Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Has anyone tried to organize the local/regional organizations to pool resources for legal defense and lobbying? PARC/PIJAC notwithstanding; I'm talking about getting local herp clubs to send a portion of member dues to some sort of national fund.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

In theory that sounds GREAT...but how much would one suspect to have in reserve to do this ? AND some herp clubs /organizations are not for us keepers and breeders of reptiles. I live in a state that has no known reptile clubs of any matter or size except for our state herpetology society that doesn't really approve the keeping of reptiles. This state is proposed to launch a ban or deep regulations on exotics and i have not heard from ONE reptile person from this state after posting on 5 reptile message boards of this. AND I know there are at least a half dozen people from my state that views these message forums.

>>In theory that sounds GREAT...but how much would one suspect to have in reserve to do this ? AND some herp clubs /organizations are not for us keepers and breeders of reptiles.

I've been in a club before which frowned upon keeping natives. I've also been in a club which condoned it. Both clubs were primarily of a herpetocultural nature rather than a strictly-academic one (though they did have guest speakers which were sufficiently dry from time to time).

I live in a state that has no known reptile clubs of any matter or size except for our state herpetology society that doesn't really approve the keeping of reptiles.

It's fairly ironic, seeing how natural histories of many species would have glaring gaps in information without data gathered from keeping reptiles (even from private herpetoculturists). I don't understand the animosity felt towards people involved in captive propagation (yes, even for profit), when some scientists are known to capture hundreds of specimens, only to destroy them after the experiments are complete (and with the blessing of the state agencies by way of scientific collecting permits).

This state is proposed to launch a ban or deep regulations on exotics and i have not heard from ONE reptile person from this state after posting on 5 reptile message boards of this. AND I know there are at least a half dozen people from my state that views these message forums.

I'm in between residencies right now ("homeless," I guess), but when I get settled into my new location I plan to start a club with a focus on captive propagation and field herping supportive of sustainable, legal take of natives.

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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet