I couldn’t resist posting this video, which several readers have sent me. It’s an albino Burmese python, and apparently this isn’t staged. The clip will soon become viral.
According to Business Insider, the python’s name was Julius and, sadly, he died of an infection last year. The owners are quoted as saying this:
Bored of being in a dark room, she flips on the light, opens the door and bails.
This particular episode takes place at 1am.
This is why we keep doors locked with her around. We don’t need her harassing the neighbors.
Ouch, that fall to the floor must’ve stung! Sad the snake is dead now though.
Agreed.
…however, a snake like that has even less of a place in a suburban home than a big cat. It’s just as physically capable of killing and maiming people, but it’s so much more removed from us evolutionarily that it’s much harder for a human to read its emotions (and, presumably, vice-versa).
With a big cat, you can at least read each other pretty well. The human should be able to tell when the cat’s pissed, and the cat should be able to tell that the human isn’t being aggressive. That’ll be a lot harder with a snake.
She sure was a beautiful animal, though….
b&
Forgive my horrible grammar in this..I’m just too tired to keep up with all yall big brains. At one point in my life I had a menagerie of panther chameleons, dwarf monitor lizards, a savannah monitor, tokay geckos, bearded dragon, dumerils boas, brazilian rainbow boas, ball pythons, a hognose snake, a colony of walking stick bugs, madagascar hissing cockroaches, and an adopted grumpy old rose-haired tarantula. What I didn’t have was anything that grew large enough to seriously harm / kill a human (ok..maybe the savannah monitor…but highly unlikely) or anything venemous – as much as gaboon vipers are beautiful..no thank you to having them in my home. I’ve always been fascinated with reptiles and critters. The first time I saw a komodo dragon on Johnny Carson I fell in love. (Carrie Fisher was none too happy however). I was a Barbie & Bug kinda gal lol. Most people do not know how to properly care for large snakes and lizards. Take iguanas – one of the cheapest pets you can buy. But once you invest in an enclosure, UV/heat lighting, humidity, and a very wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies – they are one of the hardest animals to take care of. I think reticulated pythons are a stunning (but can be aggressive) animal. Yet they can rival anacondas for size/weight. These are the show off animals. Usually kept by people that gave the rest of us herp lovers (that does sound awful) bad names. And while it’s tragic any time improper husbandry results in the death of a human or other pet (usually a child), let’s not forget that dogs maim and kill thousands of children a year. I am far more wary to bring my 3yo around dogs than I would ever be around a burmese python (and no, your child should never be alone around any pet). Owning and maintaining reptiles can be a very rewarding hobby. There is nothing cuter than just hatched panther chameleons (Or as Ze Frank would say “Shamaylon”). I think corn snakes can be one of the best first pets a kid can have. It just takes knowledge and compassion. What is my point? TLDR: I don’t know wtf I’m talking about, and snakes rock.
People who want to keep such dangerous animals should have a license, which can only be given if the applicant has had proper training and has installed proper safegaurds in his or her home.
I agree. Dogs should only be in safe, licensed homes.
Yes indeed. Cat owners too. Cats kill more wildlife than snakes ever would and dogs kill and harm more people than snakes do.
The paperwork for exotic animals is mostly concerned with the Endangered Species Act and related legislation. Protecting the humans from harm is only of secondary concern.
There are also a lot of problems with the implementation of such regulation. For example, if you have an artificial pond on your property and some endangered wild frogs take up residence, you better be prepared for some difficult explanations should a Fish & Wildlife official ever learn of the fact. They’ll assume you trapped them in the wild and transported them to your pond, which is a serious no-no.
Worse, if they did show up by themselves, you’d be in just as much trouble if you trapped them and removed them to a wild location. Your safest bet may well be to quietly get a garden-variety pet of some kind that likes to eat frogs and turn it loose in your yard.
The intent of this type of regulation may be noble, but the reality is often a disaster.
b&
The intent of this type of regulation may be noble, but the reality is often a disaster.
I agree with you on this.
The paperwork for exotic animals is mostly concerned with the Endangered Species Act and related legislation. Protecting the humans from harm is only of secondary concern.
Since I live in the Netherlands, I have no experience with this particular set of legislation. We have, of course, similar laws and ditto problems.
That’s what I was thinking too. Wondering if the infection was due to ruptured internal tissue.
Scary…
Hum? “Isn’t staged?” Exactly what do you you mean? Does it mean that you don’t believe things were done like strapping a live mouse to the door handle in an attempt to lure the snake’s to move in that direction? Is that what is meant by “staged?”
My antennae went up when I heard the camera operator gently say, “Good job” when the snake the door fully open and the snake fell. I’m asking myself, why would the camera man offer those words if the animal was not somehow “trained.” I felt the trainer was expecting this and was expressing his joy in the success of the “training” session.
I wish we could have a 13 second view from the other side of the door.
I’ve had snakes escape from much more secure enclosures than a closed door with a handle, so it is definitely possible that this is not staged.
Snakes are escape artists, it’s what they do.
A school friend had some snakes. A teacher asked him to bring one to school once so… we could… draw pictures of it. I have nothing against art and snakes are cool things to draw, but it seems a wasted opportunity. The biology teacher wasn’t interested at all in spending an hour showing us how awesome snakes are.
Anyway, needless to say, the snake escaped, which resulted in me dangling out of an upstairs window to ‘rescue’ it. I daresay the snake knew its business and would have come back to its heat lamp in the fullness of time, but it seemed important to rescue it.
I got detention for unscrewing the screw that prevented the window from opening. Not for dangling out of it with my friend holding my feet and no mitigation for snake-rescue.
I also got told off by the teacher for knowing more about snakes than my snake-owning friend did. Learning was not a priority at my school.
As you can probably tell.
…an excellent story. I’m betting it still gives you a warm fuzzy, just thinking of the heart attacks you caused various teachers and administrators. Sounds like detention was well worth it.
The snake is a female called Julius. The owner writes she’s a rescue snake
Died last year from some sort of infection. Amusing video close ups of her HERE & HERE
Is her husband called Julia?
I wondered if it’s difficult to sex a Burmese python if you’re unsure of the age [I believe females are smaller] hence the naming error
Anyway, it seems Snake marriage does happen!
A rescue snake? Rescued from what? Or does the snake save people from burning buildings or sinking cars or boats?
Well can see infrared, which might be helpful if you want to know if some survivors are buried under a colapsed building. And snakes can move through narrow corridors.
Here in the UK lots of people buy reptiles and can’t take care of them properly. There’s a local organisation that rehomes reptiles that have been given up or abandoned. They tell me that they’ve found iguanas that have been abandoned into the wild. We’re talking North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Nortumberland here: cold places. Reptiles can’t survive here for long.
That is what rescue of a reptile means, I expect: people who leave them in boxes, abandon them into the wild or flush them. And people who rescue them.
I wonder if this is how they celebrated its birthdays:
http://www.essentialkids.com.au/family-life/kids-parties/party-preparation/mother-bakes-snake-cake-for-daughters-birthday-cake-goes-viral-20120814-2474b.html
Beautiful sculpture. Impressed by the detailed head ~ though skull looks half size compared with the coil thickness [judging from photos of same species]
On the evidence of the video, we can’t say the snake opened the door. It could easily have been slung over the door handle by someone in the other room, and its weight would pull the handle down.
What’s a pity!
The user has deleted this video.