Posted by:
georget22
at Sun May 9 16:39:51 2010 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by georget22 ]
You do make some valid points, however you are missing the much larger picture and agenda of what is actually in motion right now. I agree that most people do not have the proper facilities to house larger constrictors, however that is only one small piece of the puzzle. FWC is under fire from politicians like Sen. Nelson nad others every time a large constrictor is found wandering in a sub-division. It appears to the politicians that the FWC has failed miserably in regulating the exotic animal trade. The answer and agenda of the FWC is to eliminate all reptile ownership in Florida and therefore eliminate the potential for a problem, even though i think we all agreee the Burm situation was way overblown and the numbers just are not there.I do not keep large constrictors anymore , but i do keep reptiles, just like you do, and i intend to keep them in some capacity my entire life. You have to understand this is not a "large Consrictor" thing, this is a movement to stop reptile ownership, yours, mine, snakes, lizards,and maybe gecko's one day. I have direct contact with people in meetings with the FWC and they have no intentions of walking away once the large constrictors are regulated even more harshly.
I have lived in Florida my entire life and i rarely see the native lizards i used to, i realize our native animals have many challenges, but you can't blame the reptile community for everything. Fly over South Fl in a low flying aircraft and look around, we have altered the natural world forever here and it may never return. Our feral cat problem is far worse than any introduced specie of reptile will ever be. Feral cats live from one end of this state to the other killing and eating everything they can, I have a question for you? Would you support legislation barring ownership of cats and dogs, both introduced and both having negative impacts on the environment? Without them you would have no career.
I agree we have some major issues in Florida, some of which we can never change, but if we do not stick together as a reptile community, the most significant change will be to us, all our animals, will be taken away. Please keep that in mind. George
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