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Having traveled and collected reptiles in many parts of the world I would have to say that with out a doubt one of my favorite places is right in my own back yard. I live Southwest Florida in an area that has an Incredible assortment of reptiles .Unfortunately it`s also one of the fastest growing places in the country and with that..........................

The amount of habit destruction that is occurring here daily is mind boggling, Go on an afternoon drive and the number of fill trucks,front end loaders and any other kind of construction vehicle you can think of out numbers the cars. Job sites ranging from clearing lots to clearing entire forest are seen EVERYWHERE!!! It`s deforestation that matches any in any part of the world.

I'm afraid the picture of this large eastern diamondback (the third In Month) might represent the future in this region for many reptile species. It`s always very sad to see one of these incredible animals come to such a senseless end.

Ernie Eison

I agree....It's really sad to see what in the end will happen. Furthermore, the more they continue to destroy habitat, the more closely humans encounter alligators in which cause more "attacks". It's pretty funny when you look at it, a state such as florida has over 1 million alligators. They report incidents with these animals very regularly. Now if you think of Louisiana, which has almost 50% more alligators in that state, they have never had a human fatality and injuries are very few and far between. It's all due to the amount of habitat that these animals are losing on a regular basis. But hey...we as humans are the elite species right...so we come first!

It's tough, but the way it is I guess.

Chris

>>Having traveled and collected reptiles in many parts of the world I would have to say that with out a doubt one of my favorite places is right in my own back yard. I live Southwest Florida in an area that has an Incredible assortment of reptiles .Unfortunately it`s also one of the fastest growing places in the country and with that..........................
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>>The amount of habit destruction that is occurring here daily is mind boggling, Go on an afternoon drive and the number of fill trucks,front end loaders and any other kind of construction vehicle you can think of out numbers the cars. Job sites ranging from clearing lots to clearing entire forest are seen EVERYWHERE!!! It`s deforestation that matches any in any part of the world.
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>>I'm afraid the picture of this large eastern diamondback (the third In Month) might represent the future in this region for many reptile species. It`s always very sad to see one of these incredible animals come to such a senseless end.
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>>Ernie Eison
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U.A.P.P.E.A.L.
Uniting A Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League

I just had a discussion similar to this today. I think mankind is the worst thing that has happened to this earth. Mankind as the "elite" or supreme species needs to use that "power" and take care of and respect the "lesser" species. I'd rather not get into the whole topic because it makes me frustrated and hate mankind as a whole
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------Misty-------
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More pets than one room can hold. I listed them all but it looked ridiculous!!!
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Well, consider that mother nature herself can be an amazing killer of species too and it might help you a bit. When (not if) the next 6mile diameter asteroid threatens to smack the planet maybe us humans will have developed enough to earn our keep.

I would urge you to focus your energies towards habit protection as preserving acreage saves reptiles, butterflys, birds etc. etc. etc. You actually might want to check out some of the pro-hunting organizations (ie Ducks Unlimited) as they are probably one of the most effective forces for habit preservation you will find.

Hi Ernie, that is too bad, Ive seen some nice ones around 40mile bend but not the last visit or two. BTW, those longicauda are looking nice, no?

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

Oh for sure,the big D`s are still around but I feel on a serious decline in my area.Once in a while I stumble on a live one and it`s always exciting.For a person that loves reptiles the way I do it`s a dream come true that when I take the dog for a walk around the block in the morning I can find something like a big eastern or an indigo or who knows what. There's so much diversity here. It`s every bit as cool as finding a bushmaster in South America. I`m going to miss them.

Yeah the loungies do look good. Their still young and you can expect a lot more change`s they are also possible het anery . Ernie Eison

no kidding, well thats cool, I'll let you know what happens when they get back from the honeymoon Yeah I was pretty stunned the last time I was in Ft Myers, couldnt believe all the development I saw on the way there from Homestead. Glad to hear you are still seeing some nice critters, I'll have to give you a ring next time Im out.

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford