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Large Constrictor Snake Attacks
Seventeen people have died from constrictor snake related incidents in the United States since 1978, including
one person who suffered a heart attack during a violent struggle with his python and a woman who died from a
Salmonella infection. Four babies sleeping in their cribs, as well as three other children have been squeezed to
death by large constrictor snakes. Scores of adults and children have been injured during attacks by these deadly
predators.Youngsters have been attacked while playing in their yards, compressed to the point of
unconsciousness, nearly blinded when bitten in the face, and suffered numerous other painful,traumatic, and
disfiguring injuries. Unsuspecting people have been attacked by someone else's escaped or released constrictor
snake while tending to their gardens, making lemonade in their kitchens, sleeping in their beds,or protecting
children and pets playing in their yards.The snakes are victims,too—some have been sprayed with fire
extinguishers, shocked with stun guns, or crudely decapitated with meat cleavers, hacksaws,or axes in a
desperate effort to stop attacks. Following is a partial list of dangerous incidents involving constrictor snakes.
"The baby's dead. July 16,2012/Plymouth,Massachusetts:A 9 to 12-foot escaped pet python who had
been loose for two days emerged from some bushes and bit a man on the leg as he
Our stupid snake got was climbing into his minivan with his wife and 3-year-old child.The python would
not let go until the man stepped on the snake's neck and pulled his leg away. He was
out in the middle of treated at a hospital. Police cordoned off the area while animal control officers
the night and removed the snake.The snake was returned to the owner after he paid a$100
fine.1,2
strangled the baby."
July 12,2012/Caruthersville, Missouri:A man reaching into his garden to pick what
Florida man in a he thought was a cucumber instead found a 6 to 7-foot albino python. He hit the
frantic 911 call after snake with a hoe when the python began to bite at him and chased him. Police came
finding the family's and picked up the snake.The python belonged to a neighbor who had several other
pet Burmese python constrictor snakes and alligators.A 7 to 8-foot boa constrictor escaped at the same
killed his girlfriend's time and remained on the loose.
2-year-old daughter as June 5,2012/Colorado Springs,Colorado:A snake exhibitor went to the emergency
she slept in her crib room after he was bitten in the face by his 18-foot tiger reticulated python—just days
after the snake had been used for a presentation at an elementary school.The bite
measured nine inches from the top of the man's nose to the bottom of his throat,
caused profuse bleeding,and missed his eye by one-half inch.4
Ctsnstrictor snakes a� ,
animalswha prefart May 28,2012/13ayonne,New Jersey:A man was taken by ambulance to a medical
z undisturbed in the tur center after he was bitten on the arm by his 6-foot boa constrictors
i The average petyawnelhn ' March 15,2012/13ridgewater,Massachusetts:A 6-foot,65-pound albino Burmese
provide the,,,,slaeclai,xi card python attacked a pet shop employee,swallowing his hand and coiling around his
needed to rrihumah and, _ arm. It took several paramedics to get the snake to unlock his grip.The man was
im ina humane and
Kealthy manner treated at a nearby hospita1.6
Man 77
pet snakes suffer from
February 13,2012/Bozeman,Montana: Police wrangled a loose boa constrictor after
icon,dehydration,.
a resident reported being bitten by a snake she kept in her apartment.
r; des,respiratory
s,riuth rat;and July 26,2011/Guadalupe County,Texas:A 48-year-old experienced wildlife
p s of neglect.
rehabilitator was attacked in her kitchen by a 14-foot boa constrictor as she reached
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sentenced to 12 years in prison.
rid of it ... It's too
January 21,2009/Las Vegas,Nevada:A 3-year-old boy was bitten and squeezed to
late now." the point of unconsciousness by an 18-foot reticulated python that the family was
taking care of for a friend. It took six police officers,an animal control officer and the
Heartbroken mother mother,who stabbed the snake with a kitchen knife,to free the child.The child had
of a New York "light brown stuff'coming from his mouth and his face turned blue.As the mother
teenager killed by his began CPR,the injured snake then wrapped around her waist.The toddler was
pet Burmese python hospitalized over night.The snake had been in the home for four to six weeks and
had somehow gotten loose.The snake was euthanized.The parents were charged
with felony child abuse and ultimately entered a plea deal for a misdemeanor
charge.23,24,25
October 21,2008/Virginia Beach,Virginia:A 25-year-old woman was strangled to
death by her 13-foot pet reticulated python,apparently when she was attempting to
administer medication to the anima1.26
August 30,2008/11-as Vegas,Nevada:A 13-year-old girl visiting her father was
attacked by a pet Burmese python while she was sleeping in a bed. Responding to
the commotion, her father and uncle were unable to uncoil the snake.They
decapitated the approximately 15-foot snake with a butcher knife to rescue the girl .
The teenager was hospitalized overnight with bruised ribs and a swollen abdomen.
The snake reportedly escaped from a large tank with locks.The same day,a student
zookeeper in Venezuela was crushed to death by a Burmese python.z7,za
July 31,2008/Melbourne,Florida:A Brevard Zoo camp counselor was treated at a
hospital after being bitten on the neck by a 5-foot, 14-pound boa constrictor while
exhibiting the snake to a group of children.21
July 16,2008/Gorham,Maine:A woman found an 8-foot reticulated python amongst
the clothes inside of her washing machine.The woman called a local animal trapper
who was attacked by the snake before wrestling it into a plastic bag and transporting
it to a local zoo.3o
April 17,2008/Eugene,Oregon:A female employee at a pet store was attacked by a
12-foot Burmese python when the snake bit her hand and coiled around her arm. It
took several emergency responders to pry the snake's jaws open and unwrap the
snake.The snake lunged and tried to bite a police sergeant as he was returning the
snake to a cage."
September 7,2007/Deland,Florida:An animal control officer suffered painful bite
wounds on the back of the hand and on the finger after he was bitten twice by a 5-
foot boa constrictor.The snake,believed to be a released or escaped pet,was being
removed from underneath a woman's car where he had wrapped himself around coil
springs in the wheel wel1.32
April 3,2007/Miami,Florida:A 3-year-old boy was bitten in the face by a 6-foot boa
constrictor when posing with the snake for a photograph at a theme park,and was
taken to a hospital for treatment.33
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"Another 2 July 21,2004/Overland Park,Kansas:A teenager was showing off the family's 15-
foot, 140-pound pet python when the animal coiled around his arm and began to
millimeters lower squeeze,turning the boy's arm blue.The snake bit the teen and his mother,and they
called 911. Emergency crews used a fire extinguisher to get the snake to loosen his
and I think (the 46
grip.
fang) would have July 7,2004/Terre Haute,Indiana:A 15-year-old girl was treated for a wound after
gone into his eye
she was bit by her neighbor's pet python.The neighbor,who had purchased the
snake at a pet shop,admitted that he had also previously been bit by the snake.47
and blinded him. July 5,2004/Mandeville,Louisiana:A man was bitten on the finger while trying to
That thing must capture his neighbor's 16-foot Burmese python.The snake was on t4hse loose for
several days and this was the second time the animal had escaped.
have grabbed his April 3,2004/Boston,Massachusetts:A 7-foot pet Burmese python attacked a 43-
whole face. There Year-old woman in her apartment. Her teenage son called police and they found the
woman on her knees with the snake"clamped onto her left arm and the other end in
were puncture marks a stranglehold on her leg." Rescuers pried the snake off of her and took her to the
all over his face." hospital.49
March 31,2004/Fort Pierce,Florida:A woman filed a$15,000 lawsuit after she was
A cosmetic surgeon bitten by a man's red-tailed boa constrictor while cleaning the snake's cage.The suit
who operated on a 10-
p alleges the snake attacked and bit her about her arm hand and body,"causing
g Y, g
year-old New Jersey disfigurement and mental anguish.so
boy who was bitten on July 16,2003/Mansfield,Texas:A 15-foot Burmese python escaped after biting a 14-
the face by his year-old caretaker on the hand.The snake was recaptured ten days later.sl
brother's African rock
June 9,2003/Brevard County,Florida:A 13-foot,80-pound Burmese python escaped
python from a home.The mother of the snake's owner found the snake in the yard wrapped
around her 3-year-old Mountain Feist dog.She was able to free the dog,but the
snake then wrapped around her leg. Rescue workers freed her and returned the
snake to his cage.SZ
April 8,2003/Washington, District of Columbia:A woman surrendered her Burmese
python to animal control after the snake bit a friend believed to be HIV-positive.53
December 2,2002/Marina,California:A female student was bitten on the finger by a
3-foot boa constrictor kept in the middle school classroom.54
October 8,2002/Bradenton,Florida:A 9-foot reticulated python,believed to be a
released or escaped pet, bit a man who was trying to protect his pet ducks from the
snake who had entered his property. Paramedics treated the man at the scene for
cuts to his wrist.55
September 28,2002/East Lake,Alabama:A 34-year-old required medical attention
after being bitten on the leg by a boa constrictor.56
August 28,2002/New York City,New York:A 22-year-old woman staying at a
Queens motel was bitten on the hand by her 9-foot albino Burmese python.Police
rushed to the scene after receiving an emergency call from the hotel clerk.The
Celebrating Animals I Confronting Cruelty
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"If she would have to attack him.The snake was turned over to the state agriculture department.69
December 10,1999/Woodlawn,Alabama:A woman required medical attention
gotten around my after being bitten on both hands by a python.70
neck, I would not be September 27,1999/Oklahoma City,Oklahoma: Parents and their 8-year-old son
alive right now." returned home to find a reticulated python,apparently left behind by a previous
tenant,coiled around the family dog.The dog was dead.The python struck at the
Nebraska man after father as he attempted to uncoil the snake from the dog's remains.A nature center
paramedics freed him picked up the snake and determined the animal was emaciated.The incident caused
from a 20-minute the mother to seek treatment for panic disorder.71
struggle with his pet August 29,1999/Centralia,Illinois:A couple's 1-year-old,7%2-foot African rock
python python escaped from an enclosure and killed their 3-year-old son while he was
sleeping.They had obtained the snake three months earlier.72
August 4,1999/Leesburg,Florida:An 18-month-old boy who was playing on his patio
was bitten on the face and nearly squeezed to death by his father's 13-foot,80-
pound Burmese python.The boy's upper and lower eyelids were pulled off of the
facial bone and the snake's teeth punctured his scalp to the skull.The boy's father
was bitten several times trying to rescue his child.The boy underwent two hours of
surgery to reattach his eyelids and was expected to face reconstructive surgery and
some scarring.The snake was euthanized.73,74
July 18,1999/Gaithersburg,Maryland:A woman investigated after hearing the
family's 20-pound dog yelping in the backyard and found the dog being attacked by a
12-foot snake described as either a boa constrictor or Burmese python. During the
15-minute struggle,family members tried pulling the snake off the dog with their
hands and hitting the snake with a leash,surfboard,and shovel.The snake lunged at
them while still gripping the dog.After being struck with a shovel about 30 times,the
snake finally released the dog who was limp, bleeding,and not breathing, but later
revived and was rushed to a veterinary clinic.A neighbor shot and killed the snake.75
June 17, 1999/Albany,New York:A police officer was bitten by a boa constrictor
while assisting an animal control officer in removing the snake from an apartment.
The snake had been abandoned by a tenant.76
October 17,1998/Putnam,Connecticut:A 19-foot, 260-pound Burmese python
ripped a toilet out of the floor and then attacked a 27-year-old,200-pound man,
pinning him to the floor,coiling around his body and chest,and swallowing his arm. It
took three police officers to rescue the man,who was rushed by ambulance to a
nearby hospital with 35 punctures and slash wounds from his thumb to forearm.The
victim stated, "It hurt like a vise.When the teeth were going into my bone, I could
feel it."Authorities killed the python.''
June 5, 1998/Darien,Illinois:A DuPage County Forest Preserve police officer recalled
an incident during his five years on the force when he was bitten while capturing a 7-
foot python who children had released at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve.'$
April 28,1998/New York City,New York:A freshman at a Manhattan high school
Celebrating Animals I Confronting Cruelty
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August 11,1996/1-incoln,Nebraska:A 24-year-old man was attacked by his 12-foot,
die, sweetie. 50-pound pet Burmese python.The snake was loose in his bedroom and lunged at his
Momma's not gonna neck, bit him twice on the wrist,and cut off circulation when he coiled tightly around
his arm.The man used his free hand to call 911 and paramedics helped uncoil the
let you die." snake.The man was treated at a hospital and planned to euthanize the snake.90
California mother June 18,1996/Williamstown,New York:A 2-year-old girl was treated at a hospital
reassuring her 10-year- after she was attacked by her father's 10-foot reticulated python.The snake coiled
old son during a around the girl's neck and swallowed her forearm. Police shot and killed the snake.91
python attack while on August 25, 1995/Madison,Wisconsin:A 13-year-old,8-foot,45-pound pet python
a frantic 911 call lunged at a man's face who was holding the snake while her cage was being cleaned.
It took five to six people to release the snake's jaws from the man's nose.The man
was treated at a hospital and he was scheduled to meet with a plastic surgeon.92
May 12,1995/Oceanside,New York:A 7-year-old student was bitten on the finger
by a 5-foot boa constrictor as the teacher held the snake for a photograph with a
group of students.The girl developed an infection and suffered nightmares from the
attack. Her parents filed a lawsuit against the school and the teacher.The teacher
admitted the snake had once bit him in the face.A State Supreme Court Justice found
that the school district and teacher were negligent in failing to prevent the snake
from harming others.93
November 4,1994/Indianapolis,Indiana:A 13-foot,30-pound python bit a 4-year-
old boy on the leg and coiled around his chest and legs,cutting off circulation,while
the boy was playing in his basement. Five men were unable to pull the snake off the
boy,so rescuers chopped off the snake's head with an axe.The boy was treated at a
hospital.11,95,91
September 17,1994/Conshohocken,Pennsylvania:A snake,described by police as a
10-foot boa constrictor, nearly killed a 4-year-old girl as she was playing in her
backyard with friends.The snake ambushed the girl from behind some tall grass,
biting her buttocks and constricting her until she turned blue and was unable to talk.
Two neighbors wrestled the snake off of the girl and put the snake in a trash can until
police arrived.The girl was treated at a hospital.The snake belonged to neighbor
who kept the reptile in his car.97'98
May 9,1994/Hartford,Connecticut:A 20-year-old woman was attacked by her
boyfriend's 12-foot,50-pound Burmese python.One of her two young children ran to
a neighbor in the apartment building for help.When emergency responders arrived,
they found her crouched on the floor with the snake wrapped around both her arms
up to the shoulder. Rescuers spent 20 minutes prying the snake off of her and took
her to the hospital.99
July 20,1993/Commerce City,Colorado:A 15-year-old was killed by his brother's
11Y2-foot pet Burmese python. He had snake bites on his body,and an autopsy found
he was suffocated.The 8-year-old snake had been a family pet since she was only a
foot long.loo
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THE HUMANE SOCIETY
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November 8,1980/Dallas,Texas:A 7-month-old girl was killed by her father's 8-foot
pet reticulated python.The child died of asphyxiation and her head was covered with
dozens of needle-like tooth marks.The snake had forced his way out of a covered 30-
gallon aquarium and crawled into the baby's crib.The medical examiner reported it
may have taken as long as 5 minutes for the baby to die from"traumatic
asphyxiation."116
September 19,1978/Florence,Kentucky:A 33-year-old reptile collector was
strangled to death by one of three reticulated pythons, measuring 12, 14,and 16-
feet, he kept in his basement. He was found by his wife lying on the steps with a
snake wrapped around his neck.117
1 Steve Adams,"Missing Plymouth python captured after biting neighbor,"Patriot Ledger,July 17,2012.
2 Josh Brogadir,"Python caught,returned to Plymouth,Mass.Owner,"NECN,July 17,2012.
3 Christy Hendricks and Christy Millweard,"Caruthersville man finds python in garden,"KFVS,July 12,2012.
4"Thread:Bite Report-18ft Tiger Retic Python,"Accessed June 27,2012<http://milehighbugclub.com/forum/showthread.php/3889-Bite-Report-18ft-Tiger-
Retic-Python>,June 6,2012.
5 Charles Hack,"Bayonne man bitten by pet boa constrictor,"Jersey Journal,May 29,2012.
6 Amy Carboneau,"Bridgewater python bites hand of worker feeding it,"The Taunton Gazette,March 15,2012.
7"Police Reports,"Bozeman Daily Chronicle,February 18,2012.
a Isis Romero,"Woman Attacked By Boa Constrictor;Wildlife Rehabilitator Cared For Snake For 8 Years,"KSAT.com,July 28,2011.
9 Pierre Bertrand,"Guadalupe County woman battles 14-foot snake;They thought they killed snake,but it ends up in surgery,"San Antonio Express-News,
July 28,2011.
10"Python bites,drags Opelousas yard man,"Daily World,May 1,2011.
11 Kevin Murphy,"Kansas woman freed from jaws of python by policeman,"Reuters,April 15,2011.
12"Giant Python Bites Boy At Halloween Party,"KCRA,November 5,2010.
13 James Phillips,"Aggressive snake missing in Sumiton,"Daily Mountain Eagle,September 7,2010.
14"Sumiton woman says she was attacked by a Python,"myfoxal.com,September 7,2010.
15 Ana Jasen,"Aggressive'python-like'snake on the loose in Sumiton,"ABC 33/40,September 7,2010.
16 Lamaur Stancil,"Sebastian woman hospitalized after'pet'python bites her,"tcpalm.com, August 28,2010.
17 Chris Schilling,"Pet boa constrictor bites Hope baby,"The Republic,June 28,2010.
is Kevin Cole and Andrew J.Nelson,"Deadly snake attack called rare,"Omaha World-Herold,June 10,2010.
19"Albino Python Bites Construction Worker in Panama City,"WJHG,October 23,2009.
20"Burmese Python Kills Young Girl In Sumter County,"wftv.com,July 1,2009.
21 Leonora LaPeter Anton,"In python trial,mom testifies she warned that the snake could harm her granddaughter,"Tampa Bay Times,July 13,2011.
22 Jessica Hopper,"Florida Couple Sentenced to 12 Years in Python Strangling of Daughter,"ABC News,August 24,2011.
23 Mary Manning,"In Las Vegas,python vs.angry mom with a knife,"Las Vegas Sun,January 22,2009.
24 Lawrence Mower,"Parents charged in python attack on 3-year-old son,"Las Vegas Review-Journal,February 11,2009.
25 Cara McCoy,"Parents of boy attacked by python to enter plea,"Las Vegas Sun,March 12,2009.
26 Shawn Day,"Pet python blamed in Virginia Beach woman's strangulation,"The Virginian-Pilot,October 24,2008.
27"Local girl recovering after being attacked by her own pet,"KVBC,September 1,2008.
28 Greg Jordan,"Local teen shares her horrific story of python attack,"Bluefield Daily Telegraph,October 11,2009.
29 James Dean,"5-foot boa bites Brevard Zoo worker,"Florida Today,August 1,2008.
30"Woman finds python in her washer,"Associated Press,July 17,2008.
31"Sergeant Wrestles Snake,Rescues Woman;Victim Asks Rescuers Not To Harm Burmese Python,Police Say,"KRDO.com,April 18,2008.
32"Officer Bitten by Boa in Woman's Car,"Associated Press,September 11,2007.
33 Kathleen McGrory,"MIAMI SEAQUARIUM:Boy OK after boa's bite on the nose in Seaquarium photo-op,"Miami Herald,April 3,2007.
34"Lynn teen gets snake scare,"WHDH-TV 7NEWS,January 12,2007.
35 Robin Stein,"Back at work,mingling with danger,"St.Petersburg Times,January 21,2007.
36"Man Strangled By Pet Python,"WCPO,December 16,2006.
37 Robert N.Reed and Gordon H.Rodda,"Giant Constrictors:Biological and Management Profiles and an Establishment Risk Assessment for Nine Large
Species of Pythons,Anacondas,and the Boa Constrictor,"U.S.Geological Survey Open-File Report 2009-1202,p.173.
38"SNAKES ON...AN ARM,"Lexington Herald-Leader,December 8,2006.
39 Jo Ann Spieth-Saylor,"Zanesville man killed by pet python,"The Corydon Democrat,September 5,2006.
40"Python's attack was'scarier than childbirth',"Cincinnati Enquirer,August 31,2006.
41"St.Rose student attacked by snake,"Asbury Park Press,June 8,2006.
42 Freda R.Savana,"Police still on python patrol,"The Intelligencer,August 21,2005.
Celebrating Animals Confronting Cruelty
s ^ ,Y THE HUMANE SOCIETY
OF THE UNITED STATES ZlliO L Street,NbV asi�ington,DC 20037
N r A14«e Y ' r 0 f t 202,452,1100 f 202.778,6132 humanesocretyorg
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99 Colin Poitras,"12-FOOT PET PYTHON ATTACKS WOMAN,"Hartford Courant,May 10,1994.
100"Python strangles 15-year-old,"The Tuscaloosa News(AP),July 21,1993.
101 Ray Alexander Smith and Kim Chatelain,"PYTHON SQUEEZED ITS OWNER TO DEATH,"The Times-Picayune,May 18,1993.
10'"Coroner says snake collector died while wrestling his python,"The Advocate,May 20,1993.
103 Ray Alexander Smith,"PYTHON WON'T BE KILLED,"The Times-Picayune,June 10,1993.
104"PYTHON ATTACKS OWNER,"Newsday,January 23,1992.
105 K.Holguin,"Boy Rescued From Python,"Los Angeles Times,June 24,1991.
106 Jonathan Eig,"Python attacks worker:Plano school snake injures caretaker,"Dallas Morning News,July 24,1990.
107 Jonathan Eig,"Python mistook woman for food,school officials say,"Dallas Morning News,July 25,1990.
10'"Man Hospitalized After Python Attack,"Associated Press,July 2,1989
109"On the Light Side,"Associated Press,January 20,1987.
110"Pet Python Attacks Keeper,"Associated Press,April 7,1986.
11i"Python Kills Baby in Crib,"New York Times,August 7,1984.
112"Witness:Python was nearly starved when it killed baby,"The Telegraph-Herald,October 25,1984.
113"Autopsy report of child killed by python shows'numerous'bites,asphyxiation,"The Daily Reporter(AP),August 8,1984.
114"Owner crushed by python,"Spokane Chronicle(AP),April 28,1983.
115 McCarty,V.0.,Cox,R.A.,and Haglund,B.,"Death Caused by a Constricting Snake--An Infant Death,"Journal of Forensic Sciences,JFSCA,Vol.34,No.1,
Jan.1989,pp.239-243.
116"7-month-old girl suffocated by 8-foot pet python,police say,"The Evening Independent(AP),November 10,1980.
117"Python kills collector,"The Bryan Times,September 21,1978.
a t THE HUMANE SOCI TY Celebrating Animi)S Confronting Cruelty
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Fw:4630 Twain Street
lef'f11 Benson Emily Burton 07/09/2014 10:33 AM
This message has been forwarded.
-----Forwarded by Jeff D Benson/COA on 07/09/2014 10:33 AM-----
From: Kendra Mosman<primepropertiesiowa@gmail.com>
To: jbenson@city.ames.ia.us
Date: 07/08/2014 09:42 PM
Skibject: 4630 Twain Street
Dear Mr. Benson:
I would like to voice my concern about a reptile breeding and sales business taking place at
4630 Twain Street. My husband and I own the properties 4634 and 4636 on Twain Street.
They are rental properties of ours and we have two great families living there as our
tenants. A reptile and breeding and sales business raises many concerns.
We purchased these two properties in 2008. We put a lot of work into them and pride
ourselves in providing quality rentals to great tenants. It's a great neighborhood where a
lot of people desire to live. With that being said,it's very concerning that there is a
potential that a reptile breeding and sales business comprised of dangerous and deadly
snakes could be right next to our twin homes.This would hurt the integrity of our
property's neighborhood. A business of this sort could cause ill effects on us finding
renters for our twin homes and therefore result in loss of rent. We purchased these
properties in a residential neighborhood with never envisioning a commercial reptile
business being located next door.
Also,very importantly this effects the happiness of our current renters. One family has
already voiced their concerns about living next to this business. It is unsettling to them
that they are living next to a large number of dangerous snakes and urged us that we take
action. Lately they have been scared while living in their twin home in fear that a snake
may get loose. They should be comfortable with letting fresh air into their home by
opening their windows. People in this neighborhood should not be fearful of letting their
children or grandchildren play in their yard or while mowing and gardening.
Safety is another concern. Constricting snakes have killed and seriously injured humans
and pets by escaping from their cages. Having many life threatening snakes living in your
neighborhood is a safety concern,plain and simple. Although this may not be a zoning
decision,the city should have proper codes that limit the number of dangerous snakes in a
household including a maximum size.
This business will only get bigger. The six snakes longer than 6 feet in length that are listed
in the report dated July 3rd to the Zoning Board can reproduce many more snakes.
Burmese pythons can lay as many as 100 eggs at a time. Boa constrictors can have up to 60
babies in a hatch. A reticulated python can lay in excess of 100 eggs at a time.An African
rock python can also lay up to 100 eggs. An amethystine python can lay 20 eggs at a time.
An anaconda can give birth to as many 150 baby snakes at one time. How is one person
going to handle a business that as the ability to grow this large? How can someone account
for all of these snakes and how often are they doing so? Are there enough checks and
balances in place to keep the residents of this neighborhood safe?
All of these concerns are upsetting to us. A business of this sort running out of a residential
neighborhood would be a poor and inaccurate reflection of the Ames Community. It is
clearly not a fit. The city has always done a good job regulating nuisances,protecting the
safety and maintaining the goodwill of its residents. What is taking place at this twin home
is not in congruence with the reputation of Ames.
We would ask that a Special Home Occupation permit not be passed for a reptile breeding
and sales business at 4630 Twain Street.
Thank you for a taking our concerns into consideration.
Kendra Mosman
Property Manager
Prime Properties of Iowa
Fw:4630-Twain Street-Reptile breeding
Jeff 1) enson ;__: Emily Burton 07/09/2014 10:32 AM
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-----Forn=arded by Jeff D Benson/COA on 07/09/2014 10:32 AM-----
From; Manilal William<mwilliam123@gmail.com>
To: jbenson@city.ames.ia.us
Date: 07/09/2014 04:56 AM
Subject: 4630-Twain Street-Reptile breeding
To the attention of Jeff Benson,
With reference to your letter about allowing reptile breeding at 4630 Twain Street,we
strongly oppose giving permission to the business.
This area is a dense residential area with quite a few twin houses. It was just last year that
in Canada,a python escaped from a cage,crawled through a vent,got into another room
where two small boys were sleeping and killed both of them. It was in recent news that in
Florida a pet python escaped,went in to the toilet of a neighbor's house and was sitting
there when the owner opened the door. There is also a school near by and a lot of children
in this neighborhood in Twain St. We respect the right of the person requesting permission
and with all due respect to him,would like to recommend that he moves to a farm house in
a rural setting and carry on his business without causing potential harm and anxiety to the
neighbors.
In my opinion,the city does not even have to request opinion from neighbors to deny
permission to these type of requests. It should be obvious to the city officials that this type
of activity in densely populated areas is dangerous,puts everyone in danger and make
people anxious about their safety.
Manilal William and Vijitha Silva
4619 Twain St
July 7, 2014
To: City of Ames Zoning Board of Adjustment
Pertaining to Agenda for July 9, 2014
Re: Public notice regarding zoning board adjustment for
4630 Twain Street
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am not available to attend the meeting on July 91h regarding the above permit application. I
have concerns and am a home owner who lives very close to the property that has requested a
permit for reptile breeding.
I am especially against allowing this business if it is for snakes. Our neighborhood is densely
populated and if the snakes accidently escape during breeding or at the time of purchase there is
a possibility that they may enter other properties through vents, open garage doors, and other
openings. Personally it does not matter for me that snakes are poisonous or not, I am a person
who is born with a fear of snakes. It is not fair that I have to live in fear in my own home if the
city has given the permission to conduct reptile breeding in a home. If I am a tenant I may
consider moving out, but as a home owner, I am not in a position to do so.
Does the city of Ames have strict, well-defined regulations for containing and transporting
reptiles in association with a home-based business? If not, then the city cannot ensure that the
permit requester will control and confine the reptiles appropriately and in such a way that the
reptiles pose no risk of injury or fright to residents in the neighborhood. If the city does not have
well defined regulations for a home-based reptile business, then the permit should be denied and
the requestor should pursue his business at a commercial location.
I would appreciate it very much if you would consider my concerns, and not approve this permit
for reptile breeding in a populated neighborhood such as ours.
Thank you.
r
Vijitha Silva
4619 Twain Street
We live in the Hillside area on Twain Street here in Ames and we do not approve of a reptile
breeding business in a nearby small townhome including currently over 44 dangerous pythons
and boas that the City of Ames is considering approving July 9th. Information in link below. We
would like to keep our name and address anonymous in this issue due to possible
repercussion from the snakes owner.
http://www citvofames ory,/modules/showdocument aspx?documentid=17798
At first when I woke up this morning I thought what a nightmare,having big,dangerous snakes
living almost right next door. Then I realized it was real and the fear hit me again.
I'm sure you've probably heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The second step in the hierarchy
is safety. Safety of property is part of the list. We have now lost the feeling of being safe in and
around our home.
I know one of the most difficult things for people to do is putting themselves in others shoes. For
the sake of my family and our neighborhood, I would.like you to try.
Every time I open my basement laundry room door, slip out of bed or put my feet down into my
covers, open my shower curtain,or my daughter goes for her morning run, the thought of large,
dangerous snakes is on our minds.
We are not asking you to take away a loved family pet. This is someone's "hobby"/business. I'm
sure if there were a meth lab or some other"business" that was a danger to the safety and welfare
of its citizens,the City of Ames would act.
Below is just the first two Google entries for the search"are pythons and boa constrictors
dangerous to humans and pets." The list is too long to site from all. These snakes are not
poisonous but that is not how they are a danger. They squeeze or constrict their victims before
devouring them. Is there a difference how something kills`?
Between school shootings, acts of terrorism and.random violence we live in a world.where all
precautions we thought necessary are not enough. Please bring back our safety, security, and
comfort in our homes by removing this danger from our neighborhood.
Thank you.,
-----------------------------------
Take a moment and ask yourself a couple of very important questions such as: do you really
want a snake that will get to be 10 feet long, weigh over 50 pounds, urinate and defecate like a
St. Bernard, should live more than 30 years and for whom you will have to kill mice, rats and,
eventually, small rabbits? Many people think that it will be easy to find someone who will take it
if they decide they don't want their Boa when it is 8 or 10 feet long. So, take a look at the
classified ads--they always have sale ads for big pythons and boas. The zoo doesn't want any
more--they already have more giant snakes than they need. The local herpetology societies and
reptile veterinarians always have big snakes for whom they are trying to find homes. At 8 feet
and 40 pounds, a 2-year old Boa may already be eating rabbits a couple of times a month and can
r r
be very unwieldy to handle alone. You have to interact with them constantly to keep them tame--
do you want a hungry, cranky 10 foot snake mistaking your face for prey'? Another consideration
is who is going to help you clean its enclosure? take it to the vet when it's sick'? take care of it
when you go away to school or on vacation? No matter how much they love you, there are some
things a mother, and your friends,will not do! Owning a big snake is not cool; it is a major, long-
term commitment and responsibility.
There has been a disturbing increase over the past year or so (1996 to present) of boas being
dumped by their owners (many of whom tried to sell the 6+foot boa only to find that, no matter
how much they reduced their price, no one was interested in buying) on animal shelters and
reptile rescues. Many of these snakes are in terrible condition, with respiratory infections,riddled
with endo- and ectoparasites, many suffering severe injury and in from untreated rat bites
and thermal burns. This is a clear indication that many people who are buying boas shouldn't be.
The problem of fatalities and attacks by captive snakes is very small, but is growing steadily.
Between the years of 1978 and 1988, according to the American Federation of
Herpetoculturalists, there were four reported instances of amateur keepers killed by their snakes,
and only one of these involved a Burmese python (the others involved Reticulated pythons). A
check of the New York Times index between 1970 and 1992 turned up only one report of a
fatality involving a captive python. In the five years since then,however, at least two deaths and
a number of attacks have been reported, nearly all involving Burmese pythons. This appears to
be a direct result of the growing popularity of captive Burns. Inexperienced snake keepers and
large potentially aggressive constrictors make a particularly dangerous combination. The sad fact
that many thousands of hatchling Burmese pythons have been purchased in the pet trade--most of
them by people who are inexperienced and unprepared to deal with them once they reach a large
size--means that the number of incidents involving these snakes will only increase in the future.
Everyone who has or who may obtain in the future one of the large constrictors, therefore, must
be aware of all the safety precautions that are necessary to keep these snakes, and must practice
all of these safeguards until they become second nature.
Only five species of constricting snake get large enough to pose a serious threat to human life.
These are the Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus), the Amethystine Python (Morelia
amethistina) , the Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), the Indian Python (Python molurus--the
Burmese python P. m. bivittata is a subspecies of the Indian) and the African Rock Python
(Python sebae). Only two of these, the Burmese and the Reticulated., are commonly found in the
pet trade. The Reticulated python can reach a maximum length of over 30 feet; the Burmese
python can reach lengths up to 20 feet. The common Boa Constrictor(Boa constrictor) has never
been demonstrated to have ever killed a human being, but it can reach adult lengths near ten feet
and, can sometimes be difficult and unsafe to handle. For purposes of this discussion, then, any
constricting snake that reaches an adult size of eight feet or more should be considered
potentially dangerous.
Because Burmese pythons are tough and undemanding snakes, and are reliable feeders, they are
sometimes recommended as "good snakes for beginners". The fact is, however, that they are
large and powerful animals that grow quickly, reaching a potentially-dangerous size of eight to
ten feet and a weight of fifty pounds within two years. Some people have attempted to control
the snake's growth by feeding it only a limited amount of food--a practice that is harmful to the
health of the animal, and also produces a snake that is always hungry and sometimes aggressive.
htt,o://www.atiapsid.org
Constricting Snakes
What You Need To Know About Keeping Large Constrictors
From Lianne McLeod, DVM
The constricting snakes, commonly referred to as "boids" (members of the the taxonomic family
Boidae) are a diverse group of snakes. There are several varieties kept as pets; some are okay for
beginners and some definitely are not. These snakes share a common trait of killing their prey by
suffocation but there are significant differences in habitat, natural history and and python often
bring to mind large killer snakes,this is not the whole picture.
Unfortunately, there have been a number of cases where large pythons have caused serious
injury and even death to humans- some children and some adults. http://exotici)ets.about.com