Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Another news article against the import of reptile imports!
Is there no legitimate organization now??
Link

AR science is like onions to me, layer up on layer of lies that makes me cry unless the stuff is cooked to taste in frying pan.

Why isn´t there a link to the actual scientific report, and where are the sources and litterature cited?
This is should be a sweet cookie for the scientific herpetological community eat.
The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists should form a position statement on this study. I try to write them, if they don´t reply, maybe we all should?

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to: http://www.asih.org/contact

Dear Sirs

I write you in my capacity as vivarium consultant at reptilweb and as participating member of kingsnake.com Law & CITES forum.
I am contacting you through this public letter which is also posted in our forum.
It was brought to our attention that the Wildlife trust has co-led a recent scientific study which comes to the conclusion that diversity in amphibian and reptile husbandry should be constricted down to a bare minimum of existence.
Some of us terrariumfolk at kingsnake suspect that the wildlife trust is attempting to pass false information as factual science.
Does the ASIH have a position statement in regard to the scientific quality of the studies published by the wildlife trust?
In your experience, what is the scientific merit of the wildlife trust?

Please read the National Science Foundation news report here;
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=114706&org=NSF&from=news

Please reply to our thread directly;
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1686587,1686587

We would greatly appreaciate any statement you have to offer on this important scientific study.
In advance, thank you for your time

Kindest regards
Vålen Gånev
Vivarium consultant
www.reptilweb.no

Stricter record keeping should be required to inform risk analysis on animal imports.
Third-party surveillance and testing should be established for both known and unknown pathogens at the exportation points in foreign countries.
Greater public education is needed to educate individuals, importers, veterinarians and pet industry advocates about the dangers of diseases that emerge from wildlife and that can make their way to domesticated animals and humans.

These were the recommendations. The first one I don't think is too unreasonable--at the very least USFWS I believe has a right to know the diversity of species entering the country--not limit it, just be aware of what species have come into the country. The second one is resonable sounding, after all, we are talking about diseases that could be introduced to our own collections--posing a threat to our own animals (albeit this is impossible to enact--many of the third world type countries probably wouldn't allow such "inspections" that could harm their nation's already shaky economies). A lot of good could be done with better quarantine methods at our ports, as they are easier to monitor than another country's. The third one is garbage. Public ed should focus on proper maintainence of exotics so as to not spread disease rather than scare people away from them--think about it. Our vivariums are closed systems (assuming they are indoors)--if a disease is being carried by say a gecko from Thailand, that could harm say North American skinks--is it a threat if said gecko is kept in a closed system its' entre life, away from wild skinks? I would say no--unless dead geckos are disposed of in skink habitat--there we go, a good topic--proper disposal of deceased exotic species. Any thoughts?

A quick amendment--when I say the first one is reasonable, I mean in the record keeping, not risk analysis departments.

Listen 4-5 years ago I was asked by frog researchers looking at Chytrid Fungus in frogs if they would be allowed to swab and test shipments of Amazonian Frogs I was bringing in from Suriname at that time. Ron Gagliardi from the Botanical Gardens in Atlanta asked me originally. I readily agreed because the theory was that the fungus was being spread around the world by Frog importers and exporters. Four-five of my shipments were checked and swabbed. The cultures I believe were sent to a lab in Australia and ALL mine were negative. More than 12 species were swabbed in all perhaps several thousand frogs in total number. I, for one, would be happy to cooperate with any reasonable request but that one single request is the ONLY one I've been asked to participate in. If they need this type of data why don't whoever for whatever simply ask? I believe that many others would cooperate as well. The fact is there's a lot of [bleep]ing and conjecture but NO ONE steps up to the plate and says let's work together for the good of all. I KNOW I WOULD BE GLAD TO PROVIDE ANY DATA REQUESTED.....Thanks...By the way I no longer import frogs because I know that the mortality is high over time and from a moral standpoint decided I would NO longer do it....
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

Imported herps have been coming into the U.S. for over 50 years in big numbers. Twenty-five years ago or so HUGE numbers of mammals including primates were coming in as well. The fact that the most injurious organisms [fire ants, zebra mussels, brown anoles, cuban treefrogs, Marine Toads, etc] were in fact NOT imports from the Pet Trade speaks volumes. Boiga irregularis on Guam probably got there as stow-a-ways as well certainly they were NOT imported as pets. In spite of all these millions upon millions of animals very few have become established anywhere even here in Miami and there are NO diseases I'm aware of spread to wildlife or humans because of imported wildlife. The fact is that invasive plants have done far MORE damage than any wildlife. Look at Melaleauca, potato vine, kudzu, brazilian peppers, water hyacinth, etc. These CHANGE the entire ecosystem NOT just eat or compete with some of the native wildlife. Very little is said about these when you look at the hoopla with Burmese Pythons for example. I think all this is a response designed to alarm the public at large so certain special interest groups can spread their mindless propaganda and finally destroy the pet trade once and for all. I believe all these threats they allude to are very low risk to the ecosytems here. In fact so much so if you look at the past that this whole movement is way out of proportion to actual events that might occur....
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

It's amazing to me that so called "domesticated cats" and goats are two of the most destructive species when introduced to islands and are generally the two animals that have to be shot, trapped, and poisoned when trying to restore insular species on various Caribbean and Pacific islands. Yet, these two "invasive" animals were exempted on 669?!!

swiss

Feral Cats have wiped out several entire populations of Cyclura carinata in the Turks and Caicos Islands years ago. In fact Auffenberg wrote a paper detailing their extirpation. On Key Largo near the sanctuary for the endangered woodrat that has been in the stomach analysis of 2 Burmese Pytons is near THE OCEAN REEF CLUB where hundreds and perhaps thousands of wild feral cats live and are fed by residents living there. In fact the info I have is that there is a fund set-up for their feeding costs to be paid by the residents and fed by the staff. Why don't we hear about the cats who have probably damned near wiped the rats out themselves in the first place. Pythons living there would be beneficial because they would eat the cats but they are defined as the problem which they clearly are NOT....WONDER WHY NO ONE HEARS ABOUT THE FERAL CATS FROM THE RESEARCHERS OF THE PYTHONS?...
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

It was the intent of this article to mislead uninformed party's concerning the importation of live animals.

There are regulations currently in place to monitor every aspect of every live animal shipment that enters the US .

By law. Every animal in every live animal shipment must be listed by species , common name and by number.

The number and species are on the government issued paperwork from the point of origin , the shippers invoice as well as the shipping boxes and containers in the boxes.

Shipments are suppose to be inspected both at the point of origin and destination and preceded by a health certificate issued by a government approved veterinarian from the country of origin . In addition there is set of a packing requirements. Animals can only be received at government designated ports of entry.

Violation of these regulations is punishable by confiscation , licensee revoking , fines.

The lack of substantiating data in the article for instance at what government port of entry are improperly marked boxes of live fish being received. Is validation of the publishers intent to skew the facts.

You can not legally receive a box simply marked vertebrate fish or snakes under current importation guidelines. The current set of regulations is designed so that there can be no secrets in the boxes legal or not.

USFW keeps records of all imported species. Any failure to comply can only be the result of the inspecting Federal agent not adhering to the set regulations. In this case steps would be needed to insure the agents are monitored so they understand and enforce the regulations as written.

Ernie Eison
WESTWOOD ACRES REPTILE FARM INC.