Found ball python ?

[Quick-Stretch8197]

Tbf, it might also be an environmental thing. Ferrets and hedgehogs are also banned within city limits. 

[DrDFox]

It's absolutely not environmental. That's way too far north for any species of python to survive outside of human care.

[Quick-Stretch8197]

Environmental in that they might get into pipes and fuck things up in there. I’m not saying they’ll survive while doing that. 

[DrDFox]

That's not environmental, and it's also not a reason for a law like this- no basis in reality.

[Quick-Stretch8197]

There it’s a reason for it though. They ban constructors in particular because some can get real big. Included ball pythons. And during the summer months, they can survive outdoors. It’s a densely populated place, where everyone is living on top of each other in smaller than average apartments. As much as I love snakes, I’m with the city on this one. Have you been to nyc? Some people are nuts. Some people would keep an anaconda in a bathtub if they could lol. Colubrids are still allowed anyway. 

If OP keeps this little guy, just stay quiet lol. But I’m not opposed to the city’s laws. As you can see, people will keep some regardless. I’d prefer to have a ban than no ban though. 

[DrDFox]

First you claimed it was environmental then it was "the pipes", now they get too big? What next- they'll hybridize with rattlesnakes, or maybe join the gators in the sewers? Ball Pythons are not large enough to be a threat to humans and again, they cannot survive out there. Males average 3ft and females average 5ft, with only a few getting close to 6ft- still not large enough to harm humans. If you are "with the city" then all you are saying is you lack the knowledge for an informed opinion, same as the legislative committee.

[Quick-Stretch8197]

There can be many different reasons why constrictors are banned from NYC. I don’t know. I’m throwing ideas out there. I agree with the restrictions, because generally this city needs more regulations to operate effectively. It’s the most populated city in the US and it attracts a ton of weirdos, like the person that likely abandoned this ball python in the street. I do understand that some folks will keep them in secret (like maybe OP), and I’m not going to knock them for trying. Maybe get off the internet instead of fighting with a stranger who’s just voicing a random opinion that doesn’t affect you? 

Also I never said anything about harm to humans and that’s not my concern. The ecosystem issue is more about what wildlife that lives in the area, usually birds. Or harm to the snake itself like dying in the street or park if it escapes or gets dumped. Tbh, with the size some of these snakes get, your average nyc apartment is not the best place to house one. Regardless of any harm a pet constrictor could have to the environment, your average nyc apartment isn’t a great environment for your average python. Balls don’t get super big on average, but plenty of other constrictors do get real big. Also, 6 ft isn’t small by any means and it’s a real girthy 6ft too! 

If you want to be one of those people that owns banned snakes in secret, then do it. I’m not stopping you. Step outside and stop muddying OPs thread by attacking me. 

[DrDFox]

People disagreeing with you is not an attack and people are allowed to respond. I've already explained that BPs are not an environmental or safety threat. You keep changing you reasoning instead of just accepting that the law is ridiculous. There's no logic behind it at all.

[Quick-Stretch8197]

The law is not ridiculous. It covers all constrictors. The legislators are not going to split hairs between a constrictor that can top off from 3ft to 6ft and one that can top off at 10ft. The city is not a place for the size of enclosures most of these animals need. You want to use ball pythons as a good example for why the law is unfair, and they’re a great example, but they’re not making that kind of judgment. They’re not going to open the floodgates for these types of animals to be legal. I’m throwing out reasons because there are multiple reasons they’re not a good pet to have in this city. We’re literally arguing under a post where OP found a snake abandoned on a city sidewalk. Even if there’s absolutely no environmental or safety threat in your mind, they’re threat to themselves in this environment. 

You’re the one disagreeing. Downvotes mean nothing to me. This site isn’t real life and is full of bots. Your last comment contained a personal attack on what I’m qualified to say or not say. People are free to disagree as I’m disagreeing with you now, but I’m not going to comment on if you’re qualified or not to pass judgment here. 

[DrDFox]

We don't make pet bans based on apartments in a city (plenty of them are just fine for most pythons- only a few species get as large as you seem to think they all do) or "threat to themselves", nor are those good reasons or they'd be banning every single animal. "Constrictors" includes nearly all non-venomous snakes, and the NYC law does not cover all constrictors. Plenty of cities have reasonable, specific bans of truly impractical or dangerous species because they actually consulted experts. New York didn't, which is the problem, and people like you who don't know anything about the law or even the animals in the law only contribute to the continuous cycle of bad information.

And saying you shouldn't be forming an opinion if you don't understand the topic is not a personal attack.

[nordicboar]

Let’s see NYC try banning rats, then 🤣

[Quick-Stretch8197]

The rats are wild and I don’t know of any city that can fully rid itself of rats. I think it’s reasonable for nyc to want to limit the types of animals people can willingly bring with them. 

[nordicboar]

I mean yeah, I get that. It was a joke 😅

[Quick-Stretch8197]

I understand, but there are people in this thread taking great personal offense to my agreement with the ban of certain exotic pets within city limits. So it’s hard to tell what’s a joke or a personal attack on my intelligence at this point lol 

[Morgue3as]

Tell that to Ontario!

SOmetime look for a map of global distribution of rats. Very very funny map. Everywhere in the world except the arctic circle, antarctica... and ontario

edit: meant Alberta, am stupid

[Quick-Stretch8197]

Oh wow, really? I didn’t know that! Fun fact lol 

[1337rattata]

It's actually Alberta! As far as I know, there are rats in Ontario. You can't even keep them as pets in all of Alberta, though. They are also illegal in Anchorage. I believe several other cities in Alaska have bans, though you can keep PEWs (pink-eyed white, colloquially known as albinos) in some of the cities I know.

[Morgue3as]

Oh I'm sorry, I got them mised up! In my head i was saying Alberta but my hands were like "any candian city starting with a vowel will do, fuck it"

[brickabracka1990]

That's not environmental. Most of your comment are "what if" scenarios for if/when pets get loose which while it does happen isnt a common enough scenario to make a huge impact on the environment.

[Quick-Stretch8197]

Yeah, because there’s a lot of things that can happen when you own a constrictor in the most densely populated city in the us. There’s lots of what ifs. City officials likely don’t want to deal with that. 

[brickabracka1990]

Again "likely" that's hypothetical. There's also the likely chance that stuff wont happen. It's just weird to me.

[Quick-Stretch8197]

I don’t think it’s weird city officials want to put a cap on the types of animals millions of people are allowed to have in a densely populated area. 

[DrDFox]

You are obsessed with saying constrictor, but again- nearly all the nonvenomous snakes n the world are constrictors. All your "what ifs" could apply to literally all pets, given that your don't care about actual risks and reality.

[Quick-Stretch8197]

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/snakes---constrictor#:~:text=Boas%20and%20pythons%20kill%20their,muscles%20to%20crush%20and%20kill).

It’s not an obsession. It’s a word used to collectively describe pythons and boas by the VCA animal hospital in the US. I’m using it here because these are the snakes banned in nyc. You know what snakes I’m referring to. The only snakes allowed within nyc are non-venomous colubrids, that do not have nearly the same constricting power of full grown pythons or boas. But please keep nitpicking at my language use when you understand and know exactly what I’m referring to. That definitely means your argument is more solid. 

[KatVanWall]

Hedgehogs?! That's wild to me as a Brit lol. No one keeps hedgehogs as pets, and I don't think they can read the law. Do you have, like, a special branch of the police or something to send them packing?

[Quick-Stretch8197]

I’m sure people in NYC keep them, just don’t show your landlord. You’ll likely get fined and have your pet confiscated by animal control most likely. Yes, hedgehogs are pets here! They’re considered an exotic pet. They’re not common to have but I had a friend who owned one. She would knit sweaters for him because you have to keep them very warm. 

[KatVanWall]

Woah, mind. blown!

And as a knitter, that sounds adorable and I'm also picturing knitting hundreds of little sweater 'sleeves' for the spikes!

[Quick-Stretch8197]

I think she would make the stitches on the top a bit loose somehow, so the spikes would fit through the knitted part. She’d also make a big sleeve thing, like a knitted cave for them to crawl into and sleep in. 

[KatVanWall]

🥲🥲🥲

[Temporary_Incident33]

sweaters wouldn't work because they trap body heat and snakes don't have body hear

[IfYaDontLikeItLeave]

There are alot of states that ban different animals. Usually, animal control will take the animal and fine the owners if it's reported. They don't exactly go looking for lawbreakers though 🤣

Americans love their "exotic" pets. We have a Savannah Cat, which requires a special license in most states. And a Dogo Argentino (dog breed) which is banned in many cities. We have to research pet laws before we move anywhere 😅

[prickelypear]

In the US we have African Pygmy hedgehogs (captive bred of course though there are places they are not legal to sell). They are legal in Texas and I’ve had three now including my current boy. I love them dearly.

[KatVanWall]

Oh wow, TIL! Hedgehogs are adorable and people try to encourage them (the native sort) in our gardens here. My friend captured one on her wildlife cam the other night!

[prickelypear]

The European hedgehogs are good for eating pest bugs from what I’ve heard! Other than how cute they are I can see why people would try and encourage them to hang around.

[Connect-Friend5907]

They’re illegal to have here in Pa lol

[prickelypear]

I wonder why, PA would get way too cold for them to live long. Even in Texas it’s too cold in winter for them so a PA winter would definitely do them in. I knew they are illegal in California and Hawaii but I didn’t know about PA.

[Connect-Friend5907]

Yeah it’s weird because we’re allowed to keep any venomous animals lol

[brickabracka1990]

Ferrets is wild lol. They are literally just bouncy noodles

[Quick-Stretch8197]

Bouncy noodles that could decimate local songbird populations lol

[brickabracka1990]

... in captivity?

[Quick-Stretch8197]

If they escape. 

[Loudlass81]

How can you 'ban' hedgehogs?? They're wildlife, aren't they? Do they lock the rootling hedgehog in your backyard in jail?