It is common for many states to pass laws which restrict or eliminate private ownership of native reptiles with the intention of decreasing collection and thus reducing stress on wild populations. In most places however these collection laws are not enforced allowing semi-profesional reptile hunters to collect reptiles and ship them out of state (or internationally) where they are legal to own. There is a strong financial incentive to do this, especially in species that do not have large captive breeding pools to compete with wild caught markets. This is true 10 fold for species that have laws preventing people from establishing captive populations (4 inch laws, CITES restrictions, etc.)

Now many local governments are also pushing for restrictions in ownership of non-native species because of a risk (real or percieved?) that introduced herps may damage wild ecosystems. This leaves people angry that they can't keep their favorite pets, research subjects, and collections that they want to. We need intelligent laws where species that actually may damage the ecosystems are outlawed or regulated (sorry Floridians but its true!). And species that pose no threat are not included. The current USARK is a great start and should have every herpers full support.

I believe that the states should handle their local wildlife in exactly the reverse way as they do now. They should encourage collection and breeding of local species (with bag limits). They should publish guidelines about how to release captive bred offspring safely and legally (with veterinary approval, and near the original collection location). They should forbid the sale of wild caught animals (I know difficult to enforce). And then they should sit back and watch while the public learns about and cares for its native wildlife, propagates them and reestablishes wild populations, and provides a captive bred market that will easily out compete the trade in wild caught specimens (as we have seen with numerous species). These laws were created before herpetoculture by the public was a reality and they are now in need of review.

Many ecologists will site flaws in the plan above... and there are many valid ones. But I ask, are those flaws worse than the system currently in place? We are watching our native reptiles disappear across the country right before our eyes. We need new ideas, not the same old ones that have proven faulty.

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