"private owners don't have the resources for a giant aquatic reptile that may live 50 years"

"The best owners usually do a great job with their pet alligator for 5-20% of the animal's lifespan at most. Even for owners who love their pet alligator, the story rarely has a happy ending for the animal."

I responded over in the law forum Jesse. As you know, I have a female American Alligator who is in her teens/early 20's and was initially a rescue who has been in my care for over 10 years, with no plans of her going anywhere else for the rest of her life. (Barring any laws which would make it illegal for me to continue keeping her, which is getting harder every year...)

I can say from experience, properly keeping and maintaining a female American Alligator is no where as expensive as properly keeping and maintaining a large varanid, like a Water Monitor.

While I don't sell or buy alligators, (or any crocodilians OR venomous snakes) that part of this does not effect me personally, I'd hate to be a venomous snake keeper & breeder and have this pass. (And just because I am not one doesn't mean I'd sell out my fellow herpetoculturist - I know there are responsible venomous snake keepers & breeders here in PA)

I too have been offered Alligators that I do not wish to keep, or can not keep, and a few times I have taken Alligators in and passed them immediately along to a rescue, or another person so they wouldn't be dumped in the wild. I've done the same thing for lizards, snakes & turtles too though. I agree Alligators are sold cheaply and in numbers at PA's reptile expos, and that irresponsible people can and do purchase them. The same exact thing is true of venomous snakes, especially the poor snakes sold basically as novelty animals.("Venomoids")

Being that the law would be JUST to end the selling and purchasing of American Alligators in the state of PA, and not affect the possession of, I am much less bothered by it, but am concerned about once it gets in place, it being "extended" in the future. I take it this ban would also mean that no PA citizen could legally purchase an alligator from another state where they can be legally posses either?

As I said on the law forum, if you ban American Alligators, and let other species be legal, some other crocodilian is just going to "fill the hole" - Years ago, it used to be that Spectacled Caimans that were purchased in droves and given away. The caimains I have, and have had came to me in that exact way. Those animals were imported in numbers and were at every show - until they were federally banned. Then gators took their place.

Whats next then, are you going to be deluged with Nile crocs, until we have banned the sale of all crocodilians here in PA?

I am pretty sure there are gator farms that will take unwanted gators. I've seen a few rescues here in PA say they will take ANY unwanted reptile, and seem to include crocodilians. (I've seen some especially indicating crocodilians - wither these are legitimate rescues or not, I have no idea)http://krazyreptilerescue.webs.com/