>>Also, I don't really think that this is about a larger issue of animal rights. Perhaps you meant animal *ownership* rights?
>>
>>Thanks again.

Actually this is an animal rights based situation. The organizations backing this law are animal rights organizations. PETA, HSUS, WWF are all animal rights organizations. Furthermore with the USGS map, there are HUGE questions in range maps. There is no way burmese pythons can survive in say Virginia or Oklahoma. The winter extremes are FAR to extreme. But the study and map claim they can. The second study includes Boa Constrictors. To be honest they are not that far out of US range, yet they still do not thrive or live here. It has been pointed out that their range previously naturally extended here, but alas they are no longer here.

The Everglades is a very unique ecosystem from anywhere else in florida. If the pythons, which have been there for at least a decade were capable of expanding en masse, you would already see it. But the random escaped or released snake is not the same as locating a full colony of established snakes.

Once again, while you may not like the "big snake keepers" you are a reptile person and as such need to be prepared with the onslaught of animal rights organizations striking out against those of us who keep "wild" animals.

This also does not fall merely on the big snake owners. I run a rescue and I can tell you I have FAR more released RES a year than any other species come through my doors. 1 stray boa constrictor, 4 stray corn snakes and 27 stray RES. I would also point to the fact that dogs and cats are tossed out the door as easily as a snake. The issue with loose invasives of any type does lie with the original owners. Unfortunately it is so easy to get a pet and just as easy to dump a pet. Our country has a very disposable mind set. We need to combat that through education.

Here is the rebuttal for Pyron Et All to the original USGS report. Remember as I say all this regarding the large python species, there are other state and local laws relating to reptiles as a whole that will effect more than just the large snakes and that is the most important thing to take away with this. We all need to stand up for each other because opening one door to make things easier to ban or add to the lacey act can create a tidal wave of additions that sneak in.
pyron et all


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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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