Maryland DNR considering new reptile rules to save native species

[bcr229]

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/new-r...yland/73606978

WESTMINSTER, Md. —
Maryland wildlife officials are considering changing the rules for keeping and breeding some reptiles and amphibians that are native to the state.


WBAL-TV 11 News explains why and what officials say people should not do if they already own one of these animals.


"(The) diamondback terrapin (is) ... the first one that comes to mind, the namesake for the University of Maryland Terps," said Dean Pennington, the owner of Dean's Turtle Farm in Westminster.


Pennington cares for more than 100 turtles and tortoises, and almost all of the native species at the farm were surrendered after being taken from the wild.


"No matter how much you love an animal, you cannot provide for it with the same level of care or comfort that the wild can provide for them," Pennington told WBAL-TV 11 News.


Maryland wildlife officials are hoping to protect native species with new regulations that will likely be introduced to the public next month.


"Some of the threats that we are seeing are new and emerging diseases and an increase in poaching and illegal trade. A big problem with a lot of these new diseases is that they are almost impossible to detect until it's too late," said Karina Stonesifer, the director of Wildlife and Heritage Service at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.


Which animals are we talking about?


Stonesifer told WBAL-TV 11 News that the proposed changes would alter possession and breeding regulations for a wide range of reptiles and amphibians native to Maryland. Some of the most well-known species under consideration for the list include:


Eastern box turtle
Diamondback terrapin
Eastern hognose snake
Eastern rat snake


Stonesifer said corn snakes and red-eared slider turtles will be excluded, and any new regulations would not apply to non-native pets such as ball pythons, leopard geckos and bearded dragons.


"They are already a fragile population just based on their habitat and their lifestyle."


"They are already a fragile population just based on their habitat and their lifestyle and we are concerned that by allowing people to continue to take from the wild and possess them in their homes that we are going to exacerbate the situation," Stonesifer told WBAL-TV 11 News.


"There are a lot of good and respected breeders. But for every good breeder, there are 10 more backyard breeders that are not doing things quite as ethically," Pennington told WBAL-TV 11 News.


Already have these reptiles?
So, what should people do if they already own one of the reptiles or amphibians on the list? The DNR's message is simple: DO NOT release them into the wild.


"That's exactly the kind of problem we're trying to stave off," Stonesifer told WBAL-TV 11 News. "That doesn't mean we're going to come and knock on doors and take legally permitted animals that people already have. What we would like to do for most of these vulnerable species is stop the taking from the wild in Maryland and not allow people to breed any more of our native species."


A draft of the proposed regulations is expected to be posted on DNR's website in the coming weeks, followed by a public comment period of at least three weeks.


"Please wait for proposal to hit our website, take a look at it, and understand that this is a regrettable path that we have to take, but it is one that is absolutely necessary to ensure that these species are there for our future generations," Stonesifer told WBAL-TV 11 News.


"Even taking just one animal out of its ecosystem can have such an impact," Pennington told WBAL-TV 11 News. "An animal works hard for decades, sometimes just for one baby to reach adulthood."