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Monday, January 16 2012

U.S. to approve ban on Burmese and African Rock Pythons

By Jeff Barringer
Mon, January 16 2012 at 21:05

After a five year plus battle and despite the best efforts of the reptile community, it is being reported by the Miami Herald that the U.S. is set to approve a federal ban on Burmese Pythons and most likely African Rock Pythons as well, next week during the presidents stop in Florida.

Under a rule that has been the subject of five years of lobbying and debate in Washington, the United States intends to declare the Burmese python an “injurious’’ species, which would make it illegal to import or sell the snakes across state lines. At least one other species that has been found in the Glades, the African rock python, also is expected to be included on the “injurious’’ list that originally included nine large constrictors.

As yet there is no word on the other 7 species on the proposed list, including Reticulated Pythons and Boa Constrictors, but watch this space for further news updates as they come in.

For more information on the expected announcement see
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/16/2592593/us-set-to-approve-python-ban.html

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Most Reptile breeders and owners are a responsible and caring lot. In fact the knowledge we have today to successfully captive breed many reptile species is from their efforts. To be able to captive breed a reptile helps to minimize the impact of wild caught species, which should be protected as much as possible. Today, as many reptile species lose their natural habitat and foot hold on this planet, it becomes more important than ever to understand them and know how to captive breed them as much as possible. If people care about the reptiles and eco-systems of the world the money wasted on absurd bill that accomplishes nothing, should have been spent on habitat renewal and environmental cleanup.

#1 steve on 2012-01-16 22:23 (Reply)

How to ban exotic pets? Divide and conquer. Sure it would be impossible to ban all reptiles, but when you do it one at a time, each new "victory" means more strength in banning other species.

With burms and rocks illegal to trade, it's that much easier to ban retics/anacondas, then boa constrictors, then next thing you know your ball python that refuses to eat all winter and sits in the corner of its tub all day is an "injurious species."

Thanks HSUS and PETA, I was just thinking "Hey I have too many rights as a responsible pet owner / breeder / dealer. Please take some of them off my hands."

#2 Mike@Outback Reptiles on 2012-01-16 22:31 (Reply)

who ever supports this ban is an ignorant idiot. the after shock of this ban is going to hurt an economy that is already struggling. they want to punish a whole country for a small problem in south florida. A FREE COUNTRY MY ASS .

#3 scott kerns on 2012-01-16 22:58 (Reply)

I think this "bill" is a load of BS and if the mafia in Washington keeps going there going to have alot of blood on there hands because when you put people out of business they do what it takes to get by as a MAN Im gonna do what i need to for me and my family if i can't make money honestly I guess I'll start selling crack there still inporting that and haven't done jack about it yet we find all this time to stop people from selling pets it just makes me sick every time I think about how our government could cut more business

#4 wayne keefer on 2012-01-17 01:21 (Reply)

I am one who just experienced the housing crash and lost everything I owned because I was in a small town. They have no idea how detrimental this would be to the Mom and Pop reptile shops and breeder's financial lives. Who ever supports this ban is an idiot and ignorant to the facts. I say a civil lawsuit with joint top breeders in the U.S.A. is in order, for taking food out of their children's mouths.

#5 Alek Hairapetian (Homepage) on 2012-01-17 01:37 (Reply)

Sad news! Looks like I'm going to have to get my first burm quickly.

#6 Josh on 2012-01-17 02:04 (Reply)

Why? So they can tell you to put it down? Cause that's what the are going to do to everyone who has them.

#6.1 Stephanie Jordan (Homepage) on 2012-01-17 07:00 (Reply)

Not correct! The animals we currently have will be grandfathered in!

#6.1.1 Josh on 2012-01-17 18:55 (Reply)

This is so sad and ridiculous.

#7 Kyle on 2012-01-17 05:10 (Reply)

I really wish all these IDIOTS would use my tax dollars to come up with ideas that could help our nation. I cannot believe how billions of dollars are spent so that our elected representatives can sit around smelling the inside of their rectum!! Its a wounder why we are one of the worst nations in the world.

#8 pitontheprowl on 2012-01-17 05:36 (Reply)

In my opinion, this isn't limited to Burms and Afrocks. IMO, they're pushing this through for all 9. Here's the quote:
"At least one other species that has been found in the Glades, the African rock python, also is expected to be included on the “injurious’’ list that originally included nine large constrictors."

I see how one could think that this limits it to only Burms and Afrocks, but nowhere in the article does it say they're ONLY going after these two.

I guess we'll know soon enough as the announcement is supposed to be made in a few hours.

jb

#9 Jonathan Brady (Homepage) on 2012-01-17 06:17 (Reply)

I agree. All I can say is, this is a sad day for the herp hobby. Retics are not far off by any means. Boas will likely be next (as they are established in Florida). The list goes on and on and we're vastly outnumbered as hobbyists.

#9.1 Matt Fullerton on 2012-01-17 08:18 (Reply)

Wtf!?!?! I hit comments on this page and it said i liked this post?!?! I most certainly do not like this post! Its a load of horse shit! I am 17 and have been basing my whole life for several years on being a large constrictor breeder,i love my animals and have a passion for this. I know its burmese and afro rocks but whats next? My Retics! This is such bullshit!

#10 Colton on 2012-01-17 06:43 (Reply)

It is bad enough the government has the power to tell the people what sort of plants they can grow in their gardens and what sort of drugs they can take; now it wants to control the keeping of pets, not to mention the Internet (SOPA). Its hard to believe we the people actually elect these morons to public office...

The government has done such a great job controlling banks and other investment firms, look at how great our economy is now!

#11 Bob Vonnegut on 2012-01-17 08:14 (Reply)

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/01/17/interior-secretary-to-announce-python-ban/

Only 4 are currently listed now but they are trying to list all 9.

#12 Star on 2012-01-17 08:24 (Reply)

Congress sounds like a bunch of ignorant morons that believes everything they see on tv. I never really cared for them personally, and this certainly doesn't help. Why punish responsible keepers because some yahoos in Florida didn't research a snake before they got it and decided it had gotten too large for them to handle?

I'm 20 years old, any entire life has ALWAYS revolved around reptiles, snakes in particular, and even more specific, giant and venomous snakes. These are my life, I plan on breeding retics, anacondas, and burms for a living, and I'm looking towards this spring were I can expect babies for the first time and sell them because I CAN'T COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT OR GET A JOB! This might be my ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME for a long ass time. Congress says all this bullshit about wanting to help the economy, reptiles are a $100 million + industry, it makes no sense to hurt the suffering economy when you claim to want to help it.

I want some members of congress to go to any large constrictor breeder's facility and see how well we take care of our animals, maybe get out a burm or two and see that they're not man-killing machines like the media makes them out to be.

One more thing, I think the statistics of the number of lose giant snakes in Florida is exaggerated by the media. For the past couple years, Florida has had several hurricanes and freezing winters that most boids couldn't survive.

Glades Reptile Farm has heated ponds for their crocodilians and a year or two ago, all of their caiman were wiped out from the temperatures and their ponds freezing over. I'm pretty sure that caiman are hardier than snakes, and they even had heated ponds. The giant boas and pythons in the everglades have no source of heat, surely they die off every winter.

#13 Keith Sweet on 2012-01-17 15:08 (Reply)

well lets put it this way i have owned burms my whole life and as of right now i have 6 gravide females and i am and will still sell them and ship them acrossed state lines period there is no body that will ever stop me or tell me i cant have the animals as pets that i have owned since i was a baby and i swear on my life i will stop you one way or another if you ever try to take them or tell me what i can and cant do also look at the economy right now look how bad it is and now your doing this you do relize how much buisness the government is going to take away and how many lives they will destroy right so instead of the government helping the economy they are doing more damage to it are they really that dumb and let them try to tell me to put my snakes down i will fucking shoot the first one who comes to my house cop or not you may get my burms but in the end ill have your dead ass laying on the ground right next to me

#14 matt perkins on 2012-01-17 18:16 (Reply)

Although I've never been much of a boid man apart from some of the Australian pythons, this is a black day for the hobby. Yes, the feral python concern is legitimate in A SPECIFIC AREA. But with all the problems facing this country right now, honestly? Have we considered banning cats as an injurious species? People who cringe at the idea of feeding even frozen mice to snakes think nothing of letting their housecats roam and wantonly slaughter songbirds, small game and harmless rodents and reptiles, plus spread disease to other animals and humans. (And yes, I speak as a cat-owner too.)

#15 JS Argyle on 2012-01-17 20:19 (Reply)

It's a shame that it has had to come to this, but this is what happens when too many people get pet they think are cool at the time then just let them free when they become too much to handle. Wish they could do something like license the pet owner and microchip the pet. That way when it is found outside of the residnce they know who needs to be fined.

#16 K S on 2012-01-17 22:19 (Reply)

Considering the impact of all the snakes that have made their way into the Everglades, I'm not terribly surprised about all this. The environment's already struggling, and the last thing we need is more invasive species.

#17 Verant on 2012-01-19 16:23 (Reply)

Burmburger with cheese. .mmmm

#18 Anonymous on 2012-01-26 16:46 (Reply)

After the U.S. Congress defeated the Python ban, Czar Salazar goes ahead and bans import and interstate transportation via regulation. What the Obama Regime can not achieve in Congress they just dictate by regulations. The python "problem" was strictly a LOCAL problem, yet the Czar imposes a nationwide ban. Go on folks, elect Obama again, see what else they can take from you.

#19 Charlie on 2012-01-30 18:45 (Reply)

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Monday, January 16 2012

U.S. to approve ban on Burmese and African Rock Pythons

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