Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Bryan Hamilton
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Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

This is going to become an ecological paradigm, taught in introductory biology classes.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... d=tw-share
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WSTREPS
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Opossums, raccoons and deer all but disappeared from Everglades National Park in Florida after the Burmese python invaded. When they vanished, mosquitos turned to feeding on rats that can carry encephalitis.
The link provides further proof of the decay of scientific credibility and educational system's. Garbage in garbage out. This explains Bryan Hamilton.

Now claims that the ravenous pythons have devoured everything to the point that a mosquito cant find a decent meal. LOL. OMG! This study is a direct contradiction to the known facts about the snakes diet.

Thousands of pythons have been dissected and their stomach contents examined. To date the remains of two deer have been found and opossums and raccoons have only made up a small percentage of the snakes diet from the beginning until now. What the study of the snakes stomach contents has shown is the snakes do eat is a lot of rats. So the presents of the snakes has had the exact opposite effect of what the study claims.The snakes have been beneficial in controlling invasive rat populations. Just as they do in other places around the world.

Millions upon millions of funding dollars have been spent researching pythons in Florida. What the actual collected data demonstrates is complete stability, The population of snakes has shown no real growth, no changes in diet and no genuine range expansion. It has been a text book example of an introduced species filling a vacant niche and seamlessly blending into its new environment as if it has always existed there.

Any doubters, here's your chance to shut me up. Produce the complete diet analysis that demonstrates the pythons have changed their diet. GET IT ANYWAY YOU CAN > I double dog dare you. If the snakes have so desperately depleted the numbers of their favorite prey items it would be impossible for a drastic change in diet not to be observed or a drastic reduction in the number of snakes. Research shows nether.

The only noted diet change has been that the snakes consume a few more birds during migration season. This is completely natural considering the number of birds in the snakes range increase's by the millions during this period.

Ernie Eison
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Garbage in garbage out. This explains Bryan Hamilton.
You get me Ernie. You really do. Love to chat more there is garbage to produce.

I'm actually skeptical of this paradigm. Just sharing information. Sorry to have triggered you.
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

Like it or not, indirect effects and disease ecology are driving wildlife management and conservation biology right now. They are important concepts even if you don't agree with some of premises or conclusions.

The wolf example in yellowstone kind of paved the way for some of this work. Indirect effects have been around for a long time but the yellowstone stuff changed the paradigm. The assumption now is that these large predators have major effects on ecosystems. The story is still being written but I find it interesting and compelling.

The news media never lets facts get in the way of a good story.
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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The assumption now is that these large predators have major effects on ecosystems. The story is still being written but I find it interesting and compelling.
The news media never lets facts get in the way of a good story.
Junk science loves and feeds the media just for that reason. Assumption ? There is no assumption implied here. The effect and causes are stated emphatically.
“The best explanation for the rapid decline of most mammals throughout southern Florida is pythons,” Dr. McCleery said. Most of the mammals, he said, are simply gone.
That is a flat out lie. Now its most mammal's ? The only people blaming python's for reductions in mammal populations are the people that are getting python money and idiots that don't know any better. Everyone else says its hydrology issues. What is known but not talked about is...........................

The proof is carefully hidden in the research. The stuff guys like Dr. McCleery don't want making the papers . Once again if the snakes have so desperately depleted the numbers of their alleged favorite prey items. It would be impossible not to observe a drastic change in diet or a drastic reduction in the number of snakes. Something has to give. The snakes ether have to change their diet or die off. Million's of dollar's in research shows nether.

Don't dodge the point. Prove me wrong. The research already exist. If I'm wrong it certainly can be proven. I up the ante to a triple dog dare.

Ernie Eison

Bob the cat happily hunting in one of the best python hot spots. Reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated .
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Dodge what point? You seem to think I have some kind of personal investment in the python work. I don't.

You've chased off all the python researchers that used to come here and explain their research. You've personally attacked anyone that disagrees with you. And most of those folks left. They aren't dodging debate Ernie, they are dodging you! Maybe try to treat people better and they will stay around to visit?

You have some interesting points and experience. But your posts can be so toxic, why would anyone want engage? Or consider your point of view?

I'm glad the bobcat is OK. I wonder what he's eating now that the mammals are all gone? Must be a diet entirely of pythons.
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Dodge what point? You seem to think I have some kind of personal investment in the python work. I don't.
Dodge what point? The point is that once again we have scientist presenting work and making irresponsible headline grabbing statements to the press based on a demonstrable untruth.

Researcher's claim that the pythons have drastically reduced S. Florida mammal populations but years of researching the snakes stomach contents shows no change in the pythons diet from the first snake thru today. These findings would be an impossibility if the snakes have in fact depleted their mammalian food source as drastically as the researchers would love to have everyone believe.

The size and number of snakes captured also remains fairly constant. Again an impossibility if the snakes have wiped out a primary food source. With water and temperature being a given. The two major element's for pythons to successfully inhabit a region are cover and an abundant food source. If the regions small to medium size mammals are a major food source for the pythons. And the snakes have all but exhausted that food source as claimed. In order for the pythons population to remain as heathy as it is, keep in mind that large scale government commercial collection hasn't put a dent in it. A MAJOR spike in other prey items would be seen. Again it is impossible for a population of python's to remain stable without an abundant food source. If the snakes were once gorging themselves on small to medium size mammals and that prey availability has ceased to exist then other prey must be substituted. The research shows this is not the case. The long term consistency of the prey items found in stomach contents indicates that the populations of these prey items has remained stable. How can anyone possibly believe that small to medium sized mammals have disappeared but a claimed estimated population of a hundred thousand pythons can still feed on these mammals as regularly as they did before any such declines.

Ernie Eison

I was happy to remove this snake from the road and release it in a spot where it will hopefully never be found again. I would hate to think of this beautiful animal being brutally mistreated and manhandled before being put to death in the name of junk science.
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Maybe the point is this.

Ernie, you have a personal issue with something that happened with pythons. Maybe the ban? And because of that you try to tear down all science related to pythons, particularly in Florida. Your personal attacks have chased away all the python researchers that might discuss their research on the forum. Its really ugly and unfortunate. If you could play nice, we could have some discussion.

I also don't think you have any deep compassion or love of reptiles. Maybe you do. But you defend the commercial collection and slaughter of all those animals in Nevada and we're supposed to believe that you have some kind of high ground over the Florida python researchers because you let a python go?

I have no interest in debating science with you Ernie. Sorry not sorry.
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Again, only a response that runs from the topic and try's to dissuade peoples attention from the presented facts. I wont get sucked into that kind of nonsense. What ever someone's personal thoughts about me may be is irrelevant. That has nothing to do with the verifiable facts I present.

Once again. Anyone ,

It is impossible for a population of python's to remain stable without an abundant food source.

If the snakes were once gorging themselves on small to medium size mammals and that prey availability has ceased to exist then other prey must be substituted.

The research shows this is not the case.

The long term consistency of the prey items found in stomach contents indicates that the populations of these prey items has remained stable.

How can anyone possibly believe that small to medium sized mammals have disappeared but a claimed estimated population of a hundred thousand pythons can still feed on these mammals as regularly as they did before any such declines.

Produce the research that shows otherwise. I double dog dare you.

Ernie Eison
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

How does any of this relate to disease transmission of mosquitoes? And why aren't those mosquitoes feeding on pythons, if the mammals are all gone and the pythons are so abundant?

Answer that and perhaps you will find answers to your questions. Remember that those who seek are not always lost.
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Its hard for me to find credibility in an absolute, unilateral bent expressed in all python topics. Same as Hoyer and the recently explained by omission preoccupation with all of Nevada's free product.

Im tired of politics and want to see some lithographs of snake anatomy. Or esoteric behavioral studies I dont even care of what type of herp.
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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A>How does any of this relate to disease transmission of mosquitoes?

Answer A> It relates to disease transmission of mosquitoes as it applies to the allegations made in the paper that is the subject of this topic. The papers authors claim humans could be at greater risk of disease transmission from mosquitoes because Opossums, raccoons and deer have all but disappeared due to python predation. This is demonstrably an impossibility as proven by the verifiable facts I presented. Read my previous post. I'm not asking anyone to take my word for it. If anyone doubts what I posted then do your homework and provide the research numbers that prove otherwise. Its as simple as that. Get the records for the snakes collected in 5 yr intervals 2007, 2012, 2017. All the vital statistic's for the numbers collected, avg. size and weight and most importantly what they are feeding on. Instead of trolling my post do something productive, informative. The numbers don't lie and what they show is consistency. This an impossibility if its believed that Opossums, raccoons and deer have all but disappeared due to python predation.


The scientist are all making claims that the pythons have wiped out S. Florida mammal populations. But they never say anything about what the pythons are feeding on if the mammal's are all gone as they claim. And nobody ever ask. Why not ? And if asked how many of these scientist could give you the right answer? Maybe Frank Mazzotti, but the rest have no clue. None of these scientist take the time to do the basic background research needed to have the proper foundation. They just repeat what they have heard. All that goes on is bad work being piled on top of bad work. This paper is another clear example. They just grab the hot headline and apply for research grants to do study's that support the hot topic of the moment. Remember 5 min. ago when all the researcher's were screaming about how python's would spread North and across the nation. After spending millions of dollars and not another penny to be had, you don't hear a peep about that anymore. Now its all about mammal devastation, and once again its a farce. Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me. Learn the facts.

For more on the topic, http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/vie ... 13&t=24541

Ernie Eison
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

You have some interesting and testable hypotheses Ernie. Have you considered reaching out to Frank Mazzotti about a paper? It seems like a great study and one several scientists would be interested in exploring.
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Kelly Mc
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

Post by Kelly Mc »

chirp....... chirp........chirp...
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WSTREPS
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

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Have you considered reaching out to Frank Mazzotti about a paper? It seems like a great study and one several scientists would be interested in exploring.
Absolutely I have reached out not only to Mazzotti but to others as well. What I say I do not say lightly or without a well heeled knowledge.

Like a bad lip syncing performer gets the applause of many. Its the image of that one person smirking in the front row that sees them for the talentless fraud they really are that both worries and stays with them.

Ernie Eison
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

Post by Kelly Mc »

What does reached out mean?

It took you 5 days to respond with that? Arent you the Proof Guy?

And if Im your Milli Vanilli why cant you just address me?

To be rigorously honest I shouldnt have wrote chirp..chirp but when I trip on a character flaw - as I have - I dont delete it. I stand accountable to it, its the least I can do.

You must know you make it hard to not poke the bear.

Very few applaud me here Ernie. Im even more of an outcast, than you.
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Bryan Hamilton
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Re: Pet Snakes Set off Chain of Events: Could make you sick

Post by Bryan Hamilton »

wrong post
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