Posted by:
rugbyman2000
at Sat Feb 12 07:52:49 2011 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by rugbyman2000 ]
To answer your other questions, let me start by saying I do not want to regulate any species but A. mississippiensis. That's why I have been sharing the link to the bill with as many people as I can, and working on other ways to stop the bill if it includes more than one species.
"The same could be said of Sulcata Tortoises, no? Its not really that hard to manage Alligators, and just requires space and dedication by a keeper who wants to put in the effort."
Good analogy, but there are a couple big distinctions between a 200 lb land tortoise and a 500-1000 lb aquatic. A fenced in yard is all you need for a growing sulcatta (and an indoor area for the colder months). However an adult alligator has its own set of requirements that you know are much more involved. If someone leaves the gate unlatched and your tortoise gets loose, people think it's cute. Same thing happens with your gator, it's bad news. If you sulcatta gets too big for you to manage, call the dealer and he'll probably give you more than you paid for it as a hatchling. If your alligator gets too big for you to manage, it will be hard to find anyone willing to take it for free. There are certainly not as many homes for adult gators as there are hatchlings being sold into the pet trade.
Sliders and iguanas are great comparisons because they're the two most common species that end up at rescues. But sliders can be kept in "native species" outdoor conditions easily, or a basic fish tank indoors, and max out around 12 inches. Big difference from 12 feet. Likewise, keeping an iguana that weighs a few pounds and lives on land is nothing compared to an aquatic that weighs hundreds. Even our big constrictors are in 6 or 8 foot stackable setups. It's a huge difference from setting up a growing alligator, putting them in a class of their own.
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Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
www.forgottenfriend.org
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RE: answering your other questions - rugbyman2000, Sat Feb 12 07:52:49 2011