Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I wanted to know what HSUS was pushing on the general public as their justification for this legislation. I went to the website and found this with a video:

www.humanesociety.org/issues/exotic_pets/

It even has a link below about how they think Burmese Pythons should be controlled, but not killed. But they give no plan of what we SHOULD do with them.

The Video-
Points I agree with:
Pretty much everything they said about the import of *any* animal, and Pet Stores.
That the "average person" is not equipped to care for reptiles.

Disagree:
Their inability to discern the four different Orders of reptiles.
Their thought that purchasing a "domesticated pet" makes the situation better.
"Reptiles are probably one of the poorest animals you can choose as a pet" Has this guy never seen a Ball Python?
So many, many more....

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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.0 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

It always tends to tell half truths and skew information in point of view of the people making it. Sure, probably everyone who uses this website knows the dangers and pitfall of buying reptiles from a pet store ie bad condition of the animals and employees ignorant of how they should be cared. Too bad the video seems to ignore the fact that many of the reptiles available in pet stores are also available as cb animals from breeders where they are more often than not quality animals from a knowledgeable source. And to equate all reptiles as being extremely difficult to own is just plain wrong. Yes iguanas and monitors and burms and such aren't the best animals for beginners but to imply that ball pythons or corn snakes or leopard geckos are equally hard to care for is ridiculous. I really like the part at the end where the guy was talking about monitors and people releasing them...he specifically says that monitors would die during the winter in places like Wisconsin. Hmmmm so if reptiles can't overwinter in the northern United States, why are pushing to federal regulation to label pythons a danger to the entire United States?

I do agree with the OP that the video makes some valid points, but they are pretty much generalizations about some of the poorer aspects of the hobby. It would almost be like if we put together a video of the animal rights movement and focused solely on the really extreme groups that bomb research facilities and such. Sure not every member of HSUS and PETA are gasoline wielding terrorists but hey, I never knew how hard all my ball pythons are to care for so I guess you never know.

P.S. There is a really good video by Pen and Teller on the animal rights movement. It focuses on PETE but it gives a pretty good assessment of what we are up against. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAt1z_TgPQ4&feature=PlayList&p=89AD05CC54EDD41A&index=0