WARNING - BAN ON BOAS & PYTHONS!! - HR6311 Reintroduced as HR669

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_public...ed_012709.html

Quote:

---

Congresswoman Bordallo Introduces Bill to Protect People and Native Wildlife by Addressing Exotic Animal Importation


January 27, 2009

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International welcomed the introduction yesterday of the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (H.R. 669) in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam).

The bill is designed to prevent the introduction and establishment in the United States of nonnative wildlife species that may harm the economy, the environment, human health or native wildlife. H.R. 669 would require the federal government to assess the risk of nonnative wildlife species proposed for importation and, with public input, decide if the importation of these animals should be allowed or prohibited.

"Each year, millions of wild animals are captured overseas and imported into the United States," said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS. "This trade results in the suffering and death of large numbers of animals, poses unnecessary risks to public health and jeopardizes native wildlife populations here and abroad. We are grateful to Congresswoman Bordallo for working to address this global problem."

Imported wild animals may escape or may be let loose by owners who cannot properly care for them. These animals sometimes die from starvation, predation or exposure. Sometimes, however, they thrive — putting people, domestic pets and native wildlife at risk.

Facts

Under current regulations, the Fish and Wildlife Service can declare species "injurious," making it illegal to import these animals or sell them over state lines as pets. However, this process typically takes years to complete and occurs after species are established, when eradicating them can be expensive, inhumane and nearly impossible.
Congresswoman Bordallo represents the island of Guam, where brown tree snakes accidentally introduced after World War II have decimated native bird and lizard populations.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2005 the United States imported the following numbers of live, wild animals: nearly 88,000 mammals; 259,000 birds; more than 1 million reptiles; more than 5 million amphibians and more than 200 million fish.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora aims to ensure sustainability and humane treatment in the international wildlife trade, but many species are not covered and even covered species may be harmed by trade

---

Time for you to show your support and sign the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/u...311/index.html

I have done my part :D

Done and done. :)

Another attempt?!?

I'll do my part!

Do those online petition things actually do anything?

I somehow managed to sign it twice, oops.

/sign

Does someone have a physical address where objections to this Bill can be snail-mailed, or perhaps a phone number?

Signed. Stupid, idiotic zealots... :rolleyes::mad: They hear one or two stories, usually originating because of idiot no-knowledge keepers, and they leap onto their bandwagon of "Let's get rid of all of them!"

Sorry...MAJOR pet peeve of mine. :)

Where is this broken screens article that the ban is supposedly based on?

Signed AND e-mailed to some close friends and family. Mwahaha. I'm such a pusher for my hobby. ^_^

What are you suppose to put in the comment section?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mischke

What are you suppose to put in the comment section?

---

Whatever you think you need to say. That's your choice.

I signed the pention and I hope they don't ban boas and pythons!!
Melissa

Even if this is passed, ball pythons should be exempt from this as their wild numbers are completely in check and closely regulated. The exportation of these animals from countries such as Ghana is helping to prevent the wild populations from becoming too large while at the same time also being a very successful business for the people living there.

Well Dudes, Bring on the flaming.

I'm on the fence on this one. As one who's research is based on invasive species, I can understand the need for legislation to reduce the impact. If the hobby will not regulate itself, it is inevitable that someone else will do it for us. Although I do not agree with HR6311, as it is written, I can respect that there need to be rules. Despite what many of you seem to see as a black/white issue, there are legitimate questions to address here. The days of 'no rules, no regulation' are over. Ask anyone who has had to acquire a permit for their retic. We have the tendency to just yell 'boo-hiss' and pretend regulation is evil and will go away if we keep ignoring it. Instead, we should be looking at this as a chance to influence policy in a constructive way. Yes, we'll all be pissed if they were to shut down our breeding, but would it kill us to regulate the importation of new stock? Would it be a terrible thing to require licensing of large, powerful constrictors? Or of venomous species? Would the hobby die if that happened?

I happen to think of myself as a 'responsible' hobbyist. I believe in sustainability of as many species as we can bestow it upon. And if everyone who owned or bred herps was responsible about it, this would be a non-issue and I'd be waving pitchforks and protesting it full-force. But we're not. For every reputable, sensible individual in this industry, there are several who are not. All I ask is that you actually read the legislation and consider both sides. Don't just send radical hate mail to your congressmen. Be good stewards of your hobby and offer alternatives. The bill talks about grandfathering, so perhaps suggest it be extended to all CB stock already in the US and any subsequent offspring. Fight for better, more efficient management of importation and regulation. All I'm asking is that we use our heads instead of jumping in with emotion here.


~Kat

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JasonGranger

Even if this is passed, ball pythons should be exempt from this as their wild numbers are completely in check and closely regulated. The exportation of these animals from countries such as Ghana is helping to prevent the wild populations from becoming too large while at the same time also being a very successful business for the people living there.

---

and again, this is complete hearsay. There is no science, whatsoever, behind this. Please research your facts before furthering the rumors. Who did you hear this from? Were they, by chance, someone who benefits from importing?

~Kat

Signed

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by janeothejungle

and again, this is complete hearsay. There is no science, whatsoever, behind this. Please research your facts before furthering the rumors. Who did you hear this from? Were they, by chance, someone who benefits from importing?

~Kat

---

Check out the DVD "Ball Pythons in the Wild" by DR. Steve Gorzula, you would find this info and much more!!

Banning people from importing them into the United States would be fine with me as long as we are still able to keep, breed, and transport the ones that are already here. I don't see any reason to import 500,000 ball pythons into the United States each year. I am sure I will get flamed for this, but that is just my opinion.

I tried signing and it said that I already had. I know that is not correct unless they just carried my sig over from the previous incarnation.

Anyone else getting this???

signed twice!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by janeothejungle

Well Dudes, Bring on the flaming.

I'm on the fence on this one. As one who's research is based on invasive species, I can understand the need for legislation to reduce the impact. If the hobby will not regulate itself, it is inevitable that someone else will do it for us. Although I do not agree with HR6311, as it is written, I can respect that there need to be rules. Despite what many of you seem to see as a black/white issue, there are legitimate questions to address here. The days of 'no rules, no regulation' are over. Ask anyone who has had to acquire a permit for their retic. We have the tendency to just yell 'boo-hiss' and pretend regulation is evil and will go away if we keep ignoring it. Instead, we should be looking at this as a chance to influence policy in a constructive way. Yes, we'll all be pissed if they were to shut down our breeding, but would it kill us to regulate the importation of new stock? Would it be a terrible thing to require licensing of large, powerful constrictors? Or of venomous species? Would the hobby die if that happened?

I happen to think of myself as a 'responsible' hobbyist. I believe in sustainability of as many species as we can bestow it upon. And if everyone who owned or bred herps was responsible about it, this would be a non-issue and I'd be waving pitchforks and protesting it full-force. But we're not. For every reputable, sensible individual in this industry, there are several who are not. All I ask is that you actually read the legislation and consider both sides. Don't just send radical hate mail to your congressmen. Be good stewards of your hobby and offer alternatives. The bill talks about grandfathering, so perhaps suggest it be extended to all CB stock already in the US and any subsequent offspring. Fight for better, more efficient management of importation and regulation. All I'm asking is that we use our heads instead of jumping in with emotion here.


~Kat

---

Thank you for this. I agree with you in that way too many people, especially in this community, just jump on the bandwagon before doing their own extensive research. I did not vote because I didnt get a chance to read the broken screens article, and still no one has pointed it out, so I remain abstained.

As for the issues, I agree with you again. If the hobby cannot regulate itself such that congress does not have to intervene, then, yes, they are going to step in and I believe they have the duty to the public to do just that. I agree with permit requirements for hots, large constrictors (10+ feet), and possibly potentially invasive species. I know this last one may seem a tad much and tedius, but I think it is the keepers responsibility to think of the general public and environment just as much as the hobby.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dracovolans

Check out the DVD "Ball Pythons in the Wild" by DR. Steve Gorzula, you would find this info and much more!!

---

One movie by one doctor does not mean anything. Scientific evidence means, and only means, articles from peer-reviewed journals.

This just reminds me of all the dentist/doctor/trainer products on tv with a professional endorsement from a guy who you know got paid buku bucks to promote said product.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by janeothejungle

Well Dudes, Bring on the flaming.

I'm on the fence on this one. As one who's research is based on invasive species, I can understand the need for legislation to reduce the impact. If the hobby will not regulate itself, it is inevitable that someone else will do it for us. Although I do not agree with HR6311, as it is written, I can respect that there need to be rules. Despite what many of you seem to see as a black/white issue, there are legitimate questions to address here. The days of 'no rules, no regulation' are over. Ask anyone who has had to acquire a permit for their retic. We have the tendency to just yell 'boo-hiss' and pretend regulation is evil and will go away if we keep ignoring it. Instead, we should be looking at this as a chance to influence policy in a constructive way. Yes, we'll all be pissed if they were to shut down our breeding, but would it kill us to regulate the importation of new stock? Would it be a terrible thing to require licensing of large, powerful constrictors? Or of venomous species? Would the hobby die if that happened?

I happen to think of myself as a 'responsible' hobbyist. I believe in sustainability of as many species as we can bestow it upon. And if everyone who owned or bred herps was responsible about it, this would be a non-issue and I'd be waving pitchforks and protesting it full-force. But we're not. For every reputable, sensible individual in this industry, there are several who are not. All I ask is that you actually read the legislation and consider both sides. Don't just send radical hate mail to your congressmen. Be good stewards of your hobby and offer alternatives. The bill talks about grandfathering, so perhaps suggest it be extended to all CB stock already in the US and any subsequent offspring. Fight for better, more efficient management of importation and regulation. All I'm asking is that we use our heads instead of jumping in with emotion here.


~Kat

---

Very well stated. The problems this hobby faces have been brought on, in large part, by the hobby itself.

We have done a very poor job of self regulation on almost every level. It was inevitable that if the hobby could not show constraint, that constraint would be applied from somewhere else.

I signed it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ThyTempest

One movie by one doctor does not mean anything. Scientific evidence means, and only means, articles from peer-reviewed journals.

This just reminds me of all the dentist/doctor/trainer products on tv with a professional endorsement from a guy who you know got paid buku bucks to promote said product.

---

Do you know who Dr. Gorzula is. Thanks to his job this hobby is what it is today.

Read this..

____________________________________________

Dr. Steve Gorzula Presents - Ball Pythons in the Wild (DVD)

Embark on an amazing field trip with Dr. Steve Gorzula as he takes you on a fantastic journey through the bush of Ghana, Africa to learn about and explore ball pythons in their natural habitat!

Ball or Royal pythons (Python regius) are possibly the most popular snake species for reptile hobbyists in America. They are an extremely beautiful species having a wide variety of color and pattern mutations. They are easy to keep, very docile and rarely bite. They make fantastic pets and are a great teaching tool for schools. But, where do ball pythons come from? Have you ever seen pictures or film of them in the wild? No? Then, read on!

In 1997, Dr. Steve Gorzula led a field team to survey ball pythons in Ghana, Africa and to develop a management plan for their sustainable use. Since submitting their report to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), Ghana, Togo, and Benin have exported approximately 1.5 million ball pythons to the international pet trade, with 85% of them destined to the USA alone.

Did you know that the international pet trade of ball pythons was almost shut down? Did you also know that this survey is the reason why you can now acquire ball pythons today? In this DVD, you will accompany Dr. Steve Gorzula and his colleagues on an amazing field trip to learn about ball pythons in their natural habitat. This is "in the trenches" biology at its finest! You will meet and come face to face with many other wild animal species such as venomous spitting cobras, African pythons, imperial scorpions, dwarf crocodiles, African giant rats, "grass cutters", pangolins, and hedgehogs. If you are a ball python enthusiast, a herpetologist or a person who loves animals then this is real field biology for you!

You will witness never before seen footage of the Ewe tribe who consider the ball python to be sacred. You will be part of their annual ball python festival as you witness their sacred ceremony first hand. You'll also see and learn the importance of protocol and libation ceremonies with the local kings and chiefs of villages in Ghana.

Later, you will join inspections of exporters' installations, and see where your pet python started its journey. You will share some time with the students at the University of Kumasi as well. Finally, you will see what happens when you answer an emergency call from a school where the children were scared about the crocodiles in the pond across the street. We capture the crocodiles in the night and take them to the school the next day. The only problem is that we didn't call the school beforehand to let them know that we were bringing the crocs with us!

Dr. Steve Gorzula is a biodiversity conservation and natural resources management specialist. He has more than 30 years experience in environmental and social impacts of development projects, environmental legislation, river basin management, wildlife conservation, commercial wildlife management, the Convention on International Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), ecological inventories, human impacts on biodiversity, biomedicine, and endemic and protected areas. Of these 30 years, he has spent 24 living and working in developing countries. Dr. Steve has described two new genera and 22 new species of reptiles and amphibians. A species of frog and two species of endemic plants are named after him.

Click here to read Dr. Steve Gorzulas' official SURVEY OF THE STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ROYAL PYTHON (Python regius) IN GHANA report in Adobe PDF format.

_________________________________________

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dracovolans

Do you know who Dr. Gorzula is. Thanks to his job this hobby is what it is today.

Read this..

____________________________________________

Dr. Steve Gorzula Presents - Ball Pythons in the Wild (DVD)

Embark on an amazing field trip with Dr. Steve Gorzula as he takes you on a fantastic journey through the bush of Ghana, Africa to learn about and explore ball pythons in their natural habitat!

Ball or Royal pythons (Python regius) are possibly the most popular snake species for reptile hobbyists in America. They are an extremely beautiful species having a wide variety of color and pattern mutations. They are easy to keep, very docile and rarely bite. They make fantastic pets and are a great teaching tool for schools. But, where do ball pythons come from? Have you ever seen pictures or film of them in the wild? No? Then, read on!

In 1997, Dr. Steve Gorzula led a field team to survey ball pythons in Ghana, Africa and to develop a management plan for their sustainable use. Since submitting their report to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), Ghana, Togo, and Benin have exported approximately 1.5 million ball pythons to the international pet trade, with 85% of them destined to the USA alone.

Did you know that the international pet trade of ball pythons was almost shut down? Did you also know that this survey is the reason why you can now acquire ball pythons today? In this DVD, you will accompany Dr. Steve Gorzula and his colleagues on an amazing field trip to learn about ball pythons in their natural habitat. This is "in the trenches" biology at its finest! You will meet and come face to face with many other wild animal species such as venomous spitting cobras, African pythons, imperial scorpions, dwarf crocodiles, African giant rats, "grass cutters", pangolins, and hedgehogs. If you are a ball python enthusiast, a herpetologist or a person who loves animals then this is real field biology for you!

You will witness never before seen footage of the Ewe tribe who consider the ball python to be sacred. You will be part of their annual ball python festival as you witness their sacred ceremony first hand. You'll also see and learn the importance of protocol and libation ceremonies with the local kings and chiefs of villages in Ghana.

Later, you will join inspections of exporters' installations, and see where your pet python started its journey. You will share some time with the students at the University of Kumasi as well. Finally, you will see what happens when you answer an emergency call from a school where the children were scared about the crocodiles in the pond across the street. We capture the crocodiles in the night and take them to the school the next day. The only problem is that we didn't call the school beforehand to let them know that we were bringing the crocs with us!

Dr. Steve Gorzula is a biodiversity conservation and natural resources management specialist. He has more than 30 years experience in environmental and social impacts of development projects, environmental legislation, river basin management, wildlife conservation, commercial wildlife management, the Convention on International Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), ecological inventories, human impacts on biodiversity, biomedicine, and endemic and protected areas. Of these 30 years, he has spent 24 living and working in developing countries. Dr. Steve has described two new genera and 22 new species of reptiles and amphibians. A species of frog and two species of endemic plants are named after him.

Click here to read Dr. Steve Gorzulas' official SURVEY OF THE STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ROYAL PYTHON (Python regius) IN GHANA report in Adobe PDF format.

_________________________________________

---

Woohoo....he has done a lot for the hobby....that does not mean we should listen to everything he says. You know, cult leaders tend to do quite a bit for their subordinates, and works out wonderfully in the end sometimes....other times, they make the news for the kool-aid killing.

I still think any and all "evidence" should be from reputable sources, which in my mind means peer-reviewed materials. If this movie is from a peer-reviewed publisher, then by all means, it would be significant....if not, it does just about as much for the hobby (in this situation) as a guy who does a youtube with a stuffed animal ball python in his back yard.

for those that want to read the entire bill: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.669.IH:
there is no permit status for individuals at all.

and here is the ppl that supported this bill:

By Ms. BORDALLO (for herself, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. KIND, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, and Mr. KILDEE):

here is the current action:
Latest Major Action: 1/26/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

and a petition will not stop this in order to stop this contact your house rep here:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dracovolans

Check out the DVD "Ball Pythons in the Wild" by DR. Steve Gorzula, you would find this info and much more!!

---

Oh, I've seen it. The real question is, do YOU know who Dr. Gorzula is?? Have you read his 'expertise' in the Ghana report? (and here I will point out that Gorzula did virtually NONE of the 'research', he was just the guy they reported to, the actual authors are owned by the govt of Ghana).

One point to note is that it is strictly a CITES report, it has so little 'research' and statistical fact that it would NEVER make it into a peer-reviewed journal (which is the foundation of good science in the developed world). Gorzula, btw, is know to favor economic development over solid research, which is partly why his CV covers a wide range of topics (brittle stars?), none of them in depth. The entire paper is a monument for trying to sound legitimate when you are anything but (just throw in a random t-test and some big words).
You find it interesting that one guy is the 'authority' in a field where no other sources are available??

~Kat

I agree that yes we need regulation. BUT. The problem with bills like this is that it starts small and then gives them a foot in the door to eventually completely ban our animals.

There was recently a bill proposed in PA to ban nanday conures and some other exotics. I don't own a nanday, nor do I live in PA, but I still wrote and fought the proposal. Why? Because today it's nandays in PA, but given a foothold tomorrow it might be a species I do have and in my state.

When they propose something with some genuine thought behind it that will actually benefit the hobby and not hurt it, THEN I'll support it. But until then, I guess I'm just another "sheep on the bandwagon".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TMoore

I somehow managed to sign it twice, oops.

---

Oops, me too... ;)

After reading over the bill, I realized that they are trying to ban: owning, selling, and transporting boas and pythons across state lines, so I am against this bill.

What some of don't understand is that if this bill passes you will not be allowed to sell reptiles over state lines. That would mean that every pet store would also be affected. I personally don't know of any pet store that could supply themselves with any reptiles. And this bill is not just about reptiles. It includes mammals,fish,birds,and amphibians. This bill if passed would do nothing more than destroy more jobs in an already crumbling economy.

Yeah, the long letter I just wrote to my congressman Paul Ryan mentioned the effect this might have on the economy several times.

I honestly am not opposed to putting strict limits on the importation of animals from other countries.

But banning breeding, selling and transportin animals across states? Why? What good is that really going to do? It has no effect on the population of the wild animals in other countries. And as to animals being released into the wild and messing with our ecosystem or killing native species... You could just as easily release the animal in one state as the other.
Nobody says to themselves "Gee, I'm an irresponsible jerk and I bought a boa constrictor thinking I could keep it from getting too big and now that it is too big I want to release it into the wild (when I could see it on craigslist and make profit instead) but I don't want to release it in my state. I will release it in the state next to me. Oh wait, I can't do that now? Okay, I'll just keep it."

Banning the transport of these animals from one state to another will have absolutely no positive outcome. Only negative.

grr.:mad:

Damn, I guess the reptile industry won't be getting any of the 850+ Billion dollar economic stimulus package, huh.
I was kinda' hoping for a bailout! :salute: (it's the American Dream.)

I'm sure Million's of dollars are being spent to fight the spread of Boa's and Pythons from reaching 2/3 of the country :rolleyes:.

Maybe all of the Boa and Python breeders that they put out of business can get Government jobs catching snakes in the everglades, and we hobbyists can just start keeping feral cats.

....have they ever banned cats as pets yet? As an 'invasive' species, cats have done more harm then ANY reptiles in the US. Why isn't there a bill to regulate them?

...or maybe we should have even more goverment control......remember when the Chinese government was out clubbing everyone's dogs to death because they deamed them hazardous due to a few reported cases of rabies?

Regulation is great and all........but regulation with THIS government is ALL or NONE. No middle ground. You open the door and it gives politicians the room to write all sorts of new laws and policies......thats what they have to do to keep themselves employed.

consider me signed!!!

Signed it.
It would help if we all wrote letters or called also.

Where the heck do you sign it? I'm not seeing it....

i'd sign, but whats the point? its just an online petition which are ignored more so than an actual written petition. why? because there isn't a way to verify the signatures. unless you are writing to your actual political representative, you are wasting you time.

Signed and signed. I really hope these ppl get their heads out of their you know whats and stop trying to propose this. It is really a pointless proposition. I could understand maybe some sort of necessary certification of something along those lines as opposed to a ban. Hell they could make you take some test or class on snakes and charge you or something I really wouldnt mind. But hey who am I but some schmo who keep "dangerous animal" that in a heartbeat would eat your children. lol. I hope they get some sense about them. :please::please::please::please:

Well If I read that correctly its still just a ban on importing animals correct? Not on banning the owning of boas or pythons. Which I am sure im missing the bigger picture here but I don't and wouldn't knowingly buy a WC animal anyways so whats the deal. Still a stupid proposal but I don't see it affecting us too much right? Or do wild caught animals play more of a role than I am thinking. I am only talking about snakes here not lizards or amphibians which I know there's a lot of wild caught specimens out there. Just curious. I tend to read more into things than is really there sometimes. Please correct me if I am missing the bigger picture here as politely as possible :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sg1trogdor

Well If I read that correctly its still just a ban on importing animals correct? Not on banning the owning of boas or pythons. Which I am sure im missing the bigger picture here but I don't and wouldn't knowingly buy a WC animal anyways so whats the deal. Still a stupid proposal but I don't see it affecting us too much right? Or do wild caught animals play more of a role than I am thinking. I am only talking about snakes here not lizards or amphibians which I know there's a lot of wild caught specimens out there. Just curious. I tend to read more into things than is really there sometimes. Please correct me if I am missing the bigger picture here as politely as possible :D

---

is not a proposal this is an actual bill introduced before the house of representatives. this is all animals period from importation!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nixer

is not a proposal this is an actual bill introduced before the house of representatives. this is all animals period from importation!

---

Booh.

ill do my part

Bump to top

I just wanted to share some thoughts on the subject so people know exactly what this bill is about.

1. No Importing/Exporting of any Non-Native Wildlife. I understand the number of Ball Pythons that come into the US can be ridiculous at times. But does that mean go ahead and stop Importing/Exporting of all Boas/Pythons? That would mean Epicrates Subflavus and Morelia Boeleni would both most likely not be kept in captive collections anymore. :tears:

2. Cannot Transportation between State lines. That basically means you cannot sell anything outside of your own state, which if you go down to #4, this would affect all of the same people and businesses!

3. Cannot violate any Term/Condition of a Permit System. That goes without saying. Although it doesn't matter if you can't own anything.

4. Cannot Possess, Sell, Purchase, or Barter any snake that is not allowed to be Imported/Exported. So basically this is the Goodbye to the hobby. Breeders, Rodent Suppliers, Rodent Food Suppliers, Bedding Companies, Reptile Supply Companies, Cage Companies, Exotic Pet Stores, etc. etc. etc. will all either be drastically affected, if not completely put out of business.

5. Cannot release any non-native wildlife into the wild. Goes without saying.

6. Cannot breed any non-native wildlife. Well, there goes everyone that has ever bred a Python/Boa or ever planned/dreamed on breeding a Python/Boa. There goes captive collections in only a matter of years, especially if no new animals are being brought in.


I can't understand how anyone could agree with this bill in anyway what-so-ever. This would of course have an impact on the economy and thousands upon thousands of businesses and lives. I know that a lot of you think that the numbers of Ball Pythons coming into the United States should be cut back and that's fine, but this bill is NOT the answer.

I can see where people are coming from on the large constrictors. But I can tell you once they start putting regulations on them, they are going to get more and more strict until the point that you just can't keep them anymore. Does anyone actually think they're just going to stop at large constrictors and not continue to put more regulations on owning exotic reptiles?

I strongly feel people really need to start fighting for this hobby as a whole and not just what they like and keep. This hobby will never make it if we can't ban together and fight for it entirely. We can't just fight for Ball Pythons guys/gals, there are many other species that aren't as commonly kept that need our help too!:snake:

There are many species, people, and businesses that would be affected by this, so PLEASE write your congressman. Be polite and sensible with your letters, there are many things that will be affected aside from just your rights to keep reptiles. :salute:

I have many thoughts on this and I just wanted to share a few. Thanks everyone.

I've signed the petition, and sent out the message it gives you, on the email to forward to friends, to all my 1,010 contacts on youtube, through a big broadcast message.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill...?bill=h111-669

That's a link to the full text of H.R. 669, if anyone hasn't already found it

Keep in mind folks, that "Non-native wildlife" includes a lot more than the reptiles we love - near as I can see, that definition would include every single non-domesticated animal. By its strictest definition, that could be just about every single non-native species except cats, dogs and traditional livestock.

That's parakeets.

Ferrets.

Canaries.

Hamsters.

Parrots.

Guinea pigs.

Tropical fish, from neon tetras to snakeheads. Tilapia? Who's writing the definitions? P.E.T.A.? Hope you like tofu.

The upside is - we're not quite alone here - though the bird hobby has already lost most of its importing, they still rely on captive breeding and transportation across State lines. So does the tropical fish industry. (And compare the size of the fish section with the size of the reptile section at your local pet shop.) Of course, there'll be exceptions made for laboratory research - which H.S.U.S. and P.E.T.A. activists can then concentrate their efforts on - and release all those animals into the environment.

My (fairly cynical) $.02 - and I may owe you change.

~Bruce