RCReptiles.com

[RonCrawford]

The US Fish & Wildlife has made a motion to ban the importation, ownership and transporting of Pythons and Boa Constrictors in the United States. We need every person who cares about reptiles to write and share your thoughts as to why the ban should not be allowed!

Read about it here PYTHONS AND BOAS ARE UNDER ATTACK!!!

[PyMama]

Suckers....Im having a hard time believing that this will go thru....or something will happen but action needs to be taken...

One of the first things that came to mind was ...bad breeders and owners who give the rest a bad name...

People take action pls..

[Crazydude]

Its sad the uneducated on the matter they are proposing make the decisions for others that are educated on the matter. Im sure some biased will play affect here, sadly.

I dont beleive it will go through, I linked the information and proposial on another forum too. But if the people affected speak out like it seems they are doing, we can hope that it will do some good. People just need to give them the figures they need, and prove to them that the effect that banning them will have, is much much worse then allowing them. The only animals i really have seen problems with are larger pythons and boas in the south, and RES all over the US. Other then that most can not survive in northern and many other states.

The only risks come from idiots.
People that dont wash there hands after holding a reptile, then eat. Just people being stupid.
Releasing a animal into the wild.
And if it comes down to risk to humans, which there is none, Dont have a 18ft. Python, if you have a 6 month old baby. and having the python not secure.

Anyway, It seems this has upset alot of people, and hopefully these well spoken indivduals will speak out.

[SJ126]

This is outragous! There should be no reason to ban them! There is not any harm in them! It's not like they can kill us in our sleep if they get out! Sure if they happen to get out then they might scare somebody but the're harmless to humans and other household pets other thatn maybey hamsters, rats, mice, and other small rodents but i don't see anybody having rodents and snakes without locks on the cages! People just need to grow up and realize that if they ban them then that won't stop anything! It's just like drugs and illegal importing of other wild animals that are illegal, it still happens! IMO this is the governments fault for being jerks and trying to control EVERYTHING that they can't! Anyone else agree with me??? I say that we should write a petition and get everyone to sighn it andthen E-mail it or print it and send it to the government and override this thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have a right! There is no justice in this! They talk about unconstitutional well i think this might be able to fall under the thing about taking away peoples rights as American citizens! Come on people lets fight this! If you agree with me then sighn under this and make a movement!




☻SJ☻

[RonCrawford]

They provide a way to voice your opinion through their website (see link above) and I'm hopeful that everyone reading this will go to the link above and share his or her comments with the government directly. There is a time-line for submitting comments so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE share your comments ASAP so we can save the Pythons and Boas!!! It starts with Pythons & Boas, then it moves to this and then that and before you know it, we're only allowed to keep stuffed animals or photos of animals and that's it. Stand up to the goverment and exercise your right to keep harmless Pythons and Boas!

SPREAD THE WORD!!! Post this information on every reptile forum you participate in and LET THE WORLD KNOW that the government is trying to stop us from keeping reptiles! Yes, it may start with Pythons and Boas but it will move on to other animals, that's a guarantee! We need to stop it NOW!

We need to speak for the animals that can't speak for themselves.

[Herphero]

any news or updates on this topic?

[hhmoore]

I happened to notice this here today (though I have been aware of the proposal for some time). Ron - thank you for not being blatantly misleading, and posting misinformation, as many have.
I do want to take a moment to clarify a couple of points for those that did not actually take the time to read the proposal...and maybe a few that just didn't get it. This is not an all out ban of boas and pythons. It is a response to a request to reclassify 3 genera (Boa, Python, Eunectes) as injurious wildlife (of course, the new listing would restrict the importation and interstate traffic of the included genera to licensed/permitted individuals or organizations). It should come as no surprise that they are looking specifically at large constrictors, so that grouping does make sense. (don't jump down my throat yet, I'm as opposed to this as any of you.) Anacondas, burmese pythons, retics, rocks, and Bcc/Bci DO have the potential for significant environmental impact - but that impact is possible only in a very specific part of our country...regardless of what some recent articles are claiming. Also, fwiw, the State that HAS experienced a problem HAS already enacted legislation to restrict ownership, so Federal intervention at this point is overkill, IMO.

I am actually pleased that they narrowed the target in the manner they did...while including your precious ball pythons might seem an outrage to most of you, it is probably that piece that will do the most to hinder its progress. As anybody that has ever dealt with the legislative process on any level will agree - once they get their minds set on something, it is tough to change them. At least with the inclusion of such a benign creature as the BP, with its HUGE fan base, there will be both greater response and greater potential for valid argument (not that there were not valid arguments against it for some of the included species, but how do you defend our right to own green anacondas or retics to the uninitiated?).

While I stated earlier that this was not an all out ban, if approved & depending on the permit requirements adopted, it could effectively reduce the trade to in-state sales. If they go with the typical, zoologic/education/scientific (ah, crap, what's the other one?, I know there is one more...research? medical?) criteria, it would knock most hobbyists and all but a small group of breeders out of the running. I have had State permits in the past, but Federal permits are a whole other ball of wax.

For those who decide to submit comments - I urge you to try to offer a well thought out statement. A reminder -- this is in the investigative phase & they are looking for information. As such, there are 10 specific questions posted. If you don't know the answers, don't BS your way through it - just address what you know. If you can't provide the information they seek, just offer valid arguments against the proposal or express your disagreement. If the best you can do is name calling, attacks on the government, crying about violations of our rights, etc - you probably shouldn't bother.

I wish I could say that the proposal doesn't stand a chance, but, despite the growing popularity, reptiles are not "mainstream". There are too many people with unjustified/irrational fears and prejudices, too many that think of them as icky and slimy and dangerous, too many that think we are weird for having them in our homes. It is very hard to justify our hobby to anybody that doesn't get it, or worse, is already against it. Luckily, this is USFW, not State or Local government. I suspect that their response will be more appropriate...meaning they will actually look at the data/information, consider the real potential for impact, and determine if the reclassification is justified.

I'm not sure if I can post this here, but KS is hosting a chat on this topic tomorrow night - Fri, Feb 29 - featuring several of the big name breeders and a representative from USFW. I haven't checked recently, but I know they were hoping to have somebody from PIJAC, too.

*of course, I do find myself wondering what the response will be when they begin to get a realization of the size the trade in those genera. Will it be "wow, this is huge...regulating this will have a tremendous financial impact (not to mention the work required to establish & enforce), or will it be " holy ****!!!! There are HOW MANY of these things out there??? That is unbelievable! We've got to get this under control."

[deborahbroadus]

Hello guys!

I have been following the topic and waiting for more information. The latest is from:
www.readexpress.com page 35 where it features a picture of a beautiful Chrondo.

Pets

U.S. considers adding more species to list of regulated snakes

Owners of pet snakes don't expect a lot of sympathy from outsiders.
So, when headlines like "Feds move to ban pythons and boas" started to show up on message boards and blogs, the hobbyist community caught fire. Hundreds rushed to post messages decrying the possibility of adding pythons and boas to the list of species that it's illegal to import or transport between states.

Snakes are more popular pets than you might believe. An estimated 4.8 million American households own one or more pet reptiles, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.
Although some special expertise is needed, the care of snakes is not time-consuming, and for many who are fascinated by them, it's hard to stop at just one. Some species are even bred for special colors and patterns, like more familiar pets.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says it is just gathering information about which species might be of environmental concern at the moment and what the economic impacts might be. No new rules have been proposed. The agency is accepting public comments until April 30, and if any new species end up being proposed to add to the regulated list, another comment period will be held.

The inquiry began after Florida began coping with a growing number of released Burmese pythons.

Snake expert David Barker of Texas says that these snakes, which can grow 20 feet long and more than 300 pounds, are valuable when they're small and when very large. But in between, at about 8 to 10 feet in length, owners often find that they've become a handful and are unable to sell them.

"They get irritable - they're teenagers, " he says. "You can't get rid of one; you can't give it away.

This can lead irresponsible owners to release their pets into the wild.

Linda Friar of Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Park says the problem there has been increasing; in 1993, they found only about 27 of these snakes, but in 2007 the number was 250, and the educated guess is that "for every one we find, [there]are 10 more."

Officials are concerned about possible effects of these snakes on native species.

Snake enthusiasts like Barker, author of two books and numerous scientific articles, don't discount environmental issues. In fact, he says he chose to focus on ball pythons back in the 1970s because he expected that they'd eventually need protection by captive breeding.

But it's somewhat understandable that snake owners react strongly to the threat of legislation, given the confusing patchwork of widely varying local and state laws that affect them.

for example, conservation regulations in some states ban the keeping of native species--even individuals bred in captivity--to protect them from being collected from the wild.

This worthy goal means it can be illegal to own, for example, a corn snake, which is a good first pet snake for children. linda Lombardi (AP)

[Buck_99]

This same article appeared in the most recent issue of Reptiles magazine. Wish I had my copy on hand here at the office to quote it, but they had an interview with a guy from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and while it is cause for concern, it does not appear to be as bad as we have feared. They are not looking to label all species within the genera as injurious. In fact, no regulation is proposed at all. They are in an information gathering mode for review on a species by species basis for the possibility of labeling some species as injurious. If they do decide to try to label some species that way, the opportunity will be provided for citizens to comment on that and fight it. They can't make the regulation without a fight. Right now, though, there's no proposed regulation to fight.

I like how Ron handled it in his well-written message. In addition, I think it is our responsibility to provide as much information as possible to the USFWS so that they can make informed recommendations.

One thing I've noticed is that there are some grass-roots movements out there to try to connect people who have unwanted herps with people who want the herps. That's a big part of the problem. The zoos have too many burmese pythons, and rescues are packed to capacity, which makes it difficult for owners to offload unwanted pets (or ones they just don't have the resources to care for anymore). They get desperate, can't bring themselves to euthanize the animal, and make their second major bad choice (the first being the acquisition of the animal to begin with) and let it go into the wild. And yet, there are folks out there who hear about that and say, "I would have taken it if I knew." We need new ways within the herping community to get these people together. We also need to discourage acquisition of these giant constrictors by anyone but the most serious and dedicated collectors.

In conclusion, I'm glad we're starting to get mobilized early, and I feel we shouldn't give an inch of ground, i.e., I personally want no snake species to be listed as injurious by the federal government. Let the states handle it (clearly the burmese python species is injurious in Florida insofar as it is a threat to endangered wildlife in the region). But at the same time, we need to approach this issue professionally and work with the USFWS in a spirit of cooperation to help them reach the right conclusions.

[jb.t3ch]

i posted my comment today.. please everyone submit your posts soon. think it deadlines 4/30/08. so far only like 268 have posted? that doesnt seem like very many. i hope alot of people wrote in.

[Kattywampus]

Wow, this is disgusting.

[PlayBall]

Just got this email from NARBC, here is something we can do

http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/166466/5c7fedf659/390111/a078bf92bb/

[NickMyers03]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwGeaQN13Q4

[dragon2285]

i'm slow as molasses, what does that video basically mean?

[NickMyers03]

its just explaining about the proposed ban