Dear Senator Cheek,

First I want to thank you for your time in reading this e-mail. I have never written to any senator or elected official at all for that matter. I am writing on behalf of my wife and I in reference to the bill S373 "aka the python ban" Proposed by Senator Nelson of Florida.

Ms. Cheek I don't know your views on this bill, and hope that if they are positive in the nature of passing this bill, that I can dissuade you from letting this bill go any further than it already has. This bill has gotten an unfair push by junk science and large animal rights groups such as PETA and the HSUS. The USGS issued untrue reports about the burmese python spreading across the United States in their presented model a while back and this bill has gained momentum somehow by people being very ignorant to real science when it has been presented to them, and by scare tactics used by the media to generate hysteria among the masses over an issue that is nothing more than a state problem that burdens Florida in the Everglades National Park.

As keepers of reptiles, constrictors to be exact, my wife and I do everything necessary to insure the health and well being of our animals and feel that it is unfair to the people of Louisiana to have an unfair bill pushed on us by a senator from Florida who has a problem with a feral population of burmese pythons in the ENP whose numbers have been drastically overestimated. It has been said that these snakes are released unwanted pets from citizens of Florida and could also be from residents of other states as well. This is very highly unlikely to have been so as there is evidence proven by DNA testing that these snakes were a group of snakes that were released accidentally by hurricane Andrew. I find it to be very unlikely that someone would drive two or three states over just to release an unwanted snake into the wild there as well.

The reptile business in America generates over $3 billion dollars annually. S373 will put many many American businesses and families out of work if it is passed. There are reptile businesses that have been established within Louisiana's borders, and those businesses generate money that is spent locally and across the nation. S373 wants to stop all interstate sales of the species python and of Boa Constrictor. If that happens then the reptile trade will be on the losing end of the deal as it is necessary to purchase new stock from across state lines to keep the genetics of these animals from becoming increasingly inbred and to keep bringing a quality pet to market for good business reputation. S373 also wants to prohibit the import and export of these species. New stock coming in from foreign exporters is the one of the foundations for creating new pattern and color morphings of these reptiles and in keeping with offering quality pets on the market.

Senator Cheek. I urge you to follow the correct science and put a great deal of thought into stopping this bill for it is truly a flawed piece of legislation and will hurt our already unsteady economy even more. I realize I can only say so much to sway your mind and hope that you can see the error of Senator Nelsons bill. If you have the time, may I suggest looking at the United States Association of Reptile Keepers website, or perhaps even contacting Andrew Wyatt of said organization? I am not a scientist or a herpetologist. I am only a fledgling herpetoculturist who wishes to educate and inspire.

Thank you again for your time in reading this. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,

Daniel and Cheryl Gaspard
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