Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a feeling that if their continues to be a problem with Burms getting out and living thoughout Fl. we will not be able to keep snakes of any kind. Just the other day a huge albino burm was found in a UPS truck. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN. Whomever mailed that snake should not be selling burms....PERIOD. Its just going to take one really bad scene for polititians to ban the keeping of snakes all together. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE explain to people that purchase burms that they get huge. And please let them know of places to take their burm if they don't want it anymore. Or please just stop selling them. I know I am going to take some heat for this, but everytime a large snake is in the paper its always a burm. I just don't want us all to feel the affects if these snakes keep killing pets and rarely people.
Mike Burton

I AGREE WITH Mike 100% because if we dont do something about this the gov't will ban all herp sales and anything else to do with them. THANK ABOUT THIS PEOPLE. Do you want the gov't to ruin our Carrers, Lives, Dreams, and Hobbies?
I say NO!! and that we should at least try to do something about it because I want to keep my herps but I dont know about you. Please at least try to do something about all these burms. Because of all these dumb ass people that dont know what they are doing go buy that nice baby snake that tops 20' then one or two years down the road get scared or tired of it and let it go in the wild. This bull s**t has gone on long enough we should at least try to do something about all these burmese pythons all over the U.S.A. just rember THAT IT IS GOING TO COME BACK ON US HERPERS.

PLEASE TRY TO HELP!!!

Thanks
Brandon Sawyer

n/p

I posted some suggestions of ways to help mend this problem in two threads above here. As an owner of large constrictors living in so fla I feel threatened by the recent bad press snakes have been getting.

In my attempt to be proactive I have come across a captive care commission created by FWC, on which a respected member of the herp world sits. My qualms with this commission is that it is legislative in nature and doesnt focus on the hobbyists point of view regardless of who is on it. We do not necessarily need more laws to regulate our hobby however I do agree something needs to be done to curb the problems associated with large constrictors.

As a result of one of my other posts someone told me about the AFH, an organization of herpetoculturists who have issued documents regarding proper husbandry etc of these animals. In the last 3-4 years of perusing these forums I have not seen them mentioned at all nor their literature recalled.

The person who replied to the other thread stated that their documents have been used to influence legislation etc but I am not familiar enough to comment on that.

What I proposed was an organization of responsible reptile keepers. What the herp world needs right now is a credible organization to provide an educational message within the stories airing about GIANT KILLER PYTHONS.

This could be accomplished in one of two ways: 1)We could create a new organization and have local chapters, regional chapters, underneath a national umbrella group or 2) We could create the umbrella organization under which all existing herp organizations could become members of.

In the very recent past, I read an article in the Sun Sentinel, a south florida newspaper, stating the decline in local herpetological societies. They blamed this on the rise in the use of the internet. Members of the local herps society interviewed stated that individuals on these forums never meet each other and have no connection to each other personally.

I think we can all agree that these comments do have some merit, albeit very little. I see these comments and the recent events in FL, as an opportunity to merge the old ways of the local herp societies into a larger organization that would be seen as a credible authority on reptile husbandry and the hobby to the general public, the media, and the nation as a whole.

This organization gives us the opportunity to create membership standards etc. furthering our mission to establish a nationwide network of responsible keepers. This can only be a positive thing for all of us in the hobby.

I would really like to get this rolling and I have already gotten a few emails from some folks expressing interest. These are just my initial thoughts so if you are interested, please email me so we can begin to discuss. A credible organization would do our nationwide community a lot of good. I urge you all to forward me your thoughts.

Thanks,
Michael
mtragash@gmail.com
954-701-1044

P.S. This is not just for owners of large constrictors or venomous but rather for ALL REPTILE KEEPERS.
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Jon