons are breeding with venomous snakes and creating hybrids...Its true my uncles cousins friend said so...

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

All of a sudden my level of respect has dropped a bit...

I lost respect for him before that..
He does sometimes say the blondest things.
Lol

 

[traceylee]

I'd love to go to a reptile show!

I've never really listened to him or watched his shows before.

 

[starr9]

You should ring up and set them st8. Had a friend over the other day who would not go near my stimmi as she thought it could bite her finger off or something. My girl was at the front of her enclosure and I said you watch she will move away from us when we get closer to her as she is shy. my m8 said are you sure she will not eat me?! I could not help but laugh and said she is way 2 small to eat you and she thinks mice taste better anyway!! hahaha! my m8 was good enough to laugh and see the funny side of her words! She did get up close to her and said she would work on her fear as long as I didnt get her out just yet! Then she asked about the sizing up story.....

 

[myusername]

I know a person who went for an interview at a very high profile company recently, and one of the senior managers was perpetuating the old pythons crossbreeding with elapids myth. Surprising that some one can reach such a prestigious position within a company and still be so misguided about something like that.

 

[damian83]

I'd love to go to a reptile show!

I've never really listened to him or watched his shows before.

dont you have the reptile park there?

coffs has one at the pet porpise pool steve mc ewan
port macquarie has a display on weekends at billabong zoo

 

[traceylee]

Yep, we sure do. It's not bad.
I'm really looking forward to the expos next year. I've never been to one; didn't even know about them until recently

 

[littlemay]

It bothers that people have now heard this from what they believe to be a reputable source, it makes it very difficult to convince them otherwise...

 

[Nathan_T]

I know a person who went for an interview at a very high profile company recently, and one of the senior managers was perpetuating the old pythons crossbreeding with elapids myth. Surprising that some one can reach such a prestigious position within a company and still be so misguided about something like that.

Why? Snake biology is a pretty niche hobby. Sure it irritates me when people spout things they don't really understand, but there's a lot more concerning beliefs out there than elapid-morelia breeding viability

 

[CamdeJong]

Im suprised that Dr Brown would say that he seems pretty cool but Im not suprised.

To be (surprised), or not to be (surprised)

Sad that someone with a doctorate in vet can be so narrow-minded and ignorant about what is a hugely popular and rewarding form of animal keeping. Surely he knows how many people are passionate about snakes.

 

[ausruss]

It is out of ignorence that tv celebs state rubbish. Ive even heard off cases of pigs eatn owners but they were in remote location and animals were hungry. So does that make babe a green eyed killer. Really lets email his blog and facebook with our dissaproval.

 

[Snake_Whisperer]

I was just listening to Dr Chris Brown on the radio; he was saying how he doesn't understand the whole pet snake thing.... Blah blah blah...
He then went on about the myth about the python sizing up it's owner to eat it (wish I had a dollar for every time someone's told me that) and he said that he knew of a lady in which this actually happened to. Said a lady hadn't been heard from for a few days and had been killed by her scrub in Victoria ...
All of a sudden my level of respect has dropped a bit...

Whoa! Slow down there a bit! Are you saying you had respect for him before this incident? Hehheh, yeh always a shame when this kind of nonsense get passed off as fact by a "reputable" source. Even worse giving a local "example" including details of a death. Not cool at all Dr. Chris, the herpetoculture hobby expected and deserved better, as does all Australian herpetofauna.

 

[hissnbits]

You should ring up and set them st8. Had a friend over the other day who would not go near my stimmi as she thought it could bite her finger off or something. My girl was at the front of her enclosure and I said you watch she will move away from us when we get closer to her as she is shy. my m8 said are you sure she will not eat me?! I could not help but laugh and said she is way 2 small to eat you and she thinks mice taste better anyway!! hahaha! my m8 was good enough to laugh and see the funny side of her words! She did get up close to her and said she would work on her fear as long as I didnt get her out just yet! Then she asked about the sizing up story.....

To be honest the shows producers would discredit you and make you look silly, just to reinforce their "stars" credibility. And of course anyone who is respected with an opinion that could not easily be challenged would simply not be given the chance. TV shows and their producers only try to get ratings to the wider audience. Being factual or true is of little concern. Best thing would be for a reputable expert challenge what he said publically and offer to "train" Chris Brown. Of course the producers and TV show would ignor such a challenge, and probably most of the mass media, unless it was a rival station that would use it as leverage. So political is the media!! Not that I am an expert, but is sad that this is another example of people being fed rubbish!

 

[Bel03]

My neighbour, for the first time, came in to see my bredli.........i got the same response 'oh yuck, she is going to size you up, strangle you & eat you one day' My reply 'well my children are sometimes yuck, i might let her have them instead!'
I did explain to her that this isnt a true story, & that even at full size & a few feet bigger then me, if Matilda did strangle me, she wouldnt eat me cause i dont taste like rat. She laughed & said ok, but i am still not sure she is convinced, when she left she told me that if ever she gets out to please let her know straight away cause she doesnt want to be eaten in her sleep!

 

[Radar]

Speaking of high profile people spreading myths - I heard Dr Karl a few months ago on a talkback radio science show answer a listeners Q about the pythons x vens hybrid with "I don't see why not, I think overseas people breed pythons together" and then went on to talk about how you can always tell a herper by the 'fact' that they are generally missing fingertips as we all get bitten by vens and the rotten flesh has to be removed....