Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In yet another attack on the reptile community, today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will look to list the "Big 9" from the USGS survey published in October on the Lacey Act as injurious species:

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose to list the Burmese python and eight other large constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems as "injurious wildlife" under the Lacey Act.

Salazar made the announcement at the Port of New York, which serves as the largest point of entry in the nation for imports of wildlife and wildlife products. Last year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport handled more than 27, 000 separate wildlife shipments valued at more than $1 billion, or 16 percent of all U.S. wildlife imports.

The proposal, which will be open to public comment before Salazar makes a final decision, would prohibit importation and interstate transportation of the animals.

"The Burmese python and these other alien snakes are destroying some of our nation’s most treasured – and most fragile – ecosystems," Salazar said. "The Interior Department and states such as Florida are taking swift and common sense action to control and eliminate the populations of these snakes, but it is an uphill battle in ecosystems where they have no natural predators. If we are going to succeed, we must shut down the importation of the snakes and end the interstate commerce and transportation of them."

This allows us yet another opportunity to refute the bad science involved with both HR2811 and S373. The FWS will publish the proposed rule change in the federal register in early February.

Once it's published, the public will have sixty days to offer comment, after which the waiting game begins again.

As soon as the comment period opens, we'll let you know what action to take, and where.

Even now, it's not too late -- or too early! -- to make calls, reach out to your senators and representatives. Let them know this proposal is based on bad science, that you're part of the reptile community and that you vote!
USF&W to add "Big 9" to Lacey Act

-----
Cindy Steinle
phfaust@pethobbyist.com
PHFaust
Visit kingsnake on Facebook!
Follow Kingsnake on Twitter!

These bills won't pass but we must all fight them. I have two effective answers.

Point 1: As their "concern" of pythons getting out and living in our habitats I say: Pythons can't survive if the temperature drops much below 80 at any point during the year. So if that ban must come into play, it must be limited to the states below a certain equatorial line.

Point 2: Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Religion is a very valid and legally supported and protective amendment. There are currently 3 legally recognized religions that require the participant to own a snake, and specifically a constrictor. To we who have prescribed to any of these religions (and new members) the ban will be deemed unconstitutional.

Let God be with us on this, the parties who are trying to pass this nonsense, which at the very basic level is unconstitutional and we know it, have no idea what owning and appreciating constrictors is like. Why should they effect what we do? Do we tell them they can't get brainwashed by TV, eat processed food and have dogs as pets? Which by the way are the cause of 97% of serious pet related injuries!

Let the python trade stay in America! Our economy can not handle all the people who's jobs and livelihood would be damaged by this infringement on our constitution! So not only is the ban wrong it's also economically inviable, and as we know the dollar has the final say!