Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
100 dead pythons, waste found in house
About 100 dead ball pythons were found in a house in Jupiter, in conditions so foul that investigators had to don masks and gloves before entering.
The snakes were discovered in the home of Jennifer Morrison, 59, of Timberline Drive, where the floor was covered in animal feces and the air reeked of feces and urine, according to a report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Morrison had at one time either been a reptile dealer or tried to become one. She is listed in state corporate records as manager of Jupiter Reptiles & Exotics LLC, with an address at her Jupiter home. The company’s Facebook page describes it as a licensed reptile breeder and dealer. State records list the company as inactive.
Once the wildlife commission’s investigator arrived, the Jupiter police directed him to a bedroom that was used as the “snake room,” where the dead snakes were found in dozens of plastic bins.
Ball pythons, native to subSaharan Africa, are popular in the exotic pet trade for their docile personalities and relatively small size. Unlike the 23-foot reticulated python that
recently swallowed a man whole in Indonesia, the ball python grows to a maximum length of only six feet. The name comes from their tendency to curl into a ball when threatened.
The dead animals were seized on Feb. 16, and Morrison was charged March 13 with confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise and animal abandonment. The incident just came to light because it was listed on a weekly law enforcement report issued by the commission.
She did not immediately return a call to her home.
Morrison faces possible imprisonment or a fine of up to $5,000. After the discovery, Jupiter police removed her from the residence and took her into custody under the Baker Act, the Florida law that authorizes civil commitment for people with possible mental health issues or who may pose a danger to themselves or others, according to the state wildlife commission report. She was later released.
A few animals that were still alive were also removed from the home, including two dogs, two red-footed tortoises, two parakeets and two ball pythons.