movies with wrong snakes

[JimmyDavid]

You'd think these filmmakers could do some homework before doing a movie, right? I've seen it so many times...
The last case of serious herp misplacing was Anacondas:the blood orchid, set on Borneo.(they even have amazon parrots, there). I also remember Mowgli-the jungle book, where the guy fights a giant Anaconda in India (yeah, right).
Also Comes to mind Ace Ventura in Africa, with a burm on a tree branch. Ace even claims that crows are rare in africa and that's false, they are very common there. And what about Predator? Did you all see that retic passing by? well, didn't it take place in South America?
Maybe they could hire some of us here from ssnakess.com as director assistants and avoid those stupid mistakes, hehe, what do you say?

[mudflats]

Because it doesnt really matter. If all the herpers stoped going to movies it wouldnt be a huge cost for them. Annoys the hell out of me too, but with the mojority i have seen around here that cant't tell a curled up snake to a tire, i doubt it really matters.

[BoidsUnlimited]

Truthfully? I says who cares.

There is enough crap already, but a little mistake like a wrong species in a country isnt that big of a deal...

[Shad0w]

I with Boids... who cares!!!
Its a movie.. take it for what it is...
I mean killer anaconda's that move at 100mph is not exactly realistic anyhow...

Nothing wrong with a bit of fantasy in a movie.. is there? :D

[corr]

It used to bother me but now, I just laugh. That's really the only reason I watch such movies as Anaconda anymore... to laugh!

What is that commercial on now with the Boa Constrictor swimming in the North American lake?? lol

[JimmyDavid]

Belive me, guys, i'm not the picky kind. But those are factual mistakes. A movie can have plenty of fantasy and still be loyal to basic facts. A retic in South America, for example, is just dumb. It would not hurt to put a Boa there, instead.

[bistrobob85]

Hehe, same thing for anacondas in Borneo ( indonesia )...

[Double J]

I saw "Alexander" this weekend.

A great flick.

Angelina Jolie was walking around wth corn snakes in ancient Babylon. I guess the general public doesn't know any better... but being a herper, it brings me out of the film, I stop suspending disbelief for a moment. I think it would not be too difficult to try a little harder on getting even slightly more approprate snakes for wrangling. That said, if a director wants a corn snake in ancient Babylon, he does have the final say.

[rwg]

In general, I say who cares. Anaconda bugged me because the species is so central to the movie that I feel they should have gotten it correct.

If they cleaned up all the factual errors regarding reptiles, I'd have nothing to chuckle about though.

More of an issue interms of correctness for me is the Ripley's/Guinness type shows where they feature someone handling "deadly scorpions", and they happen to be Emperors. Yeah, deadly if you're a cricket maybe. lol

Roy

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

JIMMY DAVID:

I feel the same as the others its not really a big deal either, although I understand your point as well and get a bit frusterated the moment I see these glitches.

Another movie is Passion of the Christ, where Satan tries to tempt Jesus and create fear with an Albino Burmese Python.

I think even the Indiana Jones movies and Relic Hunter TV show makes these mistakes alot as well filling pits with snakes from 3 continents.

LOL.

Cya...

Tony

[harp]

Well here's the deal: As a Reptile Wrangler working in the Film indrustry, i am called apon for different reptiles. A producer or Director have one thing in mind, what looks good to Them on film. So a script may call for a large snake in a Corn feild in Antartica, so you show them what you think is best but then they decide what to use.
I have used Albino Burms in a African setting because they did not like the Ball and Rock pythins i showed them. I new it was wrong but oh well I'm providing for my family with a few dihards that will pick appart what i did, So the producer is happy and will use me again because of it.
Rdean

[JAdkins2451]

RWG. You do have a good point about ripleys/geniuss and how they "deadly". But you have to relize that one or two my not be considered deadly but if your setting in a bath tub 50 + and you move around a little to much. And you get stung 30 times I belive that is potenialy deadly.

[Gary D.]

The thing is you can't (always) blame the director. They like the majority of the audience haven't a clue. And in many cases it's quite excuseable. For example Raiders of the lost ark, where they needed a pit of snakes. Cinimatically all shapes and sizes look better, and the logistics of filling a room with localle appropriate snakes is near impossible. And when the cobra flared, well at least it wasn't a rattle snake. And as I sit here I do not recall what species of cobre that was to say if it was endemic to the region they were to be in. And as a 10 year old I know I didn't really care. Other excuseable yet laughable reasons are when venomous snakes are the scene. It would be foolish to risk a filming schedule and the actors' health just to have the correct hot in the scene. Now for movies like Aacondas where the snake is the focus of the movie, a little thing like which continent is a huge oversight with an easy solution.

For the rest of the movies such as Predator, the fault there lies with the snake wrangler. I'm sure that there is many cases where they hire some guy who says "I've provided alnimals for all these movies and shows, and see my news paper clippings!" and they say "Sure fine, I need a big snake here, and she should be holding a small one there, you're the expert". And does the appointed expert ask where is this scene, etc. and attempt to acquire the proper animal? No, he might have to share the cash or look unprofessional if he asked arround for the right animals. Instead he unpacks one of the 5 snakes he owns. The director couldn't care less, and doesn't know any better.

The best movie for proper animals and names was Snakessssssssssssss. Unfortunately it was a crappy movie in the early 70's, and I am certain a number of animals died in the filming.

GD

[rwg]

Yeah maybe, but if you're putting 6 of them in your mouth, you're not in too much danger. :) They overstate the threat to make good television, but in doing so they reinforce people's irrational fears.

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by Gary D.
And when the cobra flared, well at least it wasn't a rattle snake.

It's not so much the mismatched smorgasbord of snakes that irks me in this scene; it's the reflection of the cobra in the glass separating Ford and the snake :p

[Gary D.]

I can live with the reflection considdering the alternatives (anamatrinic, CGI, or non- venomous).

[JAdkins2451]

im not saying I dont agree. But If there is more then 50 there not wrong by sayin it is potentialy dangerous. Its just like the show fear factor, they do the exact same thing.

[Removed_2815]

What I was getting at is that a simple re-orientation of the lighting would have rectified this completely, it's just funny to see such things in big-budget movies...
Cheers,
Ryan

[Jeff_Favelle]

Alexander had corn snakes in it.

[marisa]

How can you bring Ace Ventura into a discussion about movies with "factual mistakes."

LOL!

Movies are supposed to be fantasy, imagination, things that don't happen in real life. If they were all factual documentaries then the movie selection would really suck! :D :D

Marisa

[clint545]

I agree with Marisa. If they went with real life, there would be a lot less shots fired in an action movie. i love those movies where a guy with a 6 shot revolver can manage to fire off a couple doz. before he reloads!LOL

[Scales Zoo]

And I know that kind of thing bugs the gun nuts, as I have a few friends who are gun nuts - and they are always pointing out inacuracies about guns that show up in movies.

Ryan

[clint545]

Sounds just like my brother, total gun nut. Anything I've ever learned about guns I've learned from him. Kinda annoying to watch a movie with him thou.LOL

[munchy]

Originally posted by BOAS_N_PYTHONS

I think even the Indiana Jones movies and Relic Hunter TV show makes these mistakes alot as well filling pits with snakes from 3 continents.


snakes.....why'd it have to be snakes?!

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by Scales Zoo
And I know that kind of thing bugs the gun nuts, as I have a few friends who are gun nuts - and they are always pointing out inacuracies about guns that show up in movies.

Ryan
This is how I can appreciate how the general public has no clue about snakes and how mostly it does not detract from the viewing experience. I am not a gun nut, so, aside from the frequent over-shooting of a 6-shooter, I would be unable to spot any inaccuracies, so I can easily enjoy the movie. Whereas, the small percentage of gun nuts would be squirming in their seats...
Ryan

[justinO]

Originally posted by Scales Zoo
And I know that kind of thing bugs the gun nuts, as I have a few friends who are gun nuts - and they are always pointing out inacuracies about guns that show up in movies.

Ryan


not me :P... i'm constantly yelling at the tv's when there is a firearm related inaccuracy..

backto the snakes.. funniest thing was in a bad snake movie.. super-deadly rattlers are replaced with coastal carpets whenever there is a human in the same scene.

Justin

[JimmyDavid]

Hehe, i think i saw that movie. It ended in some abandoned mine or so. Right?

[The Dom]

How about the fact that indianajones had mainly legless lizards in that pit instead of snakes... (they blink!)

How about the deadly bearded dragons in that kids movie Holes..

hmmm as for the emperor scorpions... sitting in a pit w~ 50 emperors and getting stung by 50 of them would kill you .. I SERIOUSLY doubt it.. I'd love to see a case of someone dead by oen or hundredsds of emperors if it exists..


Personally it anoys the crap out of me .. bu what is worst is the computer snakes or even worst when you see a snake on the cover of the movie with a hood of a cobra, the patterns of a boa and the rattle of a rattle snakes...

The joy's of being ignorant lol

[chas*e]

LOL...well if I wanted FACTS I would watch a documentary...but not very often in documentaries are there the "4 articles of good filmmaking" 1-extreme violence 2- adult/sexual situations 3- course language 4- nudity.....actually..maybe I am wrong..lol

[justinO]

Charlie, you just don't watch National Geographic often enough ;)

[beanersmysav]

Haha deadly bearded dragons? I'm going to have to watch that movie just to see that specific scene. I'm probably more afraid of my geckos than I am of my bearded dragons. I know my little sister has some dog movie that has a monitor of some sort, I think it's a croc monitor if I recall correctly. That has the howl of a coyote. Of course it talks to so I guess that doesn't matter much.

[Gary D.]

How about Chameleon in Dr. Doolottle 2 with a really bad hispanic accent and issues about not being able to camoflage with everything. Man Eddie Murphy should have gave it some serious psychological counciling as to the real reasons and factors in colour change, a lesson in geography, and I'd have to look again to confirm, but I think it was gender confused too. :)

[HeatherRose]

I just received "Boa vs Python" the other day on DVD. (I assure you, it was a gift.) I sure hope it's accurate... :rolleyes:

[Gary D.]

if that's the "boa" from BOA with the blades on it's tail and lives in antarctica vs. the "python" from Python and Python 2 that could be a darn funny movie. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled in the $4.99 bin.

[justinO]

Heather, I have boa vs python (downloaded it just to satisfy my curiousity)... its um.. interesting..

[clint545]

I've thrown some good tantrums in the vid store trying to get my gf to rent that. She doesn't seem to value a good cheesy movie!

[BWSmith]

There IS ONE movie I found that was fairly accurate. It is a low budget film called Snake Island with a horrible sound guy. The only real innaccuracy was a Milksnake killing someone. All of the venomous represented were identified correctly including a Green mamba and a Gaboon. I was impressed that it was the first movie I have ever seen an Aspidilaps in! It is worth seeing just see the cobra drop its jaw and hang its tongue out during the token topless scene and two hear two cobras sing a duet of "we hate humans" :D

[chas*e]

I love the 50's B-movies that have a (giant) Tarantula vs a Snake...and large breasted females screaming throughout the movie...they always crack me up

[Nicky]

It dosen't really bother me too much as they always do such a bad job its really hard for someone take it litterally ( lol description of boa vs python - when a giant boa gets lose the city must release an eqaully large python to fight it, that one made me chuckle.) However when reptiles are abused on mistreated on the show or movie that really pisses me of..

I rember being in walmart ahwile back rumaging through the discount movie bin when I found a movie called Frogs i believe. Looked really old anyways on the the back at the bottom it had a little section that said fun facts. It went on about how over 200 frogs, snakes,lizards and crocadiles escaped during the filming of the movie. That personally disgusts me that they would consider that a fun fact when most of those animals probably either starved to death or disrupted the native species. I know it was a long time ago but honestly people should be more responsible.

Also a not a fear factor did anyone catch that episode a few years back where they had to find snow corns in a bucket of assorted corns and then throw them across the room into a bucket and later on it showed the people holding them many with cuts and broken jaws.
Or the one where they had to jump in the tank full of water with assorted snakes and thier was a ton of dead ones on the bottom that had drowened to death. Especially that fear factor is a modern day show I don't believe they can get away with such things but I suppose they have the money still its really quiet sickening when people call that entertainment.

[JimmyDavid]

In the dvd covers of movies like "boa" or "python", the snake (a boid) always has fangs. That's pretty stupid too, since they are not venomous.

[HeatherRose]

Heather, I have boa vs python (downloaded it just to satisfy my curiousity)... its um.. interesting..

I'm gonna watch it soon... :D

In the dvd covers of movies like "boa" or "python", the snake (a boid) always has fangs. That's pretty stupid too, since they are not venomous.

Hehe, the boa and python on the cover of my DVD have HUGE teeth, and scary glow-y eyes. They're also the size of Godzilla and have helicopters shooting missiles at them. At least it appears to have a lot of gratuitous gore/language/nudity so it'll be almost worth watching.

The only other movie I saw was "boa"...at least it wasn't about a real snake, but a prehistoric ice-monster.

[katev17]

AHAHAH I saw Snake Island

Did you notice how at one point they just took one image of a snake and copied and pasted it throughout the entire set??? It was pretty hilarious.

Yea, as far as I remember, the milksnake killing the girl was the only one I noticed that was wrongly identified... =\

[doenoe]

Did anyone notice the iguana's and snakes in Star Wars. They could be seen on the planet were Yoda lives, in the Dagobah system. Dont know what they were supossed to be, probably just there because the look cool and "scary"

[SCReptiles]

Ok, so I will give a pass to the movies that are strictly entertainment based. Even though I enjoy pointing it out when I see the corn snakes in ancient Greece, however, I am more troubled by shows that are suppose to be for education. Case in point, Austin Stevens, the snake master. I happen to catch his show last week. He was searching for Eastern Diamondbacks in Appalachiacola. While on his quest, he happens to find a copperhead. Problem is copperheads do not extend as for south as the location he was at. Later, he happened to dig into a tree, and bring out a nice eastern cottonmouth. Problem again, this is the area of FL cottons, not easterns. How do people like that get TV deals? Makes to sense. It also took him three weeks to find a EDB in north FL? My god, he is a snake master? My 17-year-old friend went two months ago and had one bagged in 2 hours! Ha ha

[JimmyDavid]

It's like that guy Jesus Rivas. He spent 9 or 10 years in Venezuela and other places in south America searching for Anacondas. He Found hundreds(if not thousands), but the very biggest was only a bit over 5 meters. Some people go there for a wekeend vacation and come back with stories of 20+ footers that they saw. Hehe, Maybe Jesus keeps catching the same ones, or he's sleeping on the job.

[Gary D.]

I dunno, I'd tend to trust Jesus and Rene's acuracy over a vacationer's stories. a big a** 15 ft anaconda flattened out on land would easily look 20+ to most people. But I agree with Chuck, a professional doing wildlife documentaries is inexcuseable. There are times when Corwin doesn't know for certain what species, but atleast he admits it.

[rwg]

I've got plenty of stories of 20 footers in the amazon, and I haven't even been there. Jesus has pictures, measurements, and peer reviewed articles. Unless someone wants to debunk his methods and findings, I'm inclined to believe 20 footers are not so common in the wild as some vacationers seem to believe.

Roy

[JimmyDavid]

I have to agree with you, most people just come up with big fish stories. But in 10 years he should have found BY ACCIDENT a 20 footer. And he has made specific searches for big ones...

[Gary D.]

Jesus' areas of study are more biological and behavoural. So naturally they are conducted in the Janos where Green anacondas are plentiful. Coincidentally the same abundance of anacondas are what made that area the most heavily hunted before they were protected. It seems quite reasonable that really large ones are few and far between in that area. The identical story exists in the identical region with the Orinoco Crocodile where very few specimins beyond 8' exist because of the over collection in the past. Additional factors and possibilities are that, as is the current speculation, there are 2 subspecies of Eunectes murinus, E.m. gigas and E.m. murinus. The current train of thought is that E.m. gigas inhabit the northern regions and remain smaller than the more centrally located E.m. murinus. As such factors such as fewer human inhabitants, less population density, and less abundance of prey support the animals growing larger, (wether they actually are a seperate subspecies or not).

Not assuming you were not aware of this Jimmy, just including it in the converstaion for others who may be reading along aswell.

Gary D.

[marisa]

I think the reason a "GIANT" anaconda hasn't been found or won't be found is because of water. I read/watched/heard somewhere that some people believe the biggest of the biggest would need to spend 90% ++ of their time in the water due to the fact it would ease their movements and help support the weight of a snake that big.

This might be total crap, true, or who knows but it sounds reasonable to assume thats why a GIANT one might not be found, if they even exist anymore.

Marisa

[daiyoukai]

What about austin stevens rolling on teh ground with that huge retic (episode playing tonight at 8:00PM) Yeah, I believe that snake is wild caught... NOT. It was clearly chilled.

[JimmyDavid]

I'm aware of those facts, Gary. Although, biology and breeding habits are the main focus of Rivas research, one of his goals is also to find the very biggest he can find (i have footage where he reveals that). He went to Brasil to find monster anacondas, but came back empty-handed because the mud ground was too dificult to work in.
Funny how they tend to break Anaconda species into different subspecies based on smal (if existent) details, but label retics (with obvious differences among them) as mere "localities". Where's the subspecies status?

[Scales Zoo]

Good point Jimmy.

There was a push to split up retics.

Did a quick google search, and found these on this site http://www.embl-heidelberg.de/~uetz/db-info/changes2002.html
Python reticulatus saputrai AULIYA et al. 2002
Python reticulatus jampeanus AULIYA et al. 2002

I think there were more subspecies suggested, but I'm not sure what is accepted right now.

I think 20' anacondas are now very very rare - and would doubt many reports from locals and vacationers without a tape measure. 16' is a huge anaconda, and females rarely get this big in zoos.

I know for a fact, that a few years ago Jesus' main goal was to find a very large Anaconda, which I beleive he said would be 18' or more. I wonder if he ever will.

Anyone know what the largest anaconda in Captivity is?

Ryan

[JimmyDavid]

I believe that Serpent safari not only has the biggest burm around, but also the largest anaconda. But then again, any small local zoo in South America could be housing a giant specimen and we wouln't know.