Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how many herps are out there in our hands in captivity ? Isn't it kind like most laws are really un-enforceable due to shear numbers of herps in homes ? I know that the laws try to be enforced, but.............let's remember that there were relatively no laws on the keeping of herps at one time. And isn't most laws concerning herps bias on mostly shear ignorance ? Passed or proposed by non-understanding people, law makers, bureaucrats ?

Chambo

There are many laws on the books that aren't being enforced and that not only pertains to reptiles. Laws are usually a knee-jerk reaction to misundersood or bad situations. The culprits are very few but have a huge impact on the rest of us. Case in point: A 12 foot Burmese escapes from an old camper on the back of a pick-up. Seems that the owner threw a racoon in there for the snake to eat. The racoon wanted no part of the snake so it tore a hole in the screen window to escape. The snake escaped through the same hole and caused a panic for a few days. Now, the LA DWF wants to regulate ALL non-indigeous reptiles. Thank goodness we caught the legislation in time to get it amended to non-indigeous constrictors over 12 feet that would need a permit.
Louisiana also has a box turtle law that says you can't collect more than 2 a day or have more than 4 in your possesion and they can't be sold. So, hobbyists that hatch box turtles are stuck with more than 4 because the law also says that you can't release captive bred into the wild. The LA Dept of WLF told me that they don't enforce that law unless they catch you with a bunch of wild caught box turtles in the back of a pick-up in the woods. BUT... who's to say what they may enforce tommorrow. ~Bill~
The Louisiana Gulf Coast Herpetological Society, Inc.

Most laws are a reaction to a specific incident and many times, it is an overreaction to hurts good owners and only irritates the irresponsible. Laws on Pit Bills, etc are similar. Yes, they can be biased, stupid, etc.

I am trying not to say all laws. I have written a bill to ban carnivals in VA from giving iguanas, etc as prizes and I hope others (other than the jerk who gives them poor animals to children) don't see this as stupid.

Hey long time no see . Can you send me a copy of your bill to look over ? I want to see about getting a bill like this sponserd in Ohio .

Kevin
NAROA

I believe that some laws are not enforced due to the sheer number of people it would take to enforce some of the laws. IN my state the game ranger is the one who has to enforce the laws on keeping reptiles and the state has cut that department to the bare bones. They don't have the man power to do it. Luckily my state is one of the few that have rather lenient laws on keeping herps. If you possess a hunting liscence you can keep up to six of any one species of reptile. You can't sell what you breed without a specific permit ($5) but you can release them into the wild.

Of course I'm torn about the laws. I would like to see a law against rattlesnake roundups in my state (there are currently five different ones held each year).

I honestly think that a lot of laws are made out of ignorance but when they come up for a vote, where are the herpers? If states would take a middle road on the laws, perhaps instead of banning certain animals, requiring a handling and keeping class. They require that anyone who wants to hunt has to take a hunting and firearms class. Why couldn't they do the same for reptiles?

e

Hi Mike . It seems that we all agree that alot of the laws are made as a knee jerk reaction . There are some good ones on the books too . My feeling is also that herpers should make an effort to work with wild life officers to help educate them and show them and the press we are honest and will not put up with people distroying our hobby or wild populations of herps .

Kevin
NAROA

I'm still rooting around Kansas laws on herps and exotics. Really no change predicted with state laws although there has been some very disturbing news of home owners polocies associated with the keeping of reptiles. Then there has been some concern over several venomous bites on ven keepers ( or even some non-keepers at a house of a keeper )in the past several months that is causing some feedback with the state and townships that doesn't already have a ban.
Other than that, SOS.

Chambo ( Mike )

Well Mike Before we ended up having to move to Bryan OH I was working alot trying to get the NAROA site host to get their act together ( they did not ) watching out for my Dad and tending to my herps .

Then it was moving to Bryan working alot getting a new host and finding out that the NAROA.ORG domain and my own herp site domain was hijacked by former host , watching out for my Dad getting new domains and rebuilding sites in my big alotment of spare time and still tend to my herps . All in all I need a vacation !! But everything is slowly getting back to sane ( ???? ) levels again . I heard that someone reserved a room for me at Bellview just in case but thats just talk .

Note the new domain below . Its still under construction .

Kevin
NAROA