Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Link 1

Link 2

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I'm not surprised.
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1.0 Albino American alligator, "Smoke"
1.1 American alligator,"Al Bite Ya & Molly"
1.1 Purple Albino Reticulated Pythons, "Gumbo & Abita"
0.1 Eastern Gaboon Viper, "Gabbie" Recently passed away at 24 years old

a 2000 biography on Gordon Rodda

Gordon H. Rodda, Ph.D.
Zoologist
USGS - MESC
Fort Collins, CO 80525

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Rodda obtained a B.A. in organismic biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a
Ph.D. in behavioral biology from Cornell University. Since 1987 he has worked exclusively on
scientific research related to the ecology and control of the brown tree snake. He has authored and
co-authored several publications on the brown tree snake as well as served as senior editor for the
1999 book "Problem Snake Management: the Habu and the Brown Tree Snake."

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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Is Gordon Rodda a One Trick Pony? They're not ALL Brown Tree Snakes and this isn't Guam, Professor.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Well it's not just that. He lobbied washington for MILLIONS of dollars because he said he could study and eradicate the brown tree snakes. I'm pretty sure that little eradication plan didn't work out so well.
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1.0 Albino American alligator, "Smoke"
1.1 American alligator,"Al Bite Ya & Molly"
1.1 Purple Albino Reticulated Pythons, "Gumbo & Abita"
0.1 Eastern Gaboon Viper, "Gabbie" Recently passed away at 24 years old

and this isn't Guam.....You're right this is the REAL United States....not some phony territory.

To be a "one-trick pony", shouldn't one be able to do the said "trick". He has failed MISERABLY at his efforts to eradicate the brown tree snake. It's shocking to me that he is seen as an authority.
jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

Well then, I guess that makes him an "Expert".

"a has-been"..."drip under pressure".

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

It should be said that the task of eliminating the brown tree snake was an impossibility from the start-as is that of exterminating the burmese python in the Everglades.

Rodda's real malfeasance is in misleading those in authority (including his employers) into believing in these impossibilities.

You'll notice that lately we're hearing words like "control" and "reduction" instead of the "extermination" and "elimination" we were hearing a couple years back. No lie, however big or brazen, can long stand the light of day.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

As others have stated on other threads, if we returned the flow to the Everglades, to a more pristine situation, as before...I believe the habitat would be less of a steamy stagnant cesspool and less conducive to the Burmese Pythons' success.
Just my opinion.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Most similar habitats in the new world have some sort of sizable boid inhabiting them. If it weren't for the gulf stream epicrates boas most likely be inhabiting the glades. Since they are not there is an empty niche to be filled and much to my surprise the burm has filled it. This is the same reason so many lizards take so well to living here in Fl. The native lizard fauna here in Fl is quite poor ( fwc biologist Kevin Enge's words not mine...although I do agree.) considering the sub-tropical environment. As far as eradication goes by human hands it is not likely possible. Considering the low temps of the last 2 winters we MIGHT be having a cooling trend going on for the next few years here. a few more winters like that and the problem will take care of itself.

I think there are so few native tropical reptiles is because of floridas inconsistant geological history 8000 years ago you could walk past key west on dry land and this would have been an ideal situation for epicraties to "jump" across. But with about a 10 sealevel rise most of the land below lake O would be underwater (I am sure this has happened in the last 30,000 years or so) this would push all the animals up north and the cold could have killed them off. That is why all the animals in florida came from the north and few if any jumped up from the south.
Rob

It also has to do with the fact that if you launch yourself in an inner tube in cuba and you don't paddle like crazy (just drift with the flow) you will end up off the coast of England not Florida.

Exactly-the Gulf Stream is a formidable barrier to rafting species.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

John, that's a point I've been trying to make since the inception of this "crisis". And going along with that, the further point that those political and development forces who are so "up in arms" over the burms, are the exact same folks who have been figting TRUE Everglades restoration for years!

These guys, including Sen. Nelson, are secretly thrilled about the burm infestation and the distraction it provides(and promises to provide far into the future).
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

Yes I agree about the gulfstream also. I have made the same point befor in other forums that is why cyclura and epicraties are in the bahamas with cuba ancestors. if they jump off most will end up in the bahamas not florida. I was looking at a gulfstream map and was thinking if a boa came off the far west end of cuba it is likely it could end up in so florida. But if the ocean levels were lower it is less of a distance but the channel would be narrower there by increasing the speed and if the sea levels were higher the speed would be slower but the distance would be much greater. I still think the idea of the cold is still possible tho because while a tough crossing it still could be possible from the far west end. Who knows??? LOL

Brad, It's the same way the TP&W Commissioners treated the turtle hobbyists in Texas. They steamrolled over them and scapegoated them with that boilerplate HSUS "Where have all the turtles gone?" blather by preying on the heartstrings of America with that emotionally driven argument "They're all going to China to be eaten. How inhumane!" and with the eager support of marginal stakeholders with questionable to non-existent credentials...the ones that earn their chops by sucking up to power, like a bunch of Bobble-heads.

The Commissioners are the ones that earn their fortunes by modifying, fracturing, and destroying habitat...all the while degrading and polluting the environment. Don't believe me, just check their resumes out on the web. I've already posted the stuff here more than once.

In effect, nothing positive has been done to save native turtles other than to eliminate the private sector and encourage the "Professionals of Academia". Absolutely no different than the "Invasive Giant Constrictors" argument, just a smaller version. Wonder where they got that strategy template from? Probably from the successful Texas trial.

jsc

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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

We're still waiting for the promised TPW regs that would allow captive breeding of native turtles by private hobbyists. Maybe they think HCU has forgotten that, but we haven't.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

Don't get me wrong-the export of native NA turtles to feed the Asian billions was/is a BIG problem. But the "solution" here in Texas did grievous harm to hobbyists while utterly failing to end the trade in wild-caught Texas turtles to Asia. The "private waters" exemption is big enough to drive truckloads of turtles through!
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

I'm all for conservation. Have been all my life. I was the only lonely voice [bleep]ing about the indiscriminate killing of Snakes and Turtles way back when, before it was "Cool" to give a whit about them. Just ask anyone that's known me since the 1960's.

Actually, what the TP&W has done somehow is avoid sub-specific designations to make selling and owning most U.S. species an issue. This is contrary to what I believe they promised at the time regulations were put in place.

As the law now reads, you have to have a commercial permit to sell California Kingsnakes in Texas. That means reporting in and out, as well as possibly buying a Hunting License. Lampropeltis getulus is as specific as they get. Same with any genus in it's entirety if represented by any subspecies here in Texas.

The way I understand it, you are not allowed to possess more than 6 T. carolina of any subspecies in total. This also means you are not allowed to sell any Eastern Box Turtles, even if from the Carolinas, here in Texas permit or not.

They have done quite a bit to impede our hobby. And they wonder why hobbyists go into all these "invasive" "harmful" unnatural morphs, hybrids, and imports. It is a problem of their own making. The Law of Unintended Consequences, I suppose. Them and their short-sighted, narrow-minded thinking...create a problem...make a LAW to solve said problem...thereby creating a new problem requiring a new law to solve that problem...and so on and so on. We've got to keep the Lawyers in business. After all, we are a Nation of Laws...a very litigious society, indeed.

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I can't disagree with any of that, John. And I can add that the short-sighted refusal to track by subspecies means that all the data they gather in this way will be WORTHLESS when it comes to knowing anything about the trade in Texas native herps! I don't mind keeping track and reporting, but it seems like a pointless exercise under the present rules.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

Do you think this has anything to do with the state of affairs?

The Texas Parks and Wildlife issued the following news release:

Carter Smith was named executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Dec. 5 at a special meeting of the TPW Commission in San Antonio. Smith will be leaving the helm at The Nature Conservancy of Texas to take the top job at TPWD.

"Carter Smith is a well-respected conservationist and has proven his ability to develop successful partnerships with landowners and others," said TPW Commission Chairman Peter Holt."

Peter Holt of Holt Caterpillar...wonder how he makes his money?

And what makes you think they care one bit about gleaning any helpful data from the process? They could care less. That's not what it's about.

I apologize for the off topic conversation. Just trying to make a point others have tried to make here with Brad.

Brad, You're a good guy, a smart guy, with a lot of good input, but I just gotta say I think you're all wrong about blaming all our troubles [in Texas] on Rep. Hilderbrand and having so much faith in HCU. HCU members attacked the commercial guy unmercifully and threw the turtle people {like me) under the bus. All that bluster and bravado, what did it get you? HCU's record speaks for itself. Bunch of misguided sophomoric bush-league nonsense.

Just my opinion, but I think you're being a bit naive. The playing field is huge and the AR agenda is a tsunami.

I hate being so harsh. I honestly want to see HCU succeed and I honestly like Brad. Not trying to make this personal at all.
Feel like I need a shower now. Sorry for the off topic rant.

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Maybe you're right John, in some respects. But if you are, then I give up. Because if the mainstreams really DO take up the banner of the AR morons, then we are lost. I'm just saying that I've been involved with Audubon, NWF, etc for 35 years and have never seen anything but scorn for PETA, ETC....

HCU has done a lot of good, and I think you are off-base there-I can't talk about some of it now, but suffice to say we are more than ready for the next legislative session (the only thing that defeated us last time was time running out).

We threw no one "under the bus", but merely did what was possible at the time-and TPW was not going to allow commercial collecting from roads, end of story. We've gone over this before no use rehashing it here. We had no input at all in the turtle regs-I breed turtles myself, so I hardly would have acceeded to the current regs had I had any say.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

I don't blame the trouble on Hildebrand at all-he was just a tool used by a couple of people (at most) at the top of TPW Law Enforcement to get what they consider an annoyance out of their hair.

As for Smith, we'll see. I know no one here cares, but in Biological Sciences circles, TNC has a solid reputation (unlike TPW lol).....
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

I will also say that, as far as I've been able to determine, Smith had nothing to do with the 2007 herp battle.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

"Carter Smith is a well-respected conservationist and has proven his ability to develop successful partnerships with landowners and others," said TPW Commission Chairman Peter Holt."

This says it all. "successful partnerships with LANDOWNERS and other GROUPS"

It is all about large landholders...the Landed Gentry...The Sheriff of Nottingham...the Executive Director's job description is to carry out the will of the Commissioners...the King's Court.

Carter Smith was the Commissioners choice to carry out the will of the Commission. He was hand picked from The Nature Conservancy for the position of implementing their will.

Is any of this sinking in? It's a hand and glove situation. A perfect match. A marriage made in Heaven.

The other groups include...PETA, TNC, HSUS, etc. I'm pretty sure we're not among either class of patrons.

jsc

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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

If Carter Smith is from the TNC, he certainly WILL NOT be looking for any "partnerships" with animal rights orgs. Many of The Nature Conservancy's biggest donors are from the hunting/fishing side-TNC would stand to lose a LOT if sportsmen perceive that they are adopting any kind of AR agenda.

I would like to see less "associative" and more analytical thinking on this subject.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles

Had it not been for 9/11 along with the increased focus on Undocumented Aliens, and the increase in drug violence...with tightened "Homeland Security" and Increased Border Security, road hunting/collecting would never have been an issue.

That border area is practically a war zone. There's more branches of law enforcement (civil, county, State, Federal) and more branches of military there than anywhere in the country. More of them in number for any civilian region, too.
That is why there is a ban on road hunting. Because that's the favored place for herp hunting in Texas and night time is the favored time. Simply a matter of removing one of the needles in the haystack. A matter of limited resources. Just another unfunded Federal mandate/issue.

It has nothing to do with some old hand Game Wardens thinking herp collectors are a pain in the ass.

As far as the rest of it goes, it's AR agenda all the way. The AR crowd doesn't care about the reasons behind the road ban, but they'll sure take the win for their side. It was practically a freebie.

Just my opinion.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I don't agree John-we had pretty solid info that this was specifically instigated by a couple of higher-ups in TPW LE, and the circumstances re Hildebran and the way it was snuck through are consistent with that explanation. That is not to say that the security situation might not have played a part in their thinking.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

Breeder of:
Green Tree Pythons
Jungle Carpet Pythons
Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons
Striped Colombian Boa Constrictors
Kenyan, Rufescens, and Conicus Sand Boas
Red Phase Western Hognose Snakes
Spider Western Hognose Snakes
Albino Western Hognose Snakes
Locality Trans-Pecos Mexican Hognose Snakes
Southern Hognose Snakes
Eastern Hognose Snakes
Tricolor Hognose Snakes
Hypo Checkered Garter Snakes
Eastern Blackneck Garter Snakes
Stillwater Hypo Bullsnakes
Patternless Bullsnakes
S. GA Eastern Kingsnakes
Locality Desert Kingsnakes
Albino Desert Kingsnakes
Hypo Desert Kingsnakes
Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Desert Phase, Striped Desert, Newport, and Coastal California Kingsnakes
Locality Mexican Milksnakes
Spotted Mexican Milksnakes
Tangerine Mexican Milksnakes
Locality Alterna
Abbott Okeetee Cornsnakes
Mexican Baird's Ratsnakes
Cape Housesnakes
Tangerine Albino African Fat -Tailed Geckos
Locality Spotted Turtles