Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We need everyones help!

This proposal will:

-Ban the importation and sale of every color morph and every subspecies of native PA species! There is no question about the inclusion of subspecies in the prohibition.
No Cal kings or other L. getulus
No L. triangulum milksnakes
No Elaphe obsoleta (Pantherophis alleganiensis)
No T. sirtalis
No Terrapene carolina

etc. etc.

-Make you guilty of a crime until you prove your innocence if you carry tongs or a hook in the woods outside the six weeks of rattlesnake season. Ridiculous.

-Lower the native reptile possesion limit from 2 to 1 with NO scientific support for this action.

If we as citizens let this go on eventually this will result in these folks making a reg that bans the keeping of reptiles completely because that's the way they THINK it should be. We must insist on scientific accountability or we are surrendering!

With the exception of the timber rattle snake changes, there is no science behind any of these changes.

Captive breeding protects wild populations by fulfilling demand for desirable species. Do you really think that there are still folks out commercially collecting corn snakes or pine snakes, or cal kings? Of course not. It is more profitable to call a large breeder and buy them wholesale for resale than it is to collect them.

An analysis of the reptile market through the internet shows that the VAST majority (90 %) of domestic reptiles for sale in the US are CAPTIVE produced. Pa Fish and Boat does not refute this FACT. The choose to ignore it.

This whole thing is based on a tradition in conservation agencies of preventing commercialization. It originated early in the century when bird feathers were in great demand for ladies hats. Feathers don't reproduce in captivity. Reptiles do. It is apples and oranges.

PLEASE CALL:
(email if you can)

PA. Fish and Boat Executive Director Douglas Austin 717-705-7801
Go here to email - https://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?a=1093&q=438119

PA. Senate Game and Fisheries Com. Chair. Joe Conti 717-787-7305
email - jconti@pasenate.gov

PA. House Game and Fisheries Com. Chair Bruce Smith 717-783-8783
As far as I can tell Rep. Smith has no email.

If you are a PA resident please call your own state senator and representative. You can find who they are at:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm

You can also join the PA Animal law group at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PAAnimalLaw/

Thanks to all in advance for your help!!!

Lisa
Living Earth Environmental Education
@__/ __/ __ / __==< :>--

Why they go to species level instead of ssp is beyond me. If they want to protect native species by enforcing bag limits, that is one thing (still debateable, but one can see the logic at least), but banning Cal kings in PA for example is silly.

Who really cares if someone wants to breed Cal kings in PA? Aren't there more important issues to deal with? Sheesh.

Mark

>>We need everyones help!
>>
>>This proposal will:
>>
>>-Ban the importation and sale of every color morph and every subspecies of native PA species! There is no question about the inclusion of subspecies in the prohibition.
>>No Cal kings or other L. getulus
>>No L. triangulum milksnakes
>>No Elaphe obsoleta (Pantherophis alleganiensis)
>>No T. sirtalis
>>No Terrapene carolina
>>
>>etc. etc.
>>
>>-Make you guilty of a crime until you prove your innocence if you carry tongs or a hook in the woods outside the six weeks of rattlesnake season. Ridiculous.
>>
>>-Lower the native reptile possesion limit from 2 to 1 with NO scientific support for this action.
>>
>>If we as citizens let this go on eventually this will result in these folks making a reg that bans the keeping of reptiles completely because that's the way they THINK it should be. We must insist on scientific accountability or we are surrendering!
>>
>>With the exception of the timber rattle snake changes, there is no science behind any of these changes.
>>
>>Captive breeding protects wild populations by fulfilling demand for desirable species. Do you really think that there are still folks out commercially collecting corn snakes or pine snakes, or cal kings? Of course not. It is more profitable to call a large breeder and buy them wholesale for resale than it is to collect them.
>>
>>An analysis of the reptile market through the internet shows that the VAST majority (90 %) of domestic reptiles for sale in the US are CAPTIVE produced. Pa Fish and Boat does not refute this FACT. The choose to ignore it.
>>
>>This whole thing is based on a tradition in conservation agencies of preventing commercialization. It originated early in the century when bird feathers were in great demand for ladies hats. Feathers don't reproduce in captivity. Reptiles do. It is apples and oranges.
>>
>>PLEASE CALL:
>>(email if you can)
>>
>>PA. Fish and Boat Executive Director Douglas Austin 717-705-7801
>>Go here to email - https://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?a=1093&q=438119
>>
>>PA. Senate Game and Fisheries Com. Chair. Joe Conti 717-787-7305
>>email - jconti@pasenate.gov
>>
>>PA. House Game and Fisheries Com. Chair Bruce Smith 717-783-8783
>>As far as I can tell Rep. Smith has no email.
>>
>>If you are a PA resident please call your own state senator and representative. You can find who they are at:
>>
>>http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm
>>
>>You can also join the PA Animal law group at
>>
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PAAnimalLaw/
>>
>>Thanks to all in advance for your help!!!
>>
>>Lisa
>>Living Earth Environmental Education
>>@__/ __/ __ / __==< :>--

Keep in mind that dealing with actual problems requires work. Which is something neither party is capable of anymore (at one time they were).
Banning anything and everything is the thing the only thing they do now.
Ofcourse it makes no sense but what really makes even less sense is all the herp keepers that dont write,call,email to let them know in a nice way ofcourse that they will vote AGAINST them in election if they vote on this insane law and ofcourse EXPLAIN NICELY why it makes no sense.

Thanks for the comments.... and so true.....lol. Not only are comments from PA herp keepers helpful, but comments from out-of-state herpers are useful as well. You know what they say, either we all hang together or we all hang separately!

Lisa
Living Earth Environmental Education
@__/ __/ __ / __==< :>--