Reptile fans say federal restrictions are a slithery slope
HAYWARD -- Predator and prey met nose-to-nose on the counter of the Reptile Room, the albino reticulated python's forked tongue darting out for a few tastes before snubbing the offering of an oblivious little white feeder mouse.
"She's not hungry," said Aron Dickey, owner of the specialty pet shop. "And that mouse is lucky."
Dickey has his pair of albino pythons on a heavy diet these days in an effort to grow and breed them as fast as possible for in-house production. He's on a timeline -- the federal government recently barred imports and interstate travel of four varieties of large constrictors, with reticulated pythons and four other species also under review.
That includes the popular boa constrictor, which Dickey called his "bread and butter." He and other snake fans believe the exotic animals -- and possibly more down the road -- are on a slithery slope toward increased restrictions.
"I guarantee you they'll add them," Dickey said. "They're exactly identical in size and temperament as the ones already on the list. Come back in two years and if the store is gone, I'll say 'I told you so.'"
Rattlesnake season is here, though the reptiles will make every effort to avoid human contact, according to Animal Friends of the Valleys (AFV), which says most home or in-yard encounters are the result of snakes following their prey into residential
The researchers examined the scleral rings of more than 160 living species, including birds and reptiles, each with known activity patterns — some that are active at night, others during the day and still others that can swing either way.