Two shows. Same weekend. Auction news. + TTPG Conference
It will be a busy weekend! USARK will be at NARBC St. Louis and the Phoenix Reptile Expo this weekend. There will NOT be a live auction on Saturday night at NARBC St. Louis. Bill and Sarah from Badgerland Reptile Rescue will be running the USARK booth at NARBC. They will accept items from donors, as we plan to hold silent auctions on Saturday and Sunday during the show (depending on donations).
There will be a live auction at the Phoenix Reptile Expo, with proceeds going to the Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group (TTPG) and USARK. The auction will start at 6:00 PM on Saturday night.
Phoenix Reptile Expo details: http://www.phxreptileexpo.com/
NARBC St. Louis details: https://www.narbc.com/StLouis/show_info_narbc_stlouis.html
Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group: https://www.ttpg.org/
Brand New Youth Shirts are Shipping Now!
You can see the great new design at the bottom of this newsletter. The artwork was done by Adeline Robinson, and this cotton/polyester blend shirt is extremely soft and wrinkle-resistant. They will be available at the Phoenix Reptile Expo this weekend and online.
Order yours at https://usark.org/product/usark-t-shirt-adeline-robinson-youth/.
ALERT: Colorado Herp Rule Review
ALERT UPDATE: Borneo Earless Monitor ESA Listing
Posted August 13: On August 14, 2025, FWS will open a comment period on the proposed rule to list the Borneo earless monitor ( Lanthanotus borneensis) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Previous comments need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.
Full details at https://usark.org/25esa2/.
Wisconsin Herp Rule Review
UPDATE 10/2/25: Today’s hearing was just to state that DNR will review and possibly amend the state’s herp rules. There remains no public or formal proposal for changes. The scope will focus on Wisconsin native herps and possibly invasive species. We will keep you updated as this moves through the rulemaking process.
Posted 7/16/25: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is initiating a comprehensive review of all herp regulations in an “effort to clarify and update existing regulations to better inform the public, law enforcement, and department staff regarding allowable activities, improve enforceability, and implement current management goals.” There may be additional rule changes reasonably related to what was mentioned prior.
Read more at https://usark.org/25wi/.
ALERT: Lincoln County, NC
UPDATE 9/8/25: The Commissioners reported that the “exotic animal” section was pulled from the agenda because work continues on that proposal (presumably due to opposition to the previous draft). Only the other amendments were introduced tonight (see link below), and those will have a vote on September 15. The current exotic animal ordinance remains in place.
UPDATE 9/2/25: The draft has been released, and a meeting has been set for Monday, September 8. The new proposal bans ferrets, most aquarium fish, sugar gliders, Rock iguanas, and more. It has no grandfather provision for currently owned pets, and many species are in limbo as they are listed as neither allowed nor banned.
Full details at https://usark.org/25nc/.
ALERT UPDATE: Blue Tree Monitor ESA Listing Get full details at https://usark.org/25esa1/. The emergency rule ended on August 25, 2025. Breeders can currently ship blue tree monitors. We will notify our members of changes or when the final rule is posted by FWS.
ALERT: Southern Hognose ESA Listing Posted 8/28/25: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to list the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). FWS has found that the southern hognose faces serious threats from habitat loss and degradation as a result of land conversion and fragmentation, causing loss of connectivity between populations, road mortality, invasive species (red ants, feral hogs, and cogongrass), and climate change.
Full details at https://usark.org/25esa3/.
Find A Vet Need a good herp veterinarian? The Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) can help. ARAV provides a free Find-A-Vet service at http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661.
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