r/UnbelievableThings • u/Charlotte_Barkley • 1d ago

The time when cops accidentally euthanized a snake worth hundred grand

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u/Prestigious_Call_619 1d ago

Long story short he had snakes that were now illegal to own in Florida due to a new law.not sure why they weren't grandfathered in but they accidentally put down his pet boa constrictor that wasnt illegal to own. I believe he won a lawsuit and got over 300k$

46

u/Oddity83 1d ago

Why the fuck are cops doing that? What happened to animal control? And even if it was cops why don’t they take it to a secure location and do it there? Why execute a non-threatening animal on site?!

27

u/No-Combination8136 1d ago

They’re wildlife officers not cops. Sounds like at least one of them is a total dumbass because the man told him which snake it was multiple times. That’s fucking with his business. Glad he at least won a lawsuit to cover it and hopefully a little extra.

22

u/zthompson2350 1d ago

It likely did not come close to covering the actual losses here. Let's take the worst case scenario in mind.

Boa's reach sexual maturity at 2 years old and stop laying eggs at around 20 years. This one had a clutch worth $100k. Let's assume all of its clutches would be worth the same amount and that this was its first clutch. That means it would have around 17 more in its lifetime, so the actual loss here was more along the lines of $1,800,000, not including the cost of the mother herself.

8

u/riccomuiz 1d ago

Not to mention the guys reputation and stress of what he had to go through.

9

u/yehimthatguy 1d ago

And the fact that he probably loved his pet.

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u/riccomuiz 1d ago

I don’t think it was his I think it was someone else’s and he was breeding and caring for it. Lots of money invested in that industry. Not to mention the types of people he seemed genuinely concerned for his life when he found out.

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u/Great_Farm_5716 1d ago

Let’s just say he doesn’t sell any of the first batch of baby’s. Then those baby’s have baby’s and it’s 20 years the returns are exponential.

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u/BabyAtomBomb 1d ago

Not exactly how genetics work

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u/Great_Farm_5716 1d ago

It’s kinda how the entire animal breeding industry works.

0

u/ConstableAssButt 1d ago edited 1d ago

Every single thing you just said is wrong, item by item.

* BOAS DO NOT LAY EGGS.
* The age of the snake that was euthanized, She was not 2. She was 11.
* How often boas produce litters in captivity (every other year)
* When a boa is capable of producing a litter is based on size and health, not age, and 2 years is too early. The average age of being ready to produce a litter is 3-4 years, not 2. Males are capable of breeding in 18 months, but it's a bad idea, because they will likely be killed. Boas see smaller snakes as food, not mates.
* When a boa is incapable of producing litters is when they are dead, or too ill, and that number is not 20 years. They live longer than that in captivity. Snakes' reproductive capacity is not damaged by age.

This snake was 11 years old. She was carring a litter this year. She had on average another 7 litters left if she remained in good health, with an upper maximum of 12 possible. It is unlikely that a boa in captivity will live past 35, but it has happened.