Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Need some help from keepers to help me get a permit to keep Heloderma in Maine.
My Fisheries & Wildlife Dept. has denied my initial permit request citing " threat to public safety."

Can you send me data, experiences, or anecdotes to help add proper perspective to this view when my appeal is heard?

Thanks

I believe that if a gila were to get loose in Maine it would prob die by winter at least . So, why would they worry about it ?

You could just move to Tn. No permits required on venomous lizards but someone would have to be in love with their lizard to do so . Which is totally retarded .

Share with them that the state of AZ doesn't permit a person to harm or touch a Gila Monster which sometimes freely roam through its neighborhoods. Unless they're molested, Gilas pose very little threat to people. This is common knowledge among professionals who understand them. A wild racoon, in my opinion, possess more threat if it's molested--or especially, if it gets rabies.

The fact is, most people don't know anything about Gila Monsters except that they're "poisonous". If they knew something about its behaviors, they wouldn't regard it as as a public safety risk.

I have four young children in the house and I also own and keep a gila monster in a locked Boaphile cage. In contrast, I have chosen NOT to get our kids a trampoline because of my fear of their safety and the safety of their neighborhood friends; but I have, relatively speaking, much less concern about their safety with regard to our Gila Monster.

Some cities and counties will only allow permits if you notify neighbors within a certain geographical area of yuor residence and no one submits their concerns in writing within 30-60 days, even then you may offer a rebuttal to any concerns raised, in order to satisify the permiting entities needs... Such organizations like sound data to quell such concerns, I'd submit an adendum to your permit application citing the scientific community in regards to the actual 'threat' Heloderms pose, time to do some homework! Also, you may consider submitting the most recent copy of the CDC's mortality and injury statistics report, just the area relating to mortalities and injuries caused by animals, as 'mans best friend' kill and injure far more people each year than reptiles.

Good luck!
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947