Entertainment

SNAKES ALIVE; REJECTED REPTILES A GROWING PROBLEM

NEITHER warm nor furry nor perceived as cute, snakes don’t get a lot of love from the pet-loving populace. But herpetology buffs – i.e., reptile advocates, or “herpers” for short – are just as outraged about fashion’s use of snakeskin as others are about fur. And they’re urging animal lovers to adopt a unique New Year’s resolution: Have some compassion for cold-blooded creatures.

“Snakes are misunderstood: purchased as trophy pets, then abandoned when they grow too big,” says Robert Shapiro of Social Teez Animal Rescue, a specialist in the rescue and re-homing of reptiles.

According to Shapiro, the most common pet snake in America is the Burmese python. “It’s illegal to keep these as pets in New York City, so people buy them outside of the city and bring them in,” Shapiro explains.

Pythons can grow to mammoth proportions. Case in point: the 18-foot, 200-pound female Shapiro recently placed in a Florida zoo because her owner moved to the city from Long Island.

“She’s only half-grown,” Shapiro says of the python. “She’s already a foot wide, but she’ll grow twice as wide. And she’s got another 8 feet to go!”

Most people who acquire exotic animals don’t know what they’re in for. Nocturnal creatures who instinctively hide in the dark, they are often mistakenly kept in glass tanks illuminated by light bulbs. As a result, Shapiro says, “Most snakes in this country die a miserable death, so stressed-out that they stop eating.”

“If you have a reptile that you need outplaced, call us,” Shapiro says. “And if you want a pet, please adopt a shelter dog or cat.” Social Teez Animal Rescue has these available too; for information, call (212) 614-9653.

E-mail Julia Szabo at js@pet-reporter.com.