something has not been answered here.
what happens to native herps that have been in captivity BEFORE this law-if it is passed-
especially in the case of native species that were captive Bred
is it retroactive - will it be kay if one can provide proof of ownership BEFORE the law is passed-like a grandfather clause
stating that if a person has an animal before the law is was passed it allows you to keep it but when it dies you can not replace it.
oh and my take on a few things:
contrary to what they "think" copperheads are not declining
and Honduran Milksnake can't be confused with an Eastern Milk-if they can't tell the difference then they shouldn't be doing that job. (I was reading how their game officer's sometimes can't tell them apart even though they are trained to recognise them-if they can't tell-then they are not trained well enough to do the job)
Box Turtles on the other hand in PA need some protecting-I have gone years of not seeing them at all-got lucky last year to see 2-one of which was rescued and rehabed after being hit by a motor home and returned to it's home range area.
Laws need to make sense and be made by people who actually know the information. Some of these things make sense but a vast majority of it is done by speculation with no hard evidence.
I suppose I should lucky that I do research and education as I read the law. but I don't feel lucky, because how will this affect the next generation of herpers in PA.
and I'm going to get some venomous keepers up in arms but if I can't keep a ratsnake how is that you can keep a cobra. Pardon me for saying so. and how can the local pet shop here blantly break federal law by selling baby turtles-no one in the PFBC cares about those issues.
please send all hate to tokay@ptd.net if you're ticked over what I said about venomous.
