The men fighting Florida’s python epidemic • Hacker News Board

Re: The men fighting Florida’s python epidemic

#91

Post by dreamcompiler » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 12:28 AM UTC

bigger_cheese wrote: post #58

efiecho wrote: post #51

To you that live in parts of the world that have snakes, do they affect you in any way? There are no snakes where I live, and I'm extremely uncomfortable just thinking about the possibility of one entering your home or seeing one. Imagine cleaning your garage and finding a snake curled up behind some stuff, the state of terror I would be in is out of this world.

There's Snakes where I live (Australia). You just kind of normalize them - don't really give them much thought. Growing up I was always told "Snakes are more afraid of you then you are of them" and "Snakes are only hostile if you provoke them." You hear stories from time to time about people's dogs being attacked by snakes but never really a concern. I've had lizards wander into my house (occasionally on the larger s…

In the USA, redbacks are called black widows and they are quite docile. Some people handle them routinely without getting bitten. I prefer not to do that, but when I find one in my garage I just move it away from the house.

Re: The men fighting Florida’s python epidemic

#92

Post by Pharmakon » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 12:30 AM UTC

lostapathy wrote: post #68

sehugg wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Copperheads are bad, especially since many other species look like them. They can put you in the hospital. Avoid the triangle head.

The danger of copperheads is greatly overstated. Yes, they are venomous and will bite, but they are very rarely fatal to humans.

I wish that I could remember where I read this, but I recall that a majority of venemous snake bites in the U.S. were on the hand or lower arm, and/or involved alcohol. The implication was that a lot of the time people try to handle the things, especially while drunk.

This seems to reference a similar stat: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile-News/2008/07/07/Veno...

Re: The men fighting Florida’s python epidemic

#93

Post by dreamcompiler » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 12:30 AM UTC

abrookewood wrote: post #74

bigger_cheese wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's Snakes where I live (Australia). You just kind of normalize them - don't really give them much thought. Growing up I was always told "Snakes are more afraid of you then you are of them" and "Snakes are only hostile if you provoke them." You hear stories from time to time about people's dogs being attacked by snakes but never really a concern. I've had lizards wander into my house (occasionally on the larger s…

I'm not sure why you are worried about redbacks - no one has died from them in decades if I recall correctly and I don't think hospitals even bother with anti-venom anymore. Besides which, they are slow moving, docile and fairly easy to spot. I think they only time they represent a threat is if you accidentally touched one by picking up rocks etc. The funnel web on the other hand, is a nasty piece of work ...

Nobody has died from a funnel web since the antivenin was introduced many years ago. Still, I'd prefer to keep my distance from them while in Australia.

Re: The men fighting Florida’s python epidemic

#94

Post by vram22 » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 2:25 PM UTC

chowells wrote: post #64

vram22 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about rattlesnakes? I thought there are plenty of them, especially in the Western US. Kraits can be deadly in India. I've read that sometimes you cannot even feel their bite, but their venom can kill you. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_krait The article reminded me of Romulus Whitaker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_Whitaker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai_Snake_Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wi…

There are rattlesnakes everywhere in areas I've lived all my life. I've never seen a live one. They do not seek human interaction. About the only way you'll get bitten by one is if you reach into a hole one is trying to sleep in such that it can't get away and thinks you're threatening it.

Interesting, thought differently earlier. Good to know.

Re: The men fighting Florida’s python epidemic

#95

Post by ecocentrik » Tue, Feb 19, 2019, 10:13 PM UTC

dondawest wrote: post #85

noahA wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with the direction of your idea but I don’t think it applies here. Invasive species are a major cause of loss of biodiversity. Typically, habitats change over a much larger timescale. If you introduce a species that’s suited for a habitat and it has no natural predators, you’re going to end up losing a lot of biodiversity as a result. Why is biodiversity important? Biodiversity gives us new opportunities for…

If you apply this same logic to humans, don’t you wind up with a xenophobic perspective? This seems like an alt-right manifesto but applied to animals not humans.

If you don't see the difference between animal control and xenophobic practices of population control, please seek psychological help.