Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee seem never to be at a loss for words when it comes to Democratic initiatives. This week the GOP members are shaking their heads over Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's efforts to get a grip on invasive snakes invading national parks in Florida.
Going so far as to produce an image reminiscent of those 1950s and 1960s horror film posters, the Republicans headed into a subcommittee hearing on Secretary Salazar's proposal with a suggestion that one and all Sit Back. Relax. Enjoy the Fright
Back in January the Interior secretary announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would 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. The secretary made the announcement at the Port of New York, which his staff says 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, according to a USFWS release.
This week the Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee assailed that move, saying it would hurt small business owners. They added that America's sportsmen should be used to help fight the snakes spreading out across Everglades National Park, but noted that "hunters are currently only allowed to hunt snakes with their hands or a machete, making the sport incredibly inefficient and unpopular."
Here's what else the GOP had to say:
“Injurious” designation under the Lacey Act would make it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, buy or posses any of the nine constrictor snakes listed by the DOI. An outright ban on these nine constrictor snakes would result in significant economic damage to the pet industry, and those who support the sale and transportation of snakes and snake supplies. The Administration’s proposed policies are targeted at lawful pet owners and their private property and do NOTHING to address the stated concern over snakes currently existing in the wild in South Florida.
Get the Facts
* There are approximately 3,800 pet retail stores across the country that average $3.5-5.25 million in annual snake sales.
* The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated the initial economic loss of snake supply revenue to be $3.6 to $10.7 million—that figure is believed to be greatly understated.
* In total, losses due to an “injurious” listing for Boa constrictors alone are expected to hit private pet dealers, pet supply stores and companies such Delta, FedEx, and UPS for a combined $1.6-$1.8 billion (Source: U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers.)
* The scope of this “injurious” listing is unprecedented and would cause severe economic pain for thousands of Americans by destroying livelihoods and possibly exacerbating the problem of constrictor snakes in South Florida as snake owners and breeders could then release their newly illegal snakes into the wild.
* Secretary Salazar based his decision on a 302-page report by the U.S. Geological Survey, which has been called into question by various scientists in a letter to the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. The scientists called the report a “gross overestimate of potential habitat for these snake species” and noted the Everglades were the “the only known breeding population” for pythons as FWS notes “large constrictors are likely to be limited to the warmest areas of the US.”
* Proponents of the Lacey Act designation argue that these snakes were released into the wild by their pet owners. However, Hurricane Andrew, which devastated South Florida in 1992, completely destroyed a warehouse of exotic reptiles that potentially contained hundreds of Burmese pythons. This is thought to be a contributing factor to the prevalence of constrictor snakes in the Everglades.
* Sportsmen are good stewards of our public lands and their expertise and knowledge of the land should be used to help diminish the increasing snake population. Unfortunately, hunters are currently only allowed to hunt snakes with their hands or a machete, making the sport incredibly inefficient and unpopular.
And who said politics was boring?
Comments
Through selective breeding for specific genetic traits there is a huge list of boa constrictors that will be illegal to transport accross state lines to sell at reptile shows . This list of boa constrictors are currently worth thousands of dollars for each animal if the government was to ban these they would all be worthless.
here is a list of them:
The following list are all Boa constrictor imperator or hybrids of Bcc x Bci
Hypo x Hypo = Super Hypo
Hypo x Albino = Sunglow
Hypo x Anery = Ghost
Hypo x Blood = Hypo Bloods
Hypo x Caramel = Creamy Hypo
Hypo x Reverse Stripe = Hypo Reversed Stripes
Hypo x Genetic Stripe = Hypo Stripe
Hypo x Motley = Hypo Motley
Hypo x Arabesque = Hypo Arabesque
Hypo x Jungle = Hypo Jungle
Motley x Motley = Super Motley
Motley x Albino = Albino Motley
Motley x Anery = Anerythristic Motley
Motley x Blood = Very Red Motley
Motley x Caramel = T+ Motley
Motley x Reverse Stripe =
Motley x Genetic Stripe = Stripe with small circle patterns inside
Motley x Arabesque = Reduced Pattern Motley
Motley x Jungle = Odd Pattern Motley
Arabesque x Arabesque = Super Arabesque
Arabesque x Albino = Albino Arabesque
Arabesque x Anery = Anerythristic Arabesque
Arabesque x Blood = Blood Arabesque
Arabesque x Leopard = Busy Patterned Boa
Arabesque x Caramel = T+ Arabesque
Arabesque x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Stripe Arabesque
Arabesque x Genetic Stripe = AWESOME Stripes
Arabesque x Jungle = Jungle with Lateral Stripes
Jungle x Jungle = Super Jungle
Jungle x Albino = Albino Jungle
Jungle x Anery = Anerythristic Jungle
Jungle x Blood = Bloody Jungle
Jungle x Leopard = Leopard with bold markings
Jungle x Caramel = T+ Jungle
Jungle x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Stripe Jungle
Jungle x Genetic Stripe = Genetic Striped Jungle
Albino x Anery = Snow
Albino x Blood = Red Albino
Albino x Leopard = Albino Leopard
Albino x Caramel =
Albino x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Stripe Albino
Albino x Genetic Stripe = Striped Albino
Anery x Blood =
Anery x Leopard =Anerythristic Leopard
Anery x Caramel = VERY Light Ghost-like Boa or creamy looking Snow
Anery x Reverse Stripe = Anerythristic Reverse Stripe
Anery x Genetic Stripe = Anerythristic Stripe
Blood x Leopard = Very Red Leopard
Blood x Caramel = Orangy Blood
Blood x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Stripe Blood
Blood x Genetic Stripe = Striped Blood
Leopard x Caramel = Creamy colored Leopard
Leopard x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Stripe Leopard
Leopard x Genetic Stripe = Striped Busy Pattern Boa
Caramel x Reverse Stripe = T+ Reverse Stripe
Caramel x Genetic Stripe = Striped T+
Reversed Stripe x Genetic Stripe = Genetic Stripe with reversed tail stripe
Super Hypo x Super Hypo = Super Hypo
Super Hypo x Motley = Super Hypo Motley
Super Hypo x Arabesque = Super Hypo Arabesque
Super Hypo x Jungle = Super Hypo Jungle
Super Hypo x Albino = Super Sunglow
Super Hypo x Anery = Super Ghost
Super Hypo x Blood = Very Red Boa
Super Hypo x Leopard = Reduced Pattern Red Leopard
Super Hypo x Caramel = High Orange Super Hypo
Super Hypo x Reverse Stripe = Reversed Stripe Super Hypo
Super Hypo x Genetic Stripe = Genetic Striped Super Hypo
Super Motley x Super Motley = Super Motley
Super Motley x Hypo = Patternless RED Boa
Super Motley x Arabesque =Patternless boa with few broken Lateral Stripes
Super Motley x Jungle =
Super Motley x Albino = Albino Super Motley
Super Motley x Anery =
Super Motley x Blood =
Super Motley x Leopard = Dark Faded Pattern Boa
Super Motley x Caramel = Patternless Cream Colored Boa
Super Motley x Reverse Stripe =
Super Motley x Genetic Stripe = MAYBE a Dark Faded Striped Boa
SUPER ARABESQUE
Super Jungle x Super Jungle = Super Jungle
Super Jungle x Hypo = Super Jungle Hypo
Super Jungle x Motley = Super Jungle Motley
Super Jungle x Arabesque =Speckled Multi-Striped Boa
Super Jungle x Albino = Albino Super Jungle
Super Jungle x Anery = Anerythristic Super Jungle
Super Jungle x Blood = Bloody Super Jungle/ VERY red Super Jungle
Super Jungle x Leopard = Oddly Striped Boa with Busy Pattern
Super Jungle x Caramel =
Super Jungle x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Striped Super Jungle
Super Jungle x Genetic Stripe =
Sunglow x Sunglow = Sunglow
Sunglow x Hypo = Super Sunglow
Sunglow x Motley = VERY high contrast Albino Motley
Sunglow x Arabesque = Sunglow Arabesque
Sunglow x Jungle = Sunglow Jungle
Sunglow x Anery = Moonglow
Sunglow x Blood = Very Red Sunglow
Sunglow Leopard = High Constrast Albino Leopard
Sunglow x Caramel = NOT AVAILABLE
Sunglow x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Stripe Sunglow
Sunglow x Genetic Stripe = Striped Sunglow
Ghost x Hypo = Super Ghost
Ghost x Motley = Ghost Motley
Ghost x Arabesque = Ghost Arabeque
Ghost x Jungle = Jungle Ghost
Ghost x Albino = Moonglow
Ghost x Blood =
Ghost x Leopard = Leopard Ghost
Ghost x Caramel = Very creamy looking Ghost
Ghost x Reverse Stripe = Reverse Stripe Ghost
Ghost x Genetic Stripe = Striped Ghost
- SKIPPING HYPO BLOODS -
- SKIPPING CREAMY HYPOS -
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Hypo = Super Hypo Reversed Stripe
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Motley = Hypo Reversed Stripe Motley
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Arabesque = Hypo Reversed Stripe Arabesque
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Jungle = Hypo Reversed Stripe Jungle
Hypo Reversed Stripe x Albino = Reversed Stripe Sunglow
hypo Reversed Stripe x Anery = Reversed Stripe Ghost
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Blood = Hypo Reversed Stripe Blood
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Leopard = Hypo Reversed Stripe Leopard
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Caramel = T+ Hypo Reverse Stripe (odd sunglow-like reverse stripe)
Hypo Reverse Stripe x Genetic Stripe = Hypo Super Stripe Crazy Looking Boa
Hypo Stripe x Hypo = Super Hypo Stripe
Hypo Stripe x Motley = Hypo Stripe Motley
Hypo Stripe x Arabesque = Hypo Multi-Striped Boa
Hypo Stripe x Jungle = Hypo Stripe Jungle
Hypo Stripe x Albino = Striped Sunglow
Hypo Stripe x Anery = Striped Ghost
Hypo Stripe x Blood = Hypo Striped Blood
Hypo Stripe x Leopard = Hypo Striped Leopard
Hypo Stripe x Caramel = T+ Hypo Stripe (odd sunglow-like striped boa)
Hypo Stripe x Reverse Stripe = Hypo "Super" Stripe
Hypo Motley x Hypo = Super Hypo Motley
Hypo Motley x Motley = Hypo Super Motley
Hypo Motley x Arabesque = Hypo Motley with Lateral Striping
Hypo Motley x Jungle = Hypo Motley Jungle
Hypo Motley x Albino = Sunglow Motley
Hypo Motley x Anery = Ghost Motley
Hypo Motley x Blood = High red Motley
Hypo Motley x Leopard =Busy Patterned Hypo Motley
Hypo Motley x Caramel = T+ Hypo Motley
Hypo Motley x Reverse Stripe = Reversed Stripe Hypo Motley
Hypo Motley x Genetic Stripe = Hypo Motley Stripe
Blood x Type II anery = pewter
Sharp albino x Boawoman caramel = Paradigm
Aztec x Aztec = Super Aztec
Orangetail Hypo x Aztec = Hypo Aztec (Hytec)
Sunglow x Caramel (using a T pos Nic) = T pos sunglow
Blood x Albino = Bloody Albino
I couldnt agree more with this post.
I am 100% Democrat and yet I side with the Republicans 100% on this issue. Causing a law that will seriously cripple an industry is absurd just to save a small area in Florida.
Sorry, but there are other ways around this. Completely banning imported pythons would help for starters. Then allowing snake hunting licenses in the area would help as well.
This "devastation seen first hand" is erroneous at best. Yes it is a slight population control problem, but "devastating" it is not. What will be "devastating" is the families of the small business breeders (who take up most of the industry mind you, not big companies) and their livelihood.
I dont own, nor do I sell snakes. Never had. But just as a logic and informed person you can see the vast misplaced fear and overkill going on in this discussion.
Let me give you an example.. Upper state NY and Alaska for example are WAY to cold for these animals to sustain life, how does it make sense to cripple every state in the US to benefit that of one state?
Banning interstate trade of snakes will destroy this economy even further. No wonder this country is turning into crap with people like this leading us. This has got to be the biggest overblown recourse I have ever seen.
I hope this bill passes and is the start of a full ban of exotic imports and captive breeding. I volunteer at a humane society that deals mainly with unwanted reptiles. If any of you saw the condition that some of these reptiles come in it would make you sick. People breed these animals because its easy and because they think they can make money. When they find out they cant, they dump off their whole breeding colony onto a humane society. I've seen 50 snakes surrendered in one plastic tote together, and the ones on the bottom die from being suffocated. Worse yet we have animals come in from someone who ordered them off the internet from a so called "white blooded American business owner", usually the animal is in such a sate of ill health we have to put them down immediately. For every 50 animals that come in maybe 1-5 find proper homes. If someone was a dog breeder and kept puppies in a rack system like most of the commercial reptile breeders do they would be called a puppy mill. Whether you are reading this thinking you are one of the good reptile breeders out there who doesn't mistreat your animals just remember, you are contributing/causing the problem. When was the last time you followed up on a reptile you sold? Do you know where the Green Labyrinth Burmese python morph ended up after you sold it? Don't worry I've seen it, it's in a freezer with all of the other animals who [couldn't] find homes.
"I hope this bill passes and is the start of a full ban of exotic imports and captive breeding ... "
So you support a ban of breeding cats and dogs then? What about horses and sheep? Hamsters and guinea pigs are a no no as well I suppose. Oh that's right, humane societies and rescues are not over run with dogs, just reptiles. Feral cats are not a problem, just large snakes.
As for banning the breeding of snakes, why should responsible breeders be made to suffer? It doesn't matter if its snakes or dogs or hamsters or rabbits. A ban is a ban. It eliminates all breeders not just the irresponsible ones. You are insinuating that reptile breeders do not follow up on sales. I'd guess as many reptile breeders follow up as dog breeders. Do you know where that chocolate lab ended up. Its in the incinerator with the all the other animals who couldn't find homes.
You do make some legitimate points but to limit them to reptiles shows you prejudice and ignorance on the matter. Your argument only makes sense if you support the ban on captive breeding of every single species of animal because there are abuses regarding every one of them.
If you are prepared to come on here and say that you support a ban on breeding every companion animal species then I can and will respect your opinion ( I won't agree with with it but I will respect it) Until then, as long as you are limiting your ban to reptiles your opinion just doesn't hold any merit with me.
I actually do support a ban of breeding of all animals. I didn't think I had to share all of my views because this discussion of this board was about reptiles.
We do not NEED dogs, cats, hamsters, turtles, cows, chickens, and any other animal to survive. They are merely entertainment for us.
Tell me im wrong.
Why do we keep dogs? For companionship. Why do we keep cats? For companionship. Why do we keep cows? Because we like the way they taste.
All of our human needs can be met without the assistance of animals.
I understand that people make a livelihood out of breeding reptiles, but a lot of people provide for their family by not breeding reptiles.
I know the world will not change in my lifetime. I know we wont all be vegans. I know people will keep breeding reptiles even if it is outlawed. I just wanted to share my side of all of the torture and death I see from this "industry".
look obviously you don't care about the recession we are in either doing this would cause major job loss that's like saying who cares about your job because i don't want this and this is why everyone hates us americans cause we are to closed minded and think we are right about everything and have our head so far up our.... that we choose not to see it. there are other ways of settling this without punishing everyone for a couple peoples stupidity. look the everglades are already cleared up since the winter now that your everglades aren't in direct effect at the moment and the coast is clear go and make responsible ownership laws not just punish people for someones stupidity or maybe we should shoot humans for destroying the planets ecosystem as well the pythons aren't the only ones destroying OUR EVERGLADES or the world as we know it.
How is this going to be a victory for the environment? If anything it will just cause more people to release their now illegal pets into the environment. If politicians were serious about protecting the Everglades they would focus on the Melaleuca trees and the ever increasing populations of feral cats, dogs, and hogs. Maybe they would also stop selling land to the frickin' sugar industry.
Yeah, I'm practically a Democrat (very liberal independent) but I take exception to your play at party politics in this matter. There are a number of politicians, both Democrat and Republicans, behind the proposed snake ban. It is, for all intents and purposes, a bipartisan bill. Yet when you make the statement that it is supported only by the Democrats you get all the unthinking progressive wannabe followers behind this bill (hey, anything the Republicans support is evil, no matter what, right?)
If this bill was only about the importation of pythons and boas then maybe it could have had support from reptile owners and even some breeders but it isn't. Instead, it will make it virtually a crime simply to own one of these snakes. I own a python (one that I personally rescued btw!) and do not want to be confined to the state I live in just because I chose to save and keep this animal. As I stated to "Roadranger", who thinks that pythons and boas are somehow behind every environmental problem in Florida: if any of you arm-chair activists gave a sh!t about the environment you would demand better control of feral cats, pigs, and dogs, not to mention the introduced fish and dog species, not to mention the buying out of the Everglades by the sugar industry. but, no, it's all about the snakes, because snakes are "evil" right?
Then you have people like the "Anonymous" at April 15 and April 21. Someone who volunteers at the humane society, sees the suffering of unwanted pets first hand, and then has the gall to think that:
A: If humans were to stop breeding animals then animal suffering would actually be reduced and
B: Humans should keep their distance from animals, not have them in their lives, and view nature remotely!
What insanity!! This is why zoologists and other animal rights activists don't take PETA or the HSUS seriously, because they think that animals can just be banished to the wild and that humans can somehow live without interacting with animals at all. I won't even get into the ridiculousness of that point of view.
What I will get into is the simple fact that if the breeding and ownership of companion animals is outlawed, the number of unwanted, malnourished animals that that bonehead will have to try to help will SKYROCKET! Just look at what's happening in Vancouver: aside from animals unsuited for pet ownership (big cats and great apes) the City of Vancouver, BC had the bright idea to outlaw many reptile and amphibian species. Now vets are complaining about animals being abandoned en mass. Many of them will have to be put to sleep and the so called "Humane Society" has the chutzpah to say that things will improve if this is duplicated in the United States!? I want every environmentalist reading this thread to take a good long look at what Anonymous at April 21 wrote down. This is what you are siding with if you support the S373. People who actually love their pets and will do anything to take care of them will be forced to give them up and probably put many of them to sleep while people like him/her say what a "victory" it is for animal lovers.
Instead, we really should look to breeders and owners to better regulate themselves. In the Carolinas this is already beginning to happen. USARK is doing everything in its power to make sure that large snake owners are allowed to keep and breed their pets so long as they prove that they meet the housing requirements for such animals. I would very much support State and even a Federal law that is very similar. Instead of banning an animal and thus making contraband out of living and breathing creatures we can enforce existing animal rights laws and add housing requirement laws. That way, people who are actually knowledgeable about reptiles would be able to oversee any private ownership and breeding industry that occurs and the environment, along with the lives of animals and people, will be much better protected than if this farce of a bill, which would be like sticking an adhesive strip on a jugular wound, is passed.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention, many pythons and other introduced reptiles in Florida were killed off during the cold front of 2010. I would say that is nature correcting things but the whole thing might have been due to Anthropogenic Climatic Shift (you know, Global Warming).