Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In yet another attack on the reptile community, today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will look to list the "Big 9" from the USGS survey published in October on the Lacey Act as injurious species:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose to list the Burmese python and eight other large constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems as "injurious wildlife" under the Lacey Act.

Salazar made the announcement at the Port of New York, which serves as the largest point of entry in the nation for imports of wildlife and wildlife products. Last year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport handled more than 27, 000 separate wildlife shipments valued at more than $1 billion, or 16 percent of all U.S. wildlife imports.

The proposal, which will be open to public comment before Salazar makes a final decision, would prohibit importation and interstate transportation of the animals.

"The Burmese python and these other alien snakes are destroying some of our nation’s most treasured – and most fragile – ecosystems," Salazar said. "The Interior Department and states such as Florida are taking swift and common sense action to control and eliminate the populations of these snakes, but it is an uphill battle in ecosystems where they have no natural predators. If we are going to succeed, we must shut down the importation of the snakes and end the interstate commerce and transportation of them."

This allows us yet another opportunity to refute the bad science involved with both HR2811 and S373. The FWS will publish the proposed rule change in the federal register in early February.

Once it's published, the public will have sixty days to offer comment, after which the waiting game begins again.

As soon as the comment period opens, we'll let you know what action to take, and where.

Even now, it's not too late -- or too early! -- to make calls, reach out to your senators and representatives. Let them know this proposal is based on bad science, that you're part of the reptile community and that you vote!
Fish & Wildlife to add pythons to Lacey act

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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
Email Cindy
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God bless America!

They have nothing else to worry about!
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www.Bluerosy.com

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

"They that can give up essential liberty, to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin

I cannot believe we allow someone with so much power to listen to one side of the story. The Prez needs to know that there are way more important things to deal with especially right now. People are dying by the thousands and the gov needs something else to do?
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Todd Hughes

.....control.
Period.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

when you have a bunch people who's job description includes making new rules?

"when you have a bunch people who's job description includes making new rules?"

Exactly Nick!,...then they figure they must act out on anything to justify their position(s), and "look" like they are hard at work making changes for the "better"..LOL!

I just saw a short thing about this on the central Florida morning news, and it don't look good at ALL!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

>>when you have a bunch people who's job description includes making new rules?

Here's a little history lesson for today......It's funny IMO....

NOW YOU KNOW…………………………

History began some 12,000 years ago. Humans existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunter/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the winter and would go to the coast to live on fish and lobster in the summer.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundations of modern civilization, and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups: Liberals & Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain, and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early human ancestors were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as "the Conservative movement."

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting, learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as 'girleymen.'

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years, conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting revolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men.

Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists, are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, soldiers, athletes, and generally, anyone who works productively outside government.

Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to "govern" the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tame and created a business of trying to get MORE for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history.
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>Here's a little history lesson for today......It's funny IMO....

You left out the chapter that says liberals don't need to create elaborate stories to justify their worth.

They're just not justified.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

>>They're just not justified.
>>:Mark
>>-----
>>Surrender Dorothy!
>>
>>crimsonking.piczo.com/
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Hate to tell you guys this but the current incarnation of Republicans aren't conservatives either. Conservatism is a fantastic personal philosophy. Tortured into a political ideology it sucks! Witness the disaster eight years of Bush style deregulation and limited governance brought on us. Bush inherited budget surplus and passed off the worst recession since the great depression.

Democrats aren't any better but the point is ALL these people we send to Washington bear watching. They are the problem not your fellow American's who might have a different or more liberal viewpoint. I'm sick of liberal bashing. I don't care if it earns entertainers like Rush high confiscatory rates or not, inciting people of one political view to falsely see another as not loving this country is quintessentially un-American and contrary to the civil discourse a thriving democracy requires.

With that off my chest our most likely allies in this fight will be small government Republicans but you all need to remember when you dance with the devil you come away smelling of sulfur no matter what color suite he's wearing. The same guys who might let us keep our pet snakes are the same one's who'll approve draining the everglades and to turn it into a golf course for retiring baby boomers!

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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

Tony the parties have been hijacked systematically by liberals, fascists, "progressives",and outright communists. All officials we send to represent us need to be watched carefully before they "fundamentally change" the U.S.
Problems start when we do not know history well enough to keep from repeating it.
A friend described himself as "Progerssive" thinking it sounds good, right? Well he had no idea what a "Progressive" is!
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

>>Tony the parties have been hijacked systematically by liberals, fascists, "progressives",and outright communists. All officials we send to represent us need to be watched carefully before they "fundamentally change" the U.S.
>>Problems start when we do not know history well enough to keep from repeating it.
>> A friend described himself as "Progerssive" thinking it sounds good, right? Well he had no idea what a "Progressive" is!

Man Mark,
Are you sure you're not a Texan, because us old school Texans think just like you.....LOL

I can't speak for varanid...I really think Panhandle Texas are yankees anyway.....LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

I am no damn Yankee. And I'm more rural/western than any Houstonian or Dallas dweller.

What I don't like is the the myth that republicans are pro-small government. They are not. Bush and Regan both oversaw major expansion of the government, particularly the executive branch. Bush Sr. may have had some legitimate claim towards being small government I guess, but that's the only one that comes to mind. Republicans are intrusive and meddlesome as democrats are but I see this HUGE part of their voters acting like Republicans really want smaller government and more freedom, at the same time crazies like Rush and Coulter castigate liberals as mentally ill and anti-American, while apologizing and defending crap like Iran-Contra, walls around our borders and laws about what willing adults can do to each other in the bedroom. It's an extreme example of cognitive dissonance.

>>I am no damn Yankee. And I'm more rural/western than any Houstonian or Dallas dweller.

Yep you are way more rural than any Houstonian or Dallas dweller......I agree with that.
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>>>Here's a little history lesson for today......It's funny IMO....
>>
>>You left out the chapter that says liberals don't need to create elaborate stories to justify their worth.

Does anyone really still consider themselves liberals in this day and age?
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

John I wonder how many people can even define what it is to be liberal or conservative. If they can they sure are missing that there are no conservative politicians. The only difference I see between Reps an Dems is that one makes laws about who is screwing who in America's bedrooms and the other makes laws about who is screwing who in America's boardrooms.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

That's the best line I've heard in a long time I may use it as a signature on some forums.

The current trend of liberal bashing disturbs the hell out of me. I guess I'm what you'd call libertarian--socially liberal, fiscally conservative, but the Republicans scare me more than the Democrats with how that party's been co-opted by social conservatives.

>>That's the best line I've heard in a long time I may use it as a signature on some forums.
>>
>>The current trend of liberal bashing disturbs the hell out of me. I guess I'm what you'd call libertarian--socially liberal, fiscally conservative, but the Republicans scare me more than the Democrats with how that party's been co-opted by social conservatives.

Man...It must be cold up there in north varanid......

There is no way our country can be ran by bleeding heart liberals (democrats in this era)....The "change" is going to be near capitalistic in nature.

There has been a huge social switch between Democrats and Republicans......Democrats used to be us that worked for a living...now it's the Republicans.....Talk about "change".....

Now these LIBERALS are out to take away little pieces of our freedom at a time....I agree we should all stand up to this S373, but I have done my part just as you have....Now let's see how this "bi-partisan" (LMAO) Congress votes....It's all up to politicians way of thinking what they are going to get out of it.......both Republican and Democratic politicians btw......

And it is a Democratic Senator leading the way............

And Tony,
I agree with nearly everything you typed.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Just credit me that came out of a five Guinness night with Howie. Thing is the constitution was written over 200 years ago and there is no way the founding fathers could have anticipated the level of change the world has undergone since then. As good as it is the document simply can not be expected to answer everything in this changed world. Though how suggest otherwise are misinformed at best.

I have a very conservative view of how government may interfere in individual affairs but I'm certainly more liberal in regards to government directing and regulating corporations. While getting my degree in Business Admin I was told time and again that the SOLE purpose of a corporation is to increase stockholder wealth. The scary fact is that generations of business leaders have been taught this BS as if it’s a religion and the effects have been profound. Not all bad but certainly not all good either.

I'm sorry if people think this is wrong but I think the American experiment was meant to be more than a quest for wealth and if it takes a liberal view of constitutional powers to check the darker side of our economic nature so be it. The world is large and complex enough for both liberal and conservative solutions to the problems we face. Wisdom is in knowing when to apply each philosophy.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

I am a liberal. I do want clean air and water. I want a fair wage for my productivity. I want generous personal liberty and harsh punishment for those who are responsible for their wrongful actions. I want a voting citizen (me) to represent my view in Washington, not a non living non voting corporate entity. I want certain privileges for being born in this country and saying the Pledge of Allegiance every single day in school, like to have a secure society, a system that makes all of my health care needs available and affordable to me, a superior school system, opportunity to achieve as much as I am willing to work for and an assurance that I can grow old, frail and pass on with dignity. I don’t want war, cheap labor, rat race, elimination of privacy, crumbling infrastructure, tax breaks to ship jobs overseas, a draft, a society of classes, corporate rule, borders like a sieve, elimination of habeas corpus, oil dominance, taxation without representation, my retirement dependant on the stock market, elimination of freedoms, corporate control of my food and health care, politicized science, and living in an oligarchy. Anyone who is a Republican “conservative” Fox news loyalist, who makes less than six figures, is a dupe. You are being recruited and played with a populist message that does you no good. You are voting against your own self-interest time and again while champagne glasses clink at your expense.

Great opinion there upscale......

BTW.......I fall into the NON-dupe category then if you are classifying by income as I make well over 6 digits a year.

Hard work pays off.....living for HELP and CHANGE from the government will not pay off......

But this has nothing to do with the problem we have facing our hobby so I do apologize for posting that "joke." Because no matter what our political views are we should all not want the government interfering with our hobby to the extent that they start taking our rights away....We need to propose our regulatory process or one will be given to us by those that haven't a clue as to what we are doing or about the snakes themselves.
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

"We need to propose our regulatory process or one will be given to us by those that haven't a clue as to what we are doing or about the snakes themselves"

It is EXTREMELY unfortunate that you are probably 100 percent correct on that John. And the thought of a bunch of snake-scared,know-nothing-about-nature shmucks that know absolutely SQUAT about the animals I have, OR what my harmless interests have been with them for 43 years, can just as soon try to swipe them right out from under my extremely responsible, caring hands. Just the mere THOUGHT of this crap makes me see pure RED!!!.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

cute story, but its not about conservatives OR liberals
like mark said... its about CONTROL, plain and simple.
gotta keep'em seperated...

,,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

>>cute story, but its not about conservatives OR liberals
>>like mark said... its about CONTROL, plain and simple.
>>gotta keep'em seperated...
>>

I agree, but it was funny....
The only thing it was pertinent to was the fact that the liberals are making a living off of controlling what us hard working conservatives do for income (from work or from a hobby)...

But liberals and conservatives alike need to stick together and try to stop the beginning of many laws like this that will come in our future...

Thomas....you and I have done our parts...We sent letters, faxes, emails and made phone calls......Let's see what good that did....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Now that was good : )

I believe Fish and Wildlife is fearful the bills won't get passed in Congress, therefore, they plan to use their rule making authority to get what they want.

We are going to have to compromise with them on this rule. There is no pass/fail now. There will be changes to the rule. We must be sure our industry participates in this rule change. We will have to compromise in order to ensure as little damage as possible to the reptile industry.
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Amy Claiborne

'A government big enough to give you everything...is a government big enough to take it all away.'