I'm not in favor of the legislation for a number of reasons. First of all, I think the herp trade is being "picked on" because it is relatively unpopular. I hate feral cats as much as anyone and it's hard to justify python legislation without cat legislation.


This is a view that is shared by many but is far to over simplified in its conception. The reptile trade was always the bottom rung of the ladder in terms of exotic ownership legislative pressure. With a few exceptions every ten years or so a big issue would pop up, it was a pretty much do what you want business. Local, private ordinances, guys facing personal issues, General pet type laws was most of what went on. There was no glory, no money, no real anything in wasting the time and resources going after the reptile guys in high profile and wide sweeping manor

The Burmese python in the glades game changed all that. It is the first time that something of a truly high profile nature, something "worthy" of front page news and a national stage has come about involving the reptile segment of the exotic animal trade, the trade isn't being "picked on" because its unpopular there's more............ a lot more to it. Its about popularity but that word needs to be used in a broader spectrum then your phrasing implies.


Even if some people don't care about invasive species, the reality of the situation is that a lot of people do.

And that's a big part of the problem, personal philosophy gets mixed in with unbiassed fact finding science, from there...........

Ernie Eison
WESTWOOD ACRES REPTILE FARM INC.

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