US Senator Bill Nelson did his best trying to tackle the problem of invasive exotic pythons in the Everglades. During the 2008 press conference in Everglades National Park, Florida’s senior senator impressed upon the population that this was not some weird Florida nuisance the tabloid press liked to exploit. “These snakes sure-as-heck don’t belong in the Everglades,” Nelson verified. “And they certainly don’t belong in people’s backyards.” On this day in 2008, there were a lot of jokes about his colleagues in Washington and a small-yet-powerful lobby of reptile keepers who were organizing to stall any pending legislation against future importation of the species as pets. After three years of pushing the issue, Nelson was on hand in January 2012 when the US Interior Secretary finally announced a rule against the importation and interstate trade of four large exotic snakes–Burmese pythons, Northern and Southern African rock pythons, and the Yellow anaconda. Whatever you think about the Senator, he’s always been a champion of the environment, and I have to admit to a thrill when I hear him on the news speaking with that deep “Old Florida” accent. It’s a sound quickly disappearing from our landscape and hearing it on the national news feels validating.
Small: 8.625” x 7.5” – $100.00 | Medium: 17.25” x 15” – $200.00 | Large: 34.5” x 30” – $290.00