problem with w.c. gravids from africa!!!!!!!

I personally think it's sad that so many snakes are imported just for people to keep.

Superballs - I see... it's a serious subject and no one should disagree with you. Here's a quick fact... importing is a touchy subject with lots of people on either side of the idea, and a lot of folks in between who feel importing of some should stop, but only if it's a certain species.. or only gravids.

You posted comments, and it's getting discussed. YOUR posts will be read and commented on as well as the idea itself. And totally off-topic.. why do you constantly capitalize "Me" in your posts? Is it to emphasize that only your opinion should be agreed with in the thread? Is it just to emphasize that it's just YOUR opinion, and not a fact? I'm just wondering, because I rarely see people capitalize the word "Me" like that.

Curious is,

SUPERBALLS, do you end every post with an insult to someone? Grow up? Go back to high school? So, anyone who has a differing opinion from yours needs to "grow up?"

If everyone thinks the same way, why do we need these forums?

And my high school taught punctuation. :colbert:

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Originally Posted by DutchHerp

I personally think it's sad that so many snakes are imported just for people to keep.

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And yet this is how the hobby of keeping almost every animal started.

Can't you just picture all of those African trappers out in the bush with their sexing probes and portable ultrasound machines looking for gravid females?

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

Tell that to the Catholics who are always pounding on my door :rolleyes:

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last time i checked it was the baptists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, those born again christan cults and those mormons that go door to door

I would caution the participants of this thread to be careful about the insults. Consider this a warning.

Everyone should be able to present their position on the subject without resorting to name calling and personal insults.

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Originally Posted by stormwulf133

And yet this is how the hobby of keeping almost every animal started.

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Of course, this is true.

I love my snakes but just think that the importation of snakes is a little overdone. After all, KEEPING snakes should be a bonus. Snakes not here for us, they're here because Mother Nature intended it so.

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Originally Posted by DutchHerp

Of course, this is true.

I love my snakes but just think that the importation of snakes is a little overdone. After all, KEEPING snakes should be a bonus. Snakes not here for us, they're here because Mother Nature intended it so.

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Keep in mind, depending on religious beliefs, even that may not be true.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Can't you just picture all of those African trappers out in the bush with their sexing probes and portable ultrasound machines looking for gravid females?

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:8: LOL :gj:

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

If you put down your pitchfork for a moment, you would understand what Tracy actually had to say. No, I don't have a transcript in front of me, but this is along the lines of what she said... (paraphrasing here)

"Our captive populations and gene pool is sustainable without continued importation of ball pythons."

I don't recall her ever saying she didn't import animals. In fact, she is one of the first people to get different wild caught species to successfully breed, hatch and live in captivity, even though she may not work with each species any more.

They do still import other species of snake. Species that do not have high numbers here in the US.

She firmly believes that continuing to import ball pythons is not needed. Never has she said she hasn't imported them, or that they aren't importing any other snake species.

It's good advice to get your facts straight before you start calling someone a hypocrite.

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The credibility of a reformed ball python importer will be restored when their new found convictions compel them to pass up on the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the next new morph dug out of a hole in Ghana.

The cry of the reptile philanthropist: "Leave those poor [normal] ball pythons alone. Let them live their lives in the wild!!! We have enough captive bred production to sustain the pet trade." ...oooh!!! Look at that pretty new morph they just found. I'll take it!!!

That IS hypocrisy. People don't get to preach to the masses about the virtues of supporting the trade with only captive bred animals and then pluck the choice animals from the wild whet it suits them. People should have the courage of their convictions.

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Originally Posted by ColinWeaver

The credibility of a reformed ball python importer will be restored when their new found convictions compel them to pass up on the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the next new morph dug out of a hole in Ghana.

The cry of the reptile philanthropist: "Leave those poor [normal] ball pythons alone. Let them live their lives in the wild!!! We have enough captive bred production to sustain the pet trade." ...oooh!!! Look at that pretty new morph they just found. I'll take it!!!

That IS hypocrisy. People don't get to preach to the masses about the virtues of supporting the trade with only captive bred animals and then pluck the choice animals from the wild whet it suits them. People should have the courage of their convictions.

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Yes!!!!

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Originally Posted by ColinWeaver

The credibility of a reformed ball python importer will be restored when their new found convictions compel them to pass up on the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the next new morph dug out of a hole in Ghana.

The cry of the reptile philanthropist: "Leave those poor [normal] ball pythons alone. Let them live their lives in the wild!!! We have enough captive bred production to sustain the pet trade." ...oooh!!! Look at that pretty new morph they just found. I'll take it!!!

That IS hypocrisy. People don't get to preach to the masses about the virtues of supporting the trade with only captive bred animals and then pluck the choice animals from the wild whet it suits them. People should have the courage of their convictions.

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Such advanced thinking....and from a guy who lives on the wrong coast too. Wow.

Back in the day, the day before balls were the super snake and burms were the bees knees tracy and dave told a bunch of lies and did some underhanded stuff to get in on those burms.

Of course that was burms and almost 20 years ago and who remembers that far back, but they were not nice people to those who stood in their way back then.

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Originally Posted by wilomn

and burms were the bees knees

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Totally off the subject but I didn't know ANYONE still used that saying LOL

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Originally Posted by stormwulf133

Totally off the subject but I didn't know ANYONE still used that saying LOL

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Chronologically, compared you you young whippersnappers here, I'm pretty dang old.

We won't even go close to mentally.

Now, where are my glasses....

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Originally Posted by wilomn

Such advanced thinking....and from a guy who lives on the wrong coast too. Wow.

Back in the day, the day before balls were the super snake and burms were the bees knees tracy and dave told a bunch of lies and did some underhanded stuff to get in on those burms.

Of course that was burms and almost 20 years ago and who remembers that far back, but they were not nice people to those who stood in their way back then.

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I wouldn't even begin to expect a straight-answer explanation about this post, so I won't ask for one. I just want to say this...

What I've learned from spending some personal time with some of these big breeders, including having dinner with Dave and Tracy at their house and spending a few days with Kevin and Kara at NERD, as well as meeting many others face-to-face and hanging out at after-show parties...

There's not a single "big" breeder that doesn't have someone accusing them of having some underhanded, unethical, hypocritical behavior in their past.

My feeling is that in the days of stiff competition for truly rare, high-dollar investment-potential animals...ANYone who lost out on a "sweet" deal would feel like the "winner" must have cheated to get there. Not to say I believe there wasn't growling and eye-scratching going on...but if you listen to everyone talking about everyone else, not a single one comes out smelling particularly pretty. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by JLC

I wouldn't even begin to expect a straight-answer explanation about this post, so I won't ask for one. I just want to say this...

What I've learned from spending some personal time with some of these big breeders, including having dinner with Dave and Tracy at their house and spending a few days with Kevin and Kara at NERD, as well as meeting many others face-to-face and hanging out at after-show parties...

There's not a single "big" breeder that doesn't have someone accusing them of having some underhanded, unethical, hypocritical behavior in their past.

My feeling is that in the days of stiff competition for truly rare, high-dollar investment-potential animals...ANYone who lost out on a "sweet" deal would feel like the "winner" must have cheated to get there. Not to say I believe there wasn't growling and eye-scratching going on...but if you listen to everyone talking about everyone else, not a single one comes out smelling particularly pretty. :rolleyes:

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And when you were there and know all parties involved you can make statements that are not suppositions.