Well, he we go again. People if you don't want your pet when it grows up, don't buy it at all. If you must get rid of it, have it euthanized . People who just can't don't have the heart to have it killed are the real problem. In some cases it's just plain laziness and/or ignorance. For instance the proverbial kittens off the bridge. But Pythons etc. in the river? Come on. These life forms do so much damage to indigenous fauna and flora it's hard to calculate. I'm thinking better laws and enforcement on bringing these darn things into the country in the first place. Comments? Please...I'd like to hear more from you.

I agree that certain exotic creatures should not be made available as pets; the danger to local ecosystems is too great. I find the numbers quoted (150, 000) difficult to believe, though.

It is my understanding that the Everglades suffers most from pesticide/fertilizer contamination from farms ('reclaimed' Everglade land). Big business interests buy 'experts' to counter the claims of environmentalists as a matter of course. However, Pythons in the Everglades are a big problem and, unfortunately, I don't think there is a lot that can be done about it.

Ckebelly, go to the lnk if you are interested in reading the rest of the article. Clipping only 1000 chars. to be able to share, really makes it hard to get the whole picture. It does discuss eradication efforts.I must agree about the other things you mentioned, but that is private land. Most of this I believe is about the Everglades reserves and Park. Thank you for your fast input. That's the stuff I like.

That's what I tell my grandchildren; there are some animals that make good pets there are others that don't. The don't are snakes, crocodiles, alligators, creatures like that. Basically if you can't cuddle it then it can't be a pet.