Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all,
The ban of exotic pets is closer to being passed for the state of new york.
Here is a link to view the proposed law: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A02684&sh=t

Governor Patacki can be emailed through this site: http://161.11.3.75/

please... I urge everyone possible whether from NY or not to send an email stating opposition to this bill. If it's signed it will be in affect januray 2005 which is alot closer than it seems. please be sure that the email isn't in anyway nasty or negative. A mean letter will not help this situation. So in your email try to be as polite, non-threatening, & intelligent as possible.
Thanks in advance to all who email him to help prevent this bill.

does this meanus ny people can have or buy reptiles

they will require you to get a license/permit, and prove you have the knowledge to care for them. It also says if you already have such animals you can keep them for the remainder of there life.

It also says near the bottom they will require any individuals getting a license/permit to take a 4 hour course. CROCODILIANS;BOIDS;LARGE MONITOR LIZARDS;VENOMOUS SNAKES

I am not sure what you could possably learn in 4 hours, but it won't be much. Sounds like NY. needs money to fund something so your going to get hit with a license fee.

Florida already has license fee's in effect.

How's this e-mail?

Hello, my name is Joel Gholami. I have learned of your decision to place a ban on all exotic pets, and to require those who still wish to own such an animal to attened a four hour class to earn a license/permit to keep them. I request that you do not allow this bill to pass, because such a license would be a waste. You should force pets stores, like PetCo, to provide their costumers with correct (not simply accurate, but correct) information reguarding these animals. For example, I have had store employees tell me that the nile monitor has a maximum length of four feet, and will become tame will handling. The truth is that these lizards grow to seven feet, and are very dangerous all of their lives, no matter how much handling is given. Only a handful (about 10) have become tame; do not let these people tell you otherwise. The animals that they sell are often in poor conditions (mammals that have wet tail, and reptiles with mouth rot, both deadly illness), and die very quickly. Sometimes they are not fed. As you can see, the real problem are the pet stores that sell them, not the people who care for them. Please, do not allow these companies to persuade you otherwise; make them earn a license (how many of them even know that reptiles need a basking spot over 100 degrees fahrenheit?) so that their customers will take care of their pets so that there will not be anymore suffering. Please, do not let this bill pass

Thank you for you time,

Joel Gholami

Dear Governor Pataki,
I was recently notified of the Bill A02684, prohibiting the possession of wild animals as pets in NYS. With all respect, I am completely aware of your own, and the government's concern of the public, and private owners of exotic animals. Although, I disagree. As I've grown, now being 18, graduating from high school, I've needed to think about college, and what career interests me. I've decided to goto college for Biology. I would like to recieve my PhD in Biology, and specialize in Herpetology. I'm sure already, you can begin to see why I disagree. Even though I am only 18, my knowledge on these creatures are extensive. Through out my childhood, I was raised with different species from the Biodaes Family. Never once was I placed in danger by any means from this family. Currently, I own a hatchling Nile Monitor. Having owned monitors in the past, and doing a massive amount of research, I have a strong concept what I am up against. I am completely aware of the full potential of this lizard. Yes, I know that this lizard can grow well past 6 feet long. I know that this lizard is very dangerous, and will probably never become handleable. I will not lie, I have been bitten by monitors, some big, some small, others medium. Although, mostly this was due to my own stupidity. Of course, these animals ARE dangerous, but any animal can be dangerous, including cats, dogs, and birds. I do not keep these animals because they are "cool" and because I want a "pet". I keep these animals due to my fascination with their behavior, and in hopes that one day I will be able to contribute to extending the knowledge of the herpetology field, and trade. While currently not going to school, I have already taught a numerous amount of people of these animals, and their true nature. Many other herp keepers will agree with me, I am sure of, and have also done the same. It would be of disbelief to me to see these wonderful animals being banned from private ownership, as I feel this would limit the public, and private owner's knowledge of these creatures. Please, reconsider passing this bill. Although, the liscense is not a true problem, I feel that it is unnecessary.

Thank you for your time,

Stephanie Archer

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Heh, I live in Buffalo, NY. I felt I needed to place a part. Now it is 2 am, and I'm extremely tired. I hope I didn't sound like too much of an ass, or overly stupid, as sleepiness kicks in. Night guys.

thanks to all who are replying to the governor...if we get as many letters as possible hopefully we can convince them to listen to the people & let us keep our freedom to own reptiles

Here's a copy of the letter I sent. Feel free to mine it for ideas for your own letters.

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Dear Govenor Pataki

As I am sure you are aware, the NY state assembly and senate recently passed legislation prohibiting the ownership and sale of various types of wild animals (bills A 2684 and S 7616, respectively). Unfortunately, the law is far too restrictive, going beyond what is necessary to safeguard the public and unnecessarily infringing on the rights of the people of New York. While a very good case could be made for restricing the ownershp, sale and transport of giant cats, wolves, bears, and dangerously venomous snakes, this bill, if signed into law, would also prohibit the ownership of a great number of harmless species, many of which are popular in the pet trade.

In particular, the bill bans "the family Boidae". While the boidae does include all five species of dangerously large constrictors (the reticulated python, the African rock python, the Indian python, the amethysine python, and the green anaconda), it also includes such species as the rosy and rubber boas, small snakes less than 3 feet in length native to the Western United States. The rosy boa is a popular pet, as are other small boids such as the ball python and sand boas. Medium sized boids, such as the red tailed boa and carpet pythons are also popular pets and have not caused _any_ recorded human fatalities or serious injuries.

Other prohibited animals are similarly not a danger to the public. My particular area of interest is the monitor lizards. There is only one monior lizard which is a danger to human life, and this monitor is not mentioned in the bill! (This monitor is, of course, the Komodo monitor, also known as the Komodo dragon). Instead, the bill outlaws the posession of such docile and popular monitors as the Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) and the whitethroat monitor (Varanus albigularis, note that this species is also known as the Cape monitor and blackthroat monitor). Both of these species become comfortable around humans, even friendly, and pose little danger to their keepers, much less the general public. The teeth of the white throat monitor, in particular, are adapted for crushing hard shelled prey and the bites of this monitor, while painful, cause little actual injury. There is no record of any of the monitor species prohibited in this bill ever killing a human. Compared to domestic animals such as dogs, horses, and cattle (all of which are responsible for many attacks and several human deaths per year), these monitor species pose little danger.

I am aware that many people feel uncomfortable around snakes or even reptiles in general. However, we must not allow the irrational fears of a certain percentage of the population from dictating what we do in the safety of our own homes. If this bill becomes law, it will not end the ownership of the above mentioned harmless reptiles, it will merely create a black market for these animals and drive their collection underground. Thousands of otherwise law abiding New Yorkers would be turned into criminals. I urge you to veto this bill in the form it now stands. Only when the prohibitions on the harmless reptile species are removed shold this bill become law.

Sincerely

Luke W. Campbell, Ph.D.

Macedon, NY
lwcampbe@uci.edu