As I have sat and dealt with calls over the week from people both inside and outside the reptile community, breeders who are concerned over their future and burmese python owners who are concerned what this means to them I have spent a LOT of time pondering.

I have also dealt with preventing stuff like this on a local level both with dogs and reptiles for 15 years. Not a pro, but have been involved in stopping many a ban of the dread deadly pit bull as well as reptile legislation in my state.

Here's how I see this. Maybe I am overly pessimistic, but time will tell. We are still in for a VERY long haul.
They add 4 species to the Lacey act. 4 species that are not a huge portion of the industry side of things. 4 species that do not generate a lot of money flow.

Our side goes after them for those 4 species. Keepers of the other species relax because those things are "saved".

Our financial resources, time and energy goes into getting those 4 back. While we are doing this a lot of little fires, from tiny towns to entire states get active.

Nothing IMHO was saved. The federal ruling allowed the states to push to ban this and more. As I pointed out, Virginia has not only the usual suspects but Chondros. On a smaller level (since that is what I was working on this past week) Fon Du Lac WI had "constrictors over 2 feet" on the list.

Do I know exactly what the best path legally is? No, but I do know this is not a save, but a start of a snowball effect. So I will not agree to the saving.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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