Must Read For Louisiana Residents!!!

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Warren J. Triche of Thibodaux, LA has introduced HB783 which changes state law from "Constrictors over 12 feet" to just "Constrictors". This means that owners of ball pythons, Mexican milks & kings and any other non-indigenous constrictor would need a permit! Please contact Representative Triche and ask him to pull HB783. Contact your State Representative and ask them not to support HB783 and to vote against it. Contact Wilfred Pierre, Chairman of the House Natural Resource Commmittee and Jack D. Smith, Vice-Chair and ask them to kill HB783 in their committee. Ask as many people as you can to make contacts; the more contacts that are made, the more effective our message will be. House switchboard: 225-342-6945 email: webreps@legis.state.la.us (put Representative's name on the subject line)

~Bill Watts, Chairman
Legislative Committee
Louisiana Gulf Coast Herpetological Society, Inc.
504-710-8456

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What's with the new bills lately? Maybe they should require classes, tests, and licenses for keeping dogs, cats, birds, gerbils, hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, bunnies, ferrets, and pot-bellied pigs. But not fish...that'd just be silly! :rolleyes:

They have plenty of other thing's to worry about

IMO...the people pushing for this are uneducated idiots. They have no idea of the number of people who own snakes labeled as "constrictors". If it does actually get passed they will have to issue an ASTRONOMICAL amount of permits....just imagine people would have to have a permit to own any kingsnake, milksnake, python, and boa. It is getting out of hand. I think politicians have to propose so many bills a year so they pick easy stuff to pick on like this.....I HATE POLITICS!

Here is the proposed bill:
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdat...asp?did=373425

The more I see laws like these as well as the one for NYC, I am thankful and grateful for the FL law which clearly state species of Giant snakes rather than lumping a Ball Python with a Retic.

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Originally Posted by ssscales

The more I see laws like these as well as the one for NYC, I am thankful and grateful for the FL law which clearly state species of Giant snakes rather than lumping a Ball Python with a Retic.

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The current law only puts regulations on pythons and boas once they exceed 12 ft in length......It does not matter what species of snake it is as long as it is not over 12 ft or venomous. So technically I could own a burm or retic without the permit....as long as it does not exceed 12 ft.

This new bill wants to make the situation that you are talking about. It is way out of hand to group ball pythons with larger constrictors....and the way that the bill is stated you would have to have a permit to own smaller species like children's pythons, honduran milksnakes, and cali kings.

I know this is currently a "Louisiana" issue.....but this is an INDUSTRY issue. Even if your state allows you to have reptiles, how can you expect to sell any if everyone else is prohibited to own them?

What are all of your view's on size limit's , I personaly like the 12ft plus limitation or permit requisite. The reason I feel this is for the animal and impulse buyer who does not know what he or she is getting into.

Such impossing limits do not suprise me anymore. This just seems to be the trend these days, with politicians wanting to please a certain group or groups for short term political gains in order to stay in office come november :tricho:

Irresponsible Burm owner's in South florida are partly to Blame , poor snake's get thrown away in the glade's all the time.Estimate's are in the Hundred's and maybe that's low.

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Originally Posted by emilio

Irresponsible Burm owner's in South Florida are partly to Blame , poor snake's get thrown away in the glade's all the time.Estimate's are in the Hundred's and maybe that's low.

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This was an issue before FL Burm owners, FL incidents just put it in the worldwide media spot light and brought a lot of negative publicity to the issue. That picture with the gator showed this snakes overpowering a 6ft gator, and it wasn't in another country on the Discovery Channel, it was in our backyard!

I said this would happen last year when that Burm killed that gator and pics of it went around the world. Not too mention the others that got on the news shortly after, swallowing cats and found near playgrounds where kids played. People went into panic mode thinking some giant snake was going to swallow their kids! Not too mention the effects it was going to have in the Everglades.

Irresponsible herpers in general are to blame. When you've got a 16ft Burm or 5ft monitor in a 400sqft apartment in NYC under less than healthy conditions, it's a problem. When some kid carries a rattle snake to school and it bites a classmate, it's a problem. When a boa is lose in a buildings plumbing and crawls out of a toilet while grandma is taking a dump, it's a problem. When a loose boa swallows grandma's puppy while it taking a leak, it's a problem. Selling snakes to kids (especially the giant snakes) just because they have $50.00, is a problem.

Of course when compared to dog and cat incidents, snakes are zero on the radar!! But you must remember, snakes are one of the most hated and feared creatures on earth to the general public.


Personally, I'm fairly happy with the Florida law since it does not restrict all boas & pythons in general. Some states have banned all non-native snakes, no permits, just outlawed!

I agree, it is a problem for all of us! Whether your state is thinking about this or not, it will sooner or later. If a law has been passed in your state that works with herpers, we need to support it! If it's not working, sooner or later they may ban all our boas & pythons!

I think the herp community in general is still in a denial stage, where most feel it won't effect them so who cares.

This bill has been passed in the house, and is now being put to the LA state senate...

....I have contacted my state senator already...and I will continue to until this is shot down....

...all I can say is that if this is passed, I will be looking for jobs in Texas and Mississippi instead of Louisiana.

Here's what's sad. I agree pets should have the same care as people, yet, they are putting more focus on the care of pets, then the care of people (ie children in abusive house holds) So, if they can go this far, why not do it for the sake of children?

....you know what is funny.....Louisiana has no state laws for venomous lizards....I could own a gila without anytype of licence etc.....but they are going to put restrictions on animals like cali kings, hondo milksnakes, etc.......it is just plain ignorant...the bill in LA was supported by an extreame animal rights activist that is constantly making trouble for pet owners in Louisiana....and the way that the summary of the bill is posted makes it sound like no laws are currently in effect, I think that is the only reason that it got passed in the house....

even if that law passes you will still be grand fatherd out of it. so you cant get any more but you can keep the ones you have . (but who is to say the ones you have had babys and that is why you have more now.) i wouldent worry these typs of laws rarely get passed. i do agree that a 30 ft anaconda should be in some kind of a secure cage that is inspected by the goverment officals. think if one of those got out it could kill a todler in the neaighbors yard. then the owner would go to jail. and the snake would be put down. not all people are carless. and i doubt the people on this site reading this would be careless with a a huge snake like that. but there are people in this world that simply do not take care of there animals. and let them run wild. it sux for the rest of us who are responsible and enjoy and cherish our critters.

fish

Daniel,

This is terrible news! Something like this happened in Texas a few years ago concerning native species. Many keepers that had wonderful long term collections of many native species including gray banded kingsnakes ending up giving away their collections and falling into depression. The law mandated visits from officials, yearly permits and information about ALL people involved. This is a serious threat and I hope you have better luck than the Texas herpers had!

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Originally Posted by fish21

even if that law passes you will still be grand fatherd out of it. so you cant get any more but you can keep the ones you have . (but who is to say the ones you have had babys and that is why you have more now.)

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....this bill getting passed is a BIG deal. If this one passes, next year they will be trying to outlaw stuff. Politicians have to keep making up new rules....if they did not...they would not have jobs.

I have aspirations of breeding my pythons and obtaining more so this is driving me nuts. Just because I would be grandfathered in does not mean that I will not have to pay for permits on my current animals...it just means I will not have to go through the process to get them.

Perhaps a long term project of someone of this site should be to draw up a report card for each of the 50 states on reptile laws and regulations.

As a future breeder of ball pythons - this is actually a question I've wondered. Do breeders have to know the laws of each state, so that they don't sell to someone in a state that bans them? Who does the responsibility lie with?


In GA, you can't own any NON-venomous indigenous snake without a permit, but you CAN own venomous indigenous snakes. Non-venomous non-indigenous snakes are legal (for now - so ball pythons are legal).

Now, how does PetCo get away with selling corn snakes in GA since it's not legal to own them?

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Originally Posted by rabernet

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how does PetCo get away with selling corn snakes in GA since it's not legal to own them?

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The same way people get away with selling fireworks in PA.....I believe Its illegal to own them, but not sell them...hell I think some local police/fire depts in PA sell them for revenue.

Plus no one is going to close PetCo...there a big, big company...probably rather beat up on the small breeders instead...

You pose a lot of good questions though,,,hopefully an experienced breeder (with his attroney by his side...j/k) will chime in....ahhh how litigious we are....

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Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls

I believe Its illegal to own them, but not sell them...

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So - doesn't PetCo technically "own" them until they're sold? :confuzd:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

So - doesn't PetCo technically "own" them until they're sold? :confuzd:

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True.....Hey are you a lawyer? :P

Nope! LOL