Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, not yet, but that is the effort of HB 2414 proposed by Carl Isett. Please review the last few discussion on the Gray Banded Kingsnake Forum.

The short story is the bill will make it illegal to hunt anything along a right of way, such as a shoulder or roadway.

There are efforts to defeat the bill there, but anybody with an interest in stopping this needs to help. Right now we are sending letters, emails, faxes and making phone calls to voice opposition to this legislation.

Thanks

Lance Benton

Why not end collection of wild animals? Does it not hurt the natural numbers?

Maybe its just me, I have not read the bill as of yet but if it is what its sait to be I dont see a problems with it. I mean you can still go into fields and or public land and hunt right?
Foot Hill Reptiles

You could, but in the vast majority of Texas there IS NO public land to hunt snakes on. This bill would, effectively, ban reptile collecting in most of the state. And no, collecting does not harm wild populations in this state. There are so few roads running through such an incredible volume of habitat that collecting could never even make a dent in snake numbers. For example, the county of Brewster is approximately the size of Massachusettes and Rhode Island combined-yet in this huge area there are only two main roads (Highways 90 and 118)! And even on those roads, collecting only accounts for as tiny fraction of the number of snakes killed by traffic in any given year.

Every herper should take the time to familiarize themselves with this issue (check out the gray-banded Kingsnake forum) and take action by contacting the members of the Texas state Senate and House.

Brad Chambers