Written by PETA
Fancy a bout of the runs, severe fever, septicemia, or perhaps meningitis? Then head on out and get yourself a snake or other reptile as a pet. According to a recent report, hundreds of people were exposed to salmonella bacteria from dead mice they were feeding to their reptiles—but that's just the tip of the iceberg. For years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been sounding the alarm about contact with reptiles because every year tens of thousands of people in the U.S. contract salmonellosis—a serious bug that can land you in the hospital … or worse—as a result of direct or indirect contact with reptiles. In the last year, there have been two other reptile-related salmonella outbreaks, one tied to the sale of pet turtles and the other to the sale of African dwarf frogs.
Should pet stores give away a free hospital stay with each reptile they sell? You tell us. Meanwhile, please help stop the wobbly stomach blues (not to mention the blues that every snake and lizard who's stuck in an aquarium must experience) by adding your support to the proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ban the sale of nine species of snake.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
RESEARCH BEFORE YOU COMMENT. Snakes will get agoraphobic if they are allowed too much space...that's why in the wild they spend the majority of their time in dens or hiding.
You know what else carries salmonella?? Just about any animal. Again, if people actually washed their hands, it would be fine. It's not the snake's fault. Btw, they need to eat mice. I'm a vegetarian, but snakes CANNOT survive on plant material. Sorry, it's just not possible, and they need mice. Nadine, killing the mouse by swinging him/her into a tabletop is not cruel at all. It kills the mouse within an instant, snake people aren't mean.
Having a snake in an aquarium that is too big really stresses them out, and they won't even eat. Most snakes like exploring and tolerate handling. They can make really good pets.
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