USARK: Tinley Park is about to be swarmed... by herp enthusiasts!

[Homebody]

View this email in your browser Tinley Park is about to be swarmed... by herp enthusiasts! This weekend, thousands of herp keepers from across the globe will be in Tinley Park for NARBC. For many, this is their favorite show of the year, and for good reason. This show has a great atmosphere and genuine camaraderie. If you need feeder insects, scroll down to see the awesome offer for FREE Vita-Bugs from Timberline! The Saturday night auction is always huge. Stick around after the show to support the herp community. Thanks to Brian and Bob for their continued USARK support! The auction has both live and silent portions so there are opportunities for everyone. Show attendees can come and hang out with the vendors while enjoying the always amusing antics performed by Brian Potter. Show Schedule: March 15-16 Friday: Setup and VIP only Saturday: 10:00-5:00 (VIP at 7:30 AM) see bottom of newsletter for more details Auction: 6:00 PM Saturday in the show convention center (room opens at 5:30 for preview, if possible) Sunday: 11:00-4:00 (VIP at 10:00 AM) Location: Tinley Park Convention Center 18451 Convention Center Drive Tinley Park, IL 60477 More information athttps://www.narbc.com/. AUCTION NOTES: There will be adult-oriented language and shenanigans at the auction. While everyone is welcome, parents should be advised if bringing children. There will be appetizers and a cash bar. You must buy tickets at the auction door for admittance. FREE Vita-Bugs at Tinley! From Timberline - "Tinley Park, you guys absolutely knocked it out of the park in the spring and we know you're going to do it again! You've got one more chance to support our great friends at USARK! Donate at least $5 to our friends at USARK and take home some Vita-Bug feeders! Last time you guys wiped out our inventory for the show so reserve yours today!" LINK: https://store.timberlinefresh.com/pages/show ALERTS& UPDATESALERT: South Carolina Venomous Ban UPDATE 3/10/25: This bill is scheduled to be heard by the Wildlife Subcommittee on Wednesday, March 19th at 12:30 PM. The location is: Blatt Building Room 409, 1105 Pendleton St, Columbia, SC 29201. Written testimony should be emailed to EllieHayes@schouse.gov. You can also email to register to speak. Send another comment even if you have already done so, and any stakeholders should attend the hearing to oppose in person. South Carolina House Bill 3937 (H3937) was introduced on Feb. 6, 2025 by Representative Hixon. It will ban venomous reptiles (list below). The bill makes it illegal to import into, possess, keep, purchase, have custody or control of, reproduce, or sell within this State. Current owners can get permits and must register their animals within 90 days of the effective date. Get full details at https://usark.org/25sc/. ALERT: Washington "Do Not Release" Brochure UPDATE 2/18/24: The hearing just ended. HB1976 received only favorable verbal testimony but dozens of people opposed the bill through the online system. USARK testified in favor with suggestions to make the end product better, such as a simpler postcard with basic information, QR code, and accompanying website, which the state already has through its Don’t Let It Loose resource. No vote occurred today. House Bill 1976 had its first reading today (Feb. 14) and will require pet stores to provide a brochure with all animal and aquatic plant sales. The brochure, produced by the Washington Invasive Species Council, will include information about invasive species, the importance of not releasing animals, and what to do if you can no longer care for animals or aquatic plants. This will provide education and resources to people buying animals and aquatic plants. If the brochure is done well, this could be a great effort that supports responsible animal ownership. HB1976 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources on February 18 at 10:30 a.m. Get more information at https://usark.org/25wa/. ALERT: Colorado UPDATE 1/22/25: The PACFA meeting was today. USARK and three stakeholders attended in person (who all did great when speaking), with a few more in attendance virtually. Email comments to cda_pacfa@state.co.us. Read the full alert at www.usark.org/24co2. The Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA) Program under the Colorado Department of Agriculture has drafted new regulations and amendments. Changes apply to herp, bird, fish, and mammal regulations. There is a link in our alert with the changes marked in red and described in detail (last several pages). This is a first draft for review, and PACFA is taking input from stakeholders. We appreciate PACFA working with stakeholders. Rule changes include: + Enclosure requirements and minimum thresholds before requiring a PACFA license for certain reptiles and amphibians + Exemptions from sterilization requirements for cats and dogs in shelters and rescues + Vaccination requirements for dogs, cats, and ferrets imported into PACFA-licensed facilities + Adding definitions and rules around foster homes and foster providers Light Bulb Ban Read more information with action alert at https://usark.org/24doe/. In 2022, the Department of Energy (“Department”) passed a regulation that banned certain incandescent light bulbs. Basically, light bulbs are deemed inefficient if they do not emit a certain amount of lumens per watt. This was meant to transition from less efficient bulbs to more efficient lighting, like LED bulbs. Reptile lighting is a specialty item and is not used for general-purpose lighting in homes and businesses. However, certain bulbs were reviewed solely on how many lumens they produced per watt. Herp keepers know that halogen and basking bulbs are not used in household lamps for general lighting. Read the rest and take action at https://usark.org/24doe/. ALERT: Connecticut Animal Breeder Regulations UPDATE 2/21: HB5902 failed to be “raised” before the deadline, which was today. The bill is dead for this session. Thank you for your support that made USARK’s work on this bill possible! Connecticut House Bill 5902 would ban the breeding of animals unless the person or company is licensed by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture to create guidelines for the breeding of animals, develop a breeder registry, collect registration fees, and perform annual inspections of such breeders. Alert at https://usark.org/25ct/. ALERT: Connecticut Exotic Animal Ban UPDATE 2/21: HB5905 failed to be “raised” before the deadline, which was today. The bill is dead for this session. Thank you for your support that made USARK’s work on this bill possible! Connecticut House Bill 5905 would ban the trade of exotic animals. Alert at https://usark.org/25ct1/. ALERT: NY RES Turtle Trade Ban New York Assembly Bill A1685 bans the breeding, sale, trade, purchase, importation, and exportation of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). Some exemptions exist, but not for private breeders. There is no grandfathering language, so any current breeders would not be allowed to continue. The bill does not ban possession, and current owners should not be affected. Alert at https://usark.org/25ny-2/. ALERT: ESA Modernization Bill HR102 was introduced by Representative Andy Biggs (Arizona). This bill amends the Endangered Species Act to prevent a species that is not native to the United States from being listed as an endangered or threatened species. Alert athttps://usark.org/25esa/. ALERT: Amelia County, VA Read the full alert athttps://usark.org/24va/. Amelia County is discussing potential changes to its exotic animal ordinance. Stakeholders should engage in the process. ALERT: Diamondback Terrapin ESA Listing Snippet: On September 19, 2024, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service (informally known as NOAA Fisheries and an agency within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA) to list the Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA)... Read the full alert at https://usark.org/24esa3/. ARTICLE: "Light bulb ban threatens reptile, amphibian welfare" by the Veterinary Infomation Network snippet: "The ban should be a concern of animal caretakers for many species," said Latney, a senior veterinarian at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center who also is chair of the Association for Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV). "This is particularly true for captive reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammal species that have limited exposure to natural, unfiltered sunlight." Read the full article at https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&Id=12254509&f5=1. Fundraising Run Across Texas Marcin is a Marine on a Texas-sized mission (literally)! Marcin of Bigger Better Reptiles is going to take an 850-mile trek across the state of Texas. This will be his longest run, and he is doing it as a fundraiser for USARK. From Marcin: "USARK is fighting for our rights as reptile keepers. Our way of life is constantly being threatened, and it is important that we have people fighting for us so that we can continue pursuing our passion with these animals. We want to raise money for them to help fund their cause. We plan to start running on March 21st, 2025. Let’s make this happen! Thanks, y’all." SPONSORS WANTED: Anyone interested in sponsorships or contributing to this effort, please email biggerbetterreptiles@gmail.com. They have an online donation site (SpotFund) at https://www.spotfund.com/story/adaf23f2-7beb-43da-be49-45bb9dfdb96e. Thank you, Marcin and BBR! . TAKE A HERP KEEPING SURVEY (and be entered to win cash prizes)! It only takes 5-10 minutes! Winners for cash prizes (up to $500) will be selected randomly in March 2025. All entrants will receive a free digital subscription to The Keeper magazine. The survey asks basic questions, including what species you keep, how many, in what types of enclosures, and years of experience. This survey is brought to you by Responsible Reptile Keeping (RRK). Take the survey at https://survey.responsiblereptilekeeping.com/. Learn more about RRK at https://responsiblereptilekeeping.org/. The Reptile Talks Registration is open! After a successful first event, it is almost time for the second installment of The Reptile Talks. Join us in Anaheim, California, May 16-18. This conference is an effort to promote inclusion and provide content that is of benefit to the entire hobby, not just one segment or another. They are doing all of this to promote the responsible keeping of reptiles and amphibians under human care, with all funds left over after operational costs donated to USARK. Thank you, The Reptile Talks! PLUS, your registration now includes a FREE USARK shirt! Select your size when registering. Current speaker list: Philippe de Vosjoli -one of the founding fathers of modern herpetoculture Mike Stefani - Mike’s Monitors Ed Kammer -Kammerflage Kreations Michael Cole - Ballroom Pythons South & USARK FL Roxana Peña Popo - Research Coordinator at Amphibian Foundation Ari Flagle - Reptilandia Reptile lagoon Armen Keuylian - HerpTime Mark Miles - Pythons by Mark Miles Bonnie Person - Verdant Vivariums Cameron Lamb - Cameron Lamb Exotics Zac Loughman -professor of biology at West Liberty University Roy Arthur Blodgett - Wellspring Herpetoculture Schedule: May 16: evening icebreaker May 17: talks from 9:00-5:00 and benefit auction at 6:00 May 18: talks from 9:30-5:00 Register and book a hotel room at https://www.thereptiletalks.com/register. See the speaker list and talk information at https://www.thereptiletalks.com/speakers-1. Website: https://www.thereptiletalks.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thereptiletalks Instagram: @thereptiletalks BOA SHIRTS and NEW SWAG are now shipping! They just arrived, so get yours now! Three styles are available, but two are very limited. Click the image or this link to BUY NOW! https://usark.org/shop/ This screen-printed cotton/polyester blend shirt is extremely soft and wrinkle-resistant. FREE sticker and shipping! Adeline Robinson created the artwork at https://www.adelinerobinsonart.com. 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. Copyright © 2025 USARK, All rights reserved.

[Malum Argenteum]

Tinley is a fun expo. Go, and you might even see a ball python!

[Homebody]

Tinley is a fun expo. Go, and you might even see a ball python!

A ball python! Really? Aren't they from Africa? That's crazy!

[Bogertophis]

A ball python! Really? Aren't they from Africa? That's crazy!

[Malum Argenteum]

A ball python! Really? Aren't they from Africa? That's crazy!

I guess they are. I don't know -- they're pretty rare.

I shouldn't be so harsh -- there's not a horrible selection of other reptiles, though I think if it had half the BP vendors that would still be great plenty. It is mostly leos, cresties and BPs, but I guess that mirrors the hobby in general.

It is a decent event, though, so if anyone hasn't been there it is worth the trip if only for the spectacle, and to meet famous herp people if you're into that sort of thing. Great place to pick up enclosure supplies, too -- cork bark and coco chips and stuff.