Ridiculous! I don't know what's going on in New Zealand, but I'm quite sure that banning snakes won't lead to banning dogs, cats, and ferrets in the U.S. Based on what you are saying, maybe we shouldn't ban lions, tigers, or other wild cats either. But forget about humans' feelings and desire for pets; look at it from the animal's point of view. Ferrets are domesticated and they interact with people. It's easy to find ways to enrich their lives and make sure they have a good time on this earth. We can take them places, play lots of games with them, teach them things, and let them explore. I love snakes. I think they are beautiful and do find them "cute". Some have great faces, BUT what kind of life do they have stuck in an aquarium every day 24/7? They don't really play with their humans, you can't take them places, and you can't really enrich their lives in any significant way. All they have is their ability to slither around free and hunt for their own live prey. I'm not sure what kind of laws there should be, but for the sake of the snake, I really don't think people should have them as pets. [Posted in FML 6388]