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Ball Pythons allowed in Puerto Rico...

Oz Feb 03, 2008 07:24 AM

In February of 2004 the DNRA in Puerto Rico added Ball Pythons to the list of exotics of lower risk that may be imported onto the island without a permit. If you can read spanish, See page 88 of the regs... link below. I have personally shipped ball pythons to Puerto Rico without a CITES permit. All that's needed is a vet health cert.

So if they are deemed low risk in PR, how can they be a bigger risk here in the States? I am sure the DNRA carefully considered the risk and perhaps even conducted some studies before allowing balls in. Maybe some of this info can be used to support our argument here in the states. I also think some of the same rationale used to allow balls in may be applied to other boids here. Does anyone know how to go about researching this?

Oz
Puerto Rican Regs

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OZZYBOIDS

Replies (8)

RoyalVariations Feb 03, 2008 10:47 AM

Oz,

That’s sounds like very useful information. Also how do we construct a “committee”, or “Panel” of leadership to put together and enforce our rights consistently when state or federal laws could have impact on our industry? Perhaps a good starting point would be if Dave Barker could suggest how we establish and maintain our own politically aware group. If we have in place documents “information backing up with facts” our stance which protects and demonstrates that for many years we have been and continue to be a strong part of the economy in the pet trade etc. We need a watch group and political committee of sorts.

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Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid" David Coverdale

Oz Feb 03, 2008 11:04 AM

Agreed. I'm not sure if PIJAC would be adequate or if they are geared more towards representing the traditional pet industry. I think we need a group that represents the Herp/Exotic community since we as private breeders and hobbyist are the target of so many recent proposals on the State level and now the Federal level.

On another note, I'd like to know how many Albino or other Burm morphs they have found in Florida?

Oz
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OZZYBOIDS

RoyalVariations Feb 03, 2008 11:47 AM

Exactly, have you heard from Dave Barker or any others that might know how to set up what we need?
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Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid" David Coverdale

RoyalVariations Feb 03, 2008 11:54 AM

Also,

As you pointed out this really is serious and a "wake up call" for all of us to protect something that is very important to us. The trend from state and federal laws to reduce our industry into fragmented sections is not something any of us should accept.
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Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid" David Coverdale

EricIvins Feb 03, 2008 06:11 PM

Don't narrow your focus by worrying about the giants. This is going to concern ALL Reptiles and the Herp trade in general. It may not be this proposal, but consider it an open invitation for anybody with an agenda...........

latin1956 Feb 03, 2008 12:33 PM

I was working in Puerto Rico from 1995 till 2002. I was actively involved in the Puerto Rico Herp Club. We were the first club to be registered in PR. My last few years there I was the Vice President. The President was very involved in the preservation of the Puerto Rican Boa. We got involved with a project to be allowed to have legally, what we had in our collection.

The PR Natural Resources Secretary granted an amnesty period, so we could all register what we had and work on the law passed as to what, could be allowed in to PR. This took years and going to public meetings and hear what the so called profesional had to say about the many species that were already in the Island. Well I left PR and moved to Colorado in 2002 and after that the law was passed. If we had not got involved they would had banned all species that were not naturally from PR.

We held radio talk shows, we argued as to what the Doctors working for PR Natural Resorces, had to say about the different snakes and all imported wildlife. The majority of comments from them were outright wrong, and we proved them wrong with proven information. Not just hearsay.

There is also a problem in Puerto Rico with people letting go of their once small cute Burmese and Reticulated pythons, in the many lakes that are on the Island. The Green Iguana, as I can remember as a kid was never ever in the Island until some people started to bring the in to sell in the Pet Shops. In 1986 a law was passed to stop all of this. Now the Green Iguanas are everywhere and are causing problems.

I do know that whoever and whatever organization writes to the FEDS please provide fatcs and not personnal opinions!!

Sorry for the long post.
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Thomas Sierra

wh00h0069 Feb 03, 2008 02:08 PM

We need as many people as possible to either write a letter or send comments via http://www.regulations.gov to Fish & Wildlife. Here is the information on how to send your comments.

DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before April 30, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AV68, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. Instructions: We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any personal information you provide us.

sjs Feb 04, 2008 03:41 AM

ok now picture yourself in an office somewhere knowing nothing about reptiles and opening these letters.........the first ten or twenty are from people who have no legal records at all about the money they make on these sales and they are claiming that our economy will be out millions and even billions of dollars.......you know what it would be very very hard to open and take seriously ONE more letter......and anyone who uses this as a basis for their fight is dead wrong.......there are a handfull and yes i said it a HANDFULL of BUSINESSES whos SOLE income or even the majority of is brought in from out of state sales of boas and pythons,,,,,,and im talking about registered and tax paying companies,,,,,,the snakes aleady out there WILL STILL eat,,,,,no need for rodent breeders to pack up shop......colubrids will eat and be sold,other animals will eat and be sold....and EACH and EVERY ball python and boa out there WILL STILL EAT......i know for a fact that every poorly written compltely misleading letter sent WILL HURT each one done properly......and whoever represents this fight would be better for all not to be financially rewarded regardless of the outcome,,,,not to say EVERYONE shouldnt voice their opinion.....but do it in a way which only defends these animals as nothing to worry about as far as danger or health conerns go,,,educate them on the recent history of captive breeding and what its brought with the ability to trade and sell between state lines .....SHOW them how many animals WOULD NOT EXIST if this happned only ten years ago,,,,,,,and how many may never be seen if it does pass,,,,,,there is plenty to fight about but you need to pick your fight,,,,,,if you were on trial for something you DID NOT DO would you want every tom and joe standing in front of the judge defending you for what he saw you as or would you want an EDUCATED handpicked defense team to fight the fight so it could be WON......,good luck to all

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