Posted by:
laurarfl
at Thu Jun 26 08:10:46 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by laurarfl ]
This is true, and I'm not here to ride you or put you down, etc. Just adding an opinion worth about two cents. 
Daytona, Fl has a city ordinance prohibiting public display of reptiles (and certain other animals, I'm sure). Of course, Daytona is an interesting place and between Bike Week x 2, Speed Week, Spring Break, BCC, and the big herp show, I'm sure they had a lot of crazy stuff going on! But the bottom line is that a lot of people have an irrational fear of snakes and when they perceive that snakes are going to out and about, ordinances get passed in certain places. When I was hired to do a reptile show in Daytona for a Halloween event, I had to present to the city council all of the precautions, staffing, animal inventory, and exactly how the animals would be presented in public in order to secure the job.
The herp industry is going through a time when image is everything. It's unfortunate and we can pretend that it doesn't matter. Heck, we can even try to buck the system and rebel, but it will only bite us all in the rear in the long run. 
I did a summer camp presentation yesterday for two classes, grades K-2 and 3-5. My Burm is in shed and couldn't go, but I did bring a couple of corn snakes and my 7ft boa for the snake component. It was a great time of education and for half of the younger kids, it was the first time they ever touched a snake. I love to get in there early and show the kids the friendly side of herps and teach the role they play in the environment.
By the way, I read your description of the enclosure that you plan to build. Very impressive! I'm not mechanically inclined in any way, so it was certainly beyond my means! I'm more of the newspaper and box kind of Burm keeper. I can make a more natural display for my corns and small lizards, and it is fun. Good luck with your project (and dream). If it's something you have a knack for, then I'm sure you can swing it.
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