• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
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    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

More man-killing snake nonsense....

Helenthereef

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See article about man "killed by" 2.4m long python in the UK. Expect general anti-snake hysteria as a result....

Looks to me like an accident that happened WHILE he was handling the snake, not BECAUSE of it, and it has been interpreted as the snake killing him because people are so fearful and suspicious of snakes (and also, lets be honest, because it makes a better story for the press).

When found he was unconscious and alive, but died later. Surely if the snake has suffocated him, he would be dead when found. I'm pretty sure an inquest would find some other non-snake related injury as cause of death.

How to combat this kind of nonsense?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Snake owner Daniel Brandon killed by his pet python


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-42801983


A snake owner was killed by an 8ft (2.4m) pet python he called his "baby", an inquest has heard.

Daniel Brandon, 31, died from asphyxiation at his home near Basingstoke, Hampshire, on 25 August.

One of the pets - a female African rock python named Tiny - was found near his body, out of its pen.

Coroner Andrew Bradley said there was no doubt Mr Brandon died "as a result of contact with Tiny" and he recorded a verdict of misadventure.

Mr Brandon had kept snakes for 16 years and Tiny was one of 10 snakes and 12 tarantulas he kept in his room at the family home, North Hampshire Coroner's Court heard.

His mother Barbara Brandon said her son had owned Tiny since it was small enough to fit in his hand.

He never felt threatened by Tiny and was aware of how strong it was, she said, but there were occasions when it would "strike out" if she entered the room.

She told the court on the night of her son's death she heard a bang coming from his room, but had assumed it was a dumbbell falling or that he knocked something over.

She later discovered Mr Brandon unconscious in his bedroom and later found the snake coiled under a cabinet.
 
In fact another article refutes the verdict and says it's pretty much impossible, but do you think this headline will reach as many people?

Snake expert doubts pet python killed Daniel Brandon

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-42817364

A leading snake enthusiast has questioned whether a pet python was responsible for killing its owner.

Daniel Brandon, 31, died from asphyxiation at his home near Basingstoke, Hampshire, in August.

A coroner ruled there was no doubt his death was "as a result of contact" with his 8ft (2.4m) pet python named Tiny.

Chairman of the Federation of British Herpetologists Chris Newman said: "I frankly don't see how the snake could have been responsible due to its size.
 
I personally see how it could happen... an 8' snake, being around someone's neck, tightens up to hold on and causes the guy to go unconscious and pass out, the extended lack of oxygen to the brain could cause him to die. It's not like it was a feeding error, there were no bite marks. Years ago something similar happened here in the US (I was trying to find the story earlier to no avail), in that case, the man that tragically died was also highly intoxicated (drunk).
So while I do think there could very well be more to this story and I do not like the negative publicity to large snake keeping, I do think it's within the realm of possibilities.
It's very sad and I'm so sorry for the loss of Daniel's life, from what I read he seemed like a very passionate keeper and animal lover.
 
.

its sad to loose a life, but yes I believe an 8ft rock could/can take you out. what is concerning to me is the mothers statement "having the snake for years" a well fed rock python can/will achieve 8ft in 1 year by 2yrs it should have been 10to12 ft even for a male! under feeding giants is risky and imho all to common not saying that's the case here but it is possible... sad:(
 
I must say you're surprising me here - this snake is is only 50 cm (foot and a half) longer than my little boas, and while they could hold my throat hard enough to make me uncomfortable, I can't envision a scenario where I couldn't get them off.

Are rock pythons proportionately stronger than boas, or does the extra 50 cm leverage make all the difference?

(Of course, it could still turn out he was drunk or high, then I suppose all bets are off)
 
Are rock pythons proportionately stronger than boas, or does the extra 50 cm leverage make all the difference?
It's not really the length that is the difference, it's the girth. My understanding is that rock pythons are relatively heavy-bodied. If you've ever handled a dumerils ground boa compared to a common BI of the same length then you will quickly realize the dum is a lot stronger.

(Of course, it could still turn out he was drunk or high, then I suppose all bets are off)
If that were the case then I'd think the toxicology report would have indicated it.
 
I agree with AbsoluteApril, I think it's sad but entirely possible (likely) that the snake was "technically" responsible. I say "technically" because really the owner himself was somehow responsible, for over-estimating his ability, under-estimating the strength of the snake, & for handling it alone. If, as thomas davis suggested, it was underfed, that was an accident waiting to happen- not because we appeal as prey, but just tempting fate & instincts. An 8' snake is strong and a lot to untangle...plus, IF he had long hair, the snake might also have been hard to remove because of that: I'll confess that I have always worn my hair long, and many years ago when fairly new to snakes, it took nothing more than a large bull snake to demonstrate how easily that can happen.
Just another angle to consider.
 
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