rest of message continued --
The melaleuca tree is actually another invasive species in Florida, in south Florida it has become quite a problem... but regardless your points are indeed very valid. The trade as a whole needs to become a little more responsible for the upsurge in invasive species. Central Florida's native wildlife and ecosystems are under serious threat from such introduced species as the Cuban tree frog, tilapia, red-eared sliders and Mediterranian geckos. Southern Florida is even worse, with countless invasives thriving in the tropical climate. The problem is not helped by the guys selling baby turtles out of the backs of trucks on the side of the road. As much as I love herps I would be the first to call for some sort of regulation, or at least some serious enforcement of existing laws, especially those banning the release of captive animals into the wild.

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• WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - W von Papineäu, Wed Jul 23 13:44:26 2003
• RE: WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - sschind, Wed Jul 23 20:57:15 2003
• Besides that... - meretseger, Fri Jul 25 07:37:51 2003
• RE: Besides that... - sschind, Fri Jul 25 08:53:23 2003
• RE: WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - hellerilove, Sun Jul 27 12:24:17 2003
• RE: WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - sschind, Thu Aug 7 09:32:03 2003
• RE: WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - bmerritt, Sat Aug 16 23:21:30 2003
• RE: WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - bmerritt, Sat Aug 16 23:23:54 2003
• RE: WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - bmerritt, Sat Aug 16 23:23:59 2003
• RE: WI Press x2: Exotic pets under scrutiny (Long) - joeysgreen, Wed Aug 27 20:12:41 2003