Posted by:
FR
at Fri Apr 11 09:29:17 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
This is going to sound horrible, but its what I think.
Its not about countries. Or even education. Its about climate.
The countries with the worse climates, allow those with this interest to spend more time with their animals. Also, the countries with worse climates have fewer native reptiles, so those interested in herps can only, 1.travel to see herps or 2. keep them in cages. 3. its about population, the more crowded a country is, the less nature it has and the more those folks want to do something in this area or just something different.
remember, I was a zoo exhibit builder and designer, so we used the above rules to our advantage.
The States has some of the best keepers and breeders, but it also has a very high percentage of advertisement guided drones. That is, those that follow full page adds in commerical magazines(just an example). This seriously drops our standing. Think of the tens of thousands of Savs that die yearly. This alone drops us to the bottom.
If you use common sense, the countries with indigenious varanid species, By all rights should be the best. They have the animals, they have the weather, they have the EXACT conditions the monitors come from. So these countries should be the best. But human mentality again jumps in, If these animals are in your yard, why would you want them in a cage??? Normally, these folks want something thats NOT in their yard. By all rights, Australia or Asia/indo, should be and will be the best(have the best results) THEY HAVE THE ANIMALS.
Then it depends how you measure whats better, if its numbers of captive hatched, then the states clearly smashes europe to pieces. I myself have most likely beat or come close to producing more numbers then all of europe put together. OR species, Well I have produced twentysomething species, which is amoung the top, but here I think Europe has breed a few more then me. But comparing me to all of europe is sort of silly. I am not sure that Europe has bred more species then the states. It may have. But its close.
From my research, the best early varanid breedings came from the states, notably Dallas zoo and a few others, from their hayday of reptile breeding(70's to mid 80's or so) Then after that, europe made a huge push with Horn and friends(and not so friends Bernie I.)
I made a visit to these places and saw with my own eyes, that their husbandry was not so good, It was clearly good enough, but their advantage was and still is, access to animals. They could indeed acquire legally or illegally, any species they wanted. This is and was not so in the states. Even illegal there, was not so illegal as it is here. Violations there were like getting a speeding ticket, violations here, were akind to rape or murder. In fact, our country spend more time and money on poachers/importers, then they would on murders and drug dealers. We lose points here too.
So yes, I brought up more then you thought, but, again, I really do not think its a country thing as information these days is from the internet and that is worldwide for the most part. Its now about who has the time, money and interest. Then its politics(our country is overly controlling)Or who had received brain damage as a kid, and was raised in the field with reptiles(they are my brothers and sisters), someone like, you know, ME for example.
So whos the best, I myself am up there in species produced, I do not think I have done the most, but close and I am sure there is no one person in the world that has produced the numbers, not even close. Maybe no other country has produced more then little old me. And I am a one man operation. See I told you, BRAIN DAMAGE. Well gota go, I have to set up some gilleni that just hatched, dig up some eggs, open the outdoor cages, and feed the masses of hungry mouths. So, anyone that has done more then me, well has to be considered insane.
So you asked more "advanced". I am thinking none of us is advanced, as these fine creatures have been living and breeding for tens of thousands of years, all on their own, unaided by man. They are only having problems when we(man) stick them in boxes and do not provide the BASICS. So, advanced is not really in the equation. These animals NORMALLY, grow, live and breed, so calling it advanced to allow them to do what they do normally is kinda odd. I think allowing them to live and breed should be considered normal.
Allowing superior results like getting superior growth and recruitment may be considered advanced. Hmmmmmmmm I think I win that one. Having had many species produce ten to 19 clutches in a row(no more then two months apart) or having one female produce 59 clutches in her life and still going, that may be considered advanced(record setting). or maybe, retarded(crazy) depends how you look at it.
Has anyone in any other country matched those type results, no, I don't think so. So, WE WIN the STATES TAKES HOME THE TROPHY. See, I told you, its about how you measure advanced. Cheers
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RE: Which country is the most advanced - FR, Fri Apr 11 09:29:17 2008