This is great what everyone has accomplished so far. but we are not thru yet. I see a "HUGE" mistake in allowing the bill to call out the Number 5 spiecs as just "Boa Constrictor" since there are many sub-spies of boa constrictor that may not actually be intended as the target of the bill.



This is direct from the WIKIPEDIA website:

All subspecies are referred to as "Boa constrictors," while the nominate subspecies, B. c. constrictor, is often referred to specifically as the "red-tailed boa." Within the exotic pet trade it is also known as a "BCC", an abbreviation of its scientific name, to distinguish it from other Boa constrictor subspecies such as the Boa constrictor imperator which is also regularly, and erroneously, referred to as a "red-tailed boa."



If this bill is passes as it is currently identified, and if any of the defining articles can not distinguish between species and sub-species of Boa Constrictor, then how will we expect anyone that enforces the bill to be able to distinguish between animals as well. They won't if they are not required to and they could be allowed to confiscate animals first and then require you to somehow make proper species identification later.



My gut feel on this is that the term “Boa Constrictor” needs to be explicitly identified at the sub species level. If the bill passes as it is currently being proposed to include "Boa Constrictor" in it's entirety, the enforcing authorities would not know the difference from one sub-species of Boa Constrictor to the next. With that in mind, how will we be able to defend that any sub-species such as an Island form Boa, say Hogg's Island Boa, was not actually intended to be targeted by this broad generalization of just saying Boa Constrictor? Do they actually mean just B.C.C.? Or are all of the B.C.I. and B.C.O.’s and any other Boa sub-species on the hit list as well? Are they going to leave it to the opinion of the enforcing agencies to just say that it was intended to include all sub-species of Boa Constrictor? You know what that would mean. All mainland species from South and Central America as well as any Island forms would now be targeted by this bill.



I hate to discriminate from a state to state basis, but I live almost as far North in Indiana as you can get. There are only about 4 months a year that a loose Python or Boa would really thrive in the unprotected environment around here at the current time and climatic conditions. Anything beyond that and they really stand about as much a chance of surviving as a snowball does in you know where! Don’t even get me started on what the USGS thinks the climate will be in 100 years here. If we lived in a vacuum then they would be right. But there are too many climatic events that have to hit just right for it all to play out like they are suggesting.



Why did I get into this hobby again? Oh yeah, it’s because I have been fascinated with reptiles for over 35 years . I have loved keeping my snakes that I have had over the past 20 years. And now that I am breeding many of the animals that I currently have, I can’t stomach the thought that I may have to get rid of any of them. They might as well tell me that I have to give up my son while they are at it and kill his love for these animals. I know that even at 4 years old he can sense the frustration that I am having from this whole issue. Rant. Rave. Rant. Rave. Rant. Rave……



Chris



Engineer by Degree, Herp’er for Life.

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