S373 Python Ban-- pls read even if you don't keep snakes!

[Hypancistrus]

There is a quote by Martin Niemoller about the state of Europe and the events that occurred there when the Nazis rolled through, and the lack of concern some folks showed.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

I think this quote is very applicable here. The fight against HR 669 showed very clearly that there IS strength in numbers in the pet community. They tried to attack us all and lost badly. Now they are going after a smaller sect, one that is less endeared to the American public than birds, bunnies and hamsters.

But if this passes, can you honestly believe that that's it-- the HSUS and the other anti-pet agenda driven AR groups will just pack up and go home? Do you really believe that they will stop?

 

[ferdinand]

Just to be clear, I do not support this bill. I just hate blanket statements and the need to scapegoat. I don't feel that is necessary to get one's point across....and puts an us vs. them twist to any argument...that I personally find distasteful - sort of like the car salesman to downs all the other brands instead of telling you why you should buy their car.

 

[Shadera]

I personally find it distasteful that because a few people don't have any common sense when it comes to keeping large reptiles responsibly, that we all will have our right to keep them taken away.

No one here is downing other brands. Those of us that know and love these animals are always more than happy to tell people what wonderful pets they make. The problem is, those kinds of people that have any interest or no fear already probably have these animals in their homes.

What I see is a very passionate person for the cause reaching out to ask fellow bird folks for help because we're all exotics owners, and trying their best to relate what's going on in words that will help others understand. A lot of people right now are thinking, 'so what if snakes get banned, I hate em!', and that's pretty dangerous given what's already been tried as far as HR669. One foothold will embolden those people to go after more and more, until they finally get what they wanted to begin with. There's no scapegoating when it comes to the entities backing these, it's all out there on the net for anyone so inclined to search and read. And I certainly encourage people to enlighten themselves when it comes to the true agendas behind some of these "animal welfare" groups. Do they really care about the animals, or is this political chess?

Just to be clear, I do not support this bill. I just hate blanket statements and the need to scapegoat. I don't feel that is necessary to get one's point across....and puts an us vs. them twist to any argument...that I personally find distasteful - sort of like the car salesman to downs all the other brands instead of telling you why you should buy their car.

Then you should absolutely despise this bill, which does all those things to those of us who responsibly care for and keep these animals.

To be clear, I am all for cracking down on the big, dangerous constrictors and putting tougher laws in place regarding them. But there are much better options than just banning them all outright.

I'm not trying to be argumentative here at all, promise. Just trying to get across how much this means to me. I stand to lose well into five figures if this goes through as it's written, and as I'm sure you can imagine, I'm not happy about it. The only thing we can do is fight it with everything we've got, and hope that enough outsiders will help us to make a difference.

 

[Angelicarboreals]

I am also an avid reptile keeper, as some of you know, and I want to add my two cents. What Lauren and Shadera have posted is very true, all exotic owners should wake up and understand that the python ban is one step in the direction of shutting down all exotic pet ownership.

I keep mum about politics for the most part, but I have always strongly believed that the reason why most of these bans seem to originate with reptile species is because the people trying to pass these laws KNOW that reptiles are the easiest of the exotics to target, mainly because they are not as mainstream as birds and other exotics. Many people care less about keeping snakes, lizards, etc and of course there is the fear factor involved so they target us (reptile keepers) as a way to get their foot in the door to start passing more and more restrictive regulations. It is very easy to get the public to believe that snakes are dangerous man eaters and all should be taken out of private homes.

I was horrified several years ago watching Animal Precinct in New York City (I believe it was) and the bad spin that was given on reptile keepers. Large constrictors (and some that are not so large) are illegal up there to own, and someone had been keeping them under the table. When they busted the gentleman they made him out to be some horrible person, while in truth I saw another reptile person as myself. This guy had a beautiful, well cared for collection that was confiscated (and probably euthanized) just because he was in the wrong town for keeping them. Yes, I know that he was doing so illegally, and I do understand that, but I feel very strongly that one day soon that could be all of us who own exotics, parrots included.

Such as with all legislation, don't think for a moment they will stop with just a python ban, If this passes as written, they will start targeting other species which have been released by irresponsible owners.

 

[Gilraen]

Humane Society of the United States: Funding sources, staff profiles, and political agenda

Since it was mentioned that the HSUS is the biggest backer of the bill. A bit about them.

Instead, HSUS spends millions on programs that seek to economically cripple meat and dairy producers; eliminate the use of animals in biomedical research labs; phase out pet breeding, zoos, and circus animal acts; and demonize hunters as crazed lunatics. HSUS spends $2 million each year on travel expenses alone, just keeping its multi-national agenda going.

They are with PETA in regards to desiring to ban any and all animal use/ownership period. It isn't playing the "then they'll come after you threat", it's telling the truth.

Browse Animals : The Humane Society of the United States Here's another section on it. They don't put reptiles in the same category as pets. And while unfortunately their snake article is missing(the one with the headline "not the right pet for you" that notes that it is dangerous to keep a pet snake, not to mention the blanket statement of "people get snakes when they’re small and may let them loose as they grow." which flat out implies that no one researches first) I can only imagine it would be in the same sort of fashion as the iguana page's link which states

The Humane Society of the United States strongly opposes keeping wild animals as pets. This principle applies to both native and nonnative species, whether caught in the wild or bred in captivity. The overwhelming majority of people who obtain these animals are unable to provide the care they require.[note from me] What about a corn snake? Or a ball python? How dangerous are they? Neither gets to a size that would allow it to kill a human and I know plenty of people who have them as pets and adore them. How "wild" and "dangerous" are they, then?[/note from me]

Caring for wild animals is difficult or impossible

Despite what animal sellers may say, appropriate care for wild animals requires considerable expertise, specialized facilities, and lifelong dedication to the animals. Their nutritional and social needs are demanding to meet and, in many cases, are unknown. They often grow to be larger, stronger, and more dangerous than owners expect or can manage. Even small monkeys and small cats such as ocelots can inflict serious injuries, especially on children. Wild animals also pose a danger to human health and safety through disease and parasites.

Heck, even the parrot page says

In comparison, birds like conures, parrots (of whom there are many varieties), macaws, cockatoos, and toucans are problematic because they have not undergone the same process of long captive breeding and genetic selection. These birds are still wild animals, even when bred in captivity. As such, their normal behavior can make them difficult and demanding to live with.
Issues like size, noise, destructive behavior, biting, and behavioral vices—coupled with a lifespan of 50 years or more—can make these species inappropriate as pets for the average owner. Because of these humane reasons, these animals are not recommended as pets. Most people simply cannot provide for the many complex needs of such birds, causing them to suffer for their entire lives.

They say quite openly that the best "pet" birds are Canaries, finches, cockatiels, parakeets, and lovebirds and that the rest belong in the wild. Note, not only did they not specify "parrots" as anything more that not conures, macaws etc. but they also didn't specify "parakeets" as anything other than budgies, and not explain that other birds such as indian ringnecks are parakeets as well. And put the other birds that MANY people have as happy healthy pets are still wild and should NOT be kept, period. It's just like when HR 669 came out. They were one of the biggest supporters of it. Search Results : The Humane Society of the United States They support this, they support any sort of legislation that will take another animal away from people so they can eventually rid the world of our poor enslaved captives.



Or another thought. Their website clearly says(if you can find it) that they are against breed-specific legislation, yet they use a clearly different tone out of the public eye. Why? It's an easy foot in the door. "First we'll ban what they're scared of most, then second most and if we can't find anything more for them to be scared of, we'll create it"
Dog Politics: HSUS - Sterilize All Pit Bulls
ACF What's Behind Breed Specific Legislation
Breed Ban List Update You May be suprised!!! - Journals - CafeMom
HSUS Launches Onslaught Against Dog Owners Found those in about 30 seconds on the first 2 pages of a google search titled "hsus breed ban" The first was their website saying how they oppose it so much.



And lastly, please do pardon me, it's been WAY too long since I've been in any sort of formal debating, so my skills aren't quite honed anymore, but the gun examples are quite accurate. There's an old adage that says "If they take away guns then only criminals will have them" It goes along with "where there's a will there's a way, and it does fit here. Making laws to restrict gun ownership may hinder a small time crook from getting one, but a hardened criminal who still wants to murder people(rivals, victims, cops, etc) will find a way to get one. It may mean going out of the country, it may mean stealing one, it may mean buying from a black market dealer, or a gun dealer who goes under the table with selling to people who don't have the proper background checks, but they WILL get one. Same with this. If the government bans ownership of a certain species of python, all it means is that you can't buy one legally. You can still, if you try hard enough, find a black market dealer who smuggled a wild one to you, grab a feral one in south florida or buy one from an underground breeder who hasn't been found out by the government yet.

 

[Bird_lover]

The little girl's death is tragic, but just like anything in life, tragic "accidents" do happen.
I don't believe we should ban numerous things and activities because of the slim possibility of an accident - no matter how tragic.

On the other hand, we do have a responsibility to protect the environment - and I say this as someone who is not especially "green" . However, I know there are serious consequences when some species are introduced into an environment where they don't belong. I just don't believe we have a second amendment right to keep wildlife that can wreak havoc on our ecosystems, so rights and responsibilities should be weighed, imo. Most reptiles are NOT harmless to the ecosystem in large enough numbers, and in our warmer climates, they can grow to large numbers in just a couple of decades.

And I'm not buying the slippery slope argument that if they grab your python they will come for your parakeet. Most of the people who want to protect the Florida Everglades aren't PETA members who want to grab all of our pets. Sure, groups like PETA and the HUMANE society have lots of money and a platform on which to stand and make their arguments, but there's a lot of other ordinary folks who care about the environent. As an example, I know several people who care about protecting the Louisiana wetlands, and they're hunters! Certainly not PETA members - but they would fight for any bill that would stop the introduction of non-native species to the wetlands.

And while we're talking about responsible owners - I haven't been on one bird board yet where someone's bird didn't accidentally get out. Accidents do happen - even among responsible pet owners, so I'm pretty sure that there are quite a few reptiles and their offspring in the Everglades that once belonged to "responsible" owners.

 

[Gilraen]

It's not that anyone who wants to take your python wants your parakeet now, it's that the HSUS and PETA BOTH have the ultimate goal of having any form of animals in captivity completely outlawed. No pets, no food animals being produced, no seeing eye dogs, no service animals, no zoos. Nothing. Both want the captive animal trade, whether it is in regards to a python or a parakeet or a golden retriever to be likened to slavery and animal cruelty. They're the big backers of these bills, they do have the money/power to eventually meet their goals and if they get away with banning one thing, they WILL not STOP.

 

[Bird_lover]

It's not that anyone who wants to take your python wants your parakeet now, it's that the HSUS and PETA BOTH have the ultimate goal of having any form of animals in captivity completely outlawed. No pets, no food animals being produced, no seeing eye dogs, no service animals, no zoos. Nothing. Both want the captive animal trade, whether it is in regards to a python or a parakeet or a golden retriever to be likened to slavery and animal cruelty. They're the big backers of these bills, they do have the money/power to eventually meet their goals and if they get away with banning one thing, they WILL not STOP.

And as pointed out earlier, even though PETA holds the money bags in this particular situation, many other NON PETA types are in favor of restrictive laws to protect the local ecosystems.

I just don't agree with your slippery slope argument.

Peace.

 

[Hypancistrus]

And as pointed out earlier, even though PETA holds the money bags in this particular situation, many other NON PETA types are in favor of restrictive laws to protect the local ecosystems.

There are a few reasons why your arguments (or those of the non-PETA environmentalist crowd) do not hold water.

1) The vast majority of the burmese pythons in the Everglades can be traced back to stock that escaped from importers during Hurricane Andrew of 1992. Banning the import of large constrictors and varanids would not hurt the captive bred reptile trade, and would (have) solve the issue there. That was what was agreed to between USARK and Senator Nelson, but Nelson has NOT made the amendments that he promised to make. A politician lying?? Hard to believe, I know...

2) If you are not convinced that eliminating import is enough, okay, fine. Say we ban the big five reptiles of concern in Florida. Why do they have to be banned in Maine? A reticulated python will not survive in Maine. And then what about the other 35 or so species of python that are completely harmless? A ball python or a children's python do not grow large enough to harm even the family cat... why do they have to be banned as well??? (Hint: it has to do with the OTHER, non-green/eco groups backing this bill, and THEIR agendas!)

3) None of the people arguing for this bill have responded to my questions about domestic cats. What is your response??

Cats in Australia: FeralFeast! - Cats - Effect of Cats on Australian Environment

Guess what? They do the same things here, and they spread rabies, which is also a danger to human beings. And there are a lot more feral cats in the US than feral pythons, and they are MUCH wider spread.

So again, why are these groups so bent on reptiles if not for the reasons that have been previously listed in this thread?

1) Reptiles are not a mainstream species. It is easy to attack them and their owners because it is difficult to empathize with their plight.

2) The people promoting this bill are preying on our fear and ignorance in order to get this bill passed, and we are LETTING them.

 

[RandomWiktor]

I agree with you 110%, Lauren. In this country, we have feral cats, dogs, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and poultry. ALL of these species cause significant damage to wildlife & wildlife habitats, and spread major diseases. Ever see the damage in our national forests and grasslands from unrestricted grazing by cattle, sheep, etc? Or what feral pigs do to vegetation and reptile nests? It's an ugly thing, but of course livestock are economically advantageous so we'd never think of banning THEM due to people's irresponsibility.

Cats in particular are absolutely devastating to the environment; they spread disease, compete with native predators, decimate wildlife populations, etc. In places like Scotland they even interbreed with rare native cats. As a wildlife rehabilitator I get in patients constantly that are cat caught, and survivorship is virtually non-existant. Where is the call to ban cat ownership, the breeding of cats, the transport of cats? They are invasive across our entire country, not one small tropical region, and pose more serious damage to native species than any snake species ever has and ever will. Oh, but they're cute and fuzzy, and people aren't afraid of them. So its OK that they're a harmful invasive.

Education and requiring permits, microchipping, strong penalties for illegal keeping and release, & specific housing mandates for species that are exceptionally difficult to care for and require a large ammount of space is a solution that is more appropriate than a fear-mongering blanket ban that will impact a lot of good people and their harmless pets. My boyfriend and I have several large constrictors; he's a zoo tech and I'm a wildlife rehabilitator. Why, as educated people taking appropriate care of our animals, should our friendly, tame, well cared for snakes be killed if we decide want to move out of state with them some day?

This is just like BSL - and it's BS.

 

[Hypancistrus]

Education and requiring permits, microchipping, strong penalties for illegal keeping and release, & specific housing mandates for species that are exceptionally difficult to care for and require a large ammount of space is a solution that is more appropriate than a fear-mongering blanket ban that will impact a lot of good people and their harmless pets. My boyfriend and I have several large constrictors; he's a zoo tech and I'm a wildlife rehabilitator. Why, as educated people taking appropriate care of our animals, should our friendly, tame, well cared for snakes be killed if we decide want to move out of state with them some day?

This is just like BSL - and it's BS.

Well said!!

 

[Hypancistrus]

Here is an update. You can go to the link below for Open Congress and vote yes or no for Bill S373, the python ban. You have to register, but it is free. I am not really sure that our congressman actually care what any of us thinks, but it's worth a shot.

S.373: A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to include constrictor snakes of the species Python genera... OpenCongress

 

[Birdlover]

signed up and voted

 

[Hypancistrus]

This is the text of a letter written in regards to S373. The good Senator and others backing this bill seem to be ignoring this letter written by real, research driven scientists.

Letter To Congress:
24 November 2009
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary
The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism & Homeland Security
2138 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Bobby Scott and Ranking Member Louie Gohmert:
We write in regard to the recent Congressional hearing on HR 2811. As scientists who have worked with reptiles including those cited in HR2811, we express our reservations regarding the document recently released by USGS as an “Open-Report”, titled Giant Constrictors: Biological and Management Profiles and an Establishment Risk Assessment for Nine Large Species of Pythons, Anacondas, and the Boa Constrictor.
Simply put, this report is not a bona-fide “scientific” paper that has gone through external peer review. Part of this report is fact-driven, described by the authors as “traditional library scholarship.” By the authors’ admissions, there are surprisingly little data available regarding the natural history of these species. In their attempt to compile as much information as possible, the authors draw from a wide variety of references, ranging from articles published in peer-reviewed professional journals to far less authoritative hobbyist sources, including popular magazines, the internet, pet industry publications, and even various media sources. While such an approach is inclusive, it tends to include information that is unsubstantiated and, in some cases, contradicts sound existing data.
As scientists whose careers are focused around publishing in peer-reviewed journals and providing expert reviews of papers submitted to these journals, we feel it is a misrepresentation to call the USGS document “scientific”. In fact, much of this report is based on an unproven risk assessment model that produces results that contradict the findings presented in a recently published scientific paper that used a more complex and superior model (see: Pyron R.A., F.T. Burbrink, and T.J. Guiher. 2008. Claims of Potential Expansion throughout the U.S. by Invasive Python Species Are Contradicted by Ecological Niche Models, PLoS One 3: e2931. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002931). Unfortunately, the authors of the USGS document limit their reference to this scientific work to an unsubstantiated criticism. To the contrary, this alternate model is validated by its relatively accurate prediction of the natural distribution of the species in question (something the USGS model does not even attempt). Furthermore, despite its conclusion of a limited potential distribution of Burmese pythons in the United States, the model presented by Pyron et al. accurately predicts the presence of Burmese pythons in the Everglades.
The USGS model likely provides a gross overestimate of potential habitat for these snake species. People throughout the United States keep pythons as pets, yet the only known breeding populations in the United States are in the Everglades. Such a wide distribution of potential sources of invasion, but only a localized invasive event, suggests that factors beyond those used in the USGS model are critical to limiting the suitability of habitat for pythons. The authors even state that climate is only one factor of several that affect the distribution of an animal, yet they develop a model that only uses overly simplistic climatic data (e.g., the climatic data did not take seasonality into consideration).
We are further concerned by the pervasive bias throughout this report. There is an obvious effort to emphasize the size, fecundity and dangers posed by each species; no chance is missed to speculate on negative scenarios. The report appears designed to promote the tenuous concept that invasive giant snakes are a national threat. However, throughout the report there is a preponderance of grammatical qualifiers that serve to weaken many, if not most, statements that are made.
We fully recognize the serious concerns associated with the presence of persistent python populations in southern Florida. As top predators, these animals can and will have a dramatic impact on the community of wildlife that lives in the Everglades. Inaccurately extending this threat to a much large geographic area is not only inappropriate, but likely takes needed focus away from the real problem in the Everglades.
In conclusion, as written, this document is not suitable as the basis for legislative or regulatory policies, as its content is not based on best science practices, it has not gone through external peer-review, and it diverts attention away from the primary concern. We encourage the USFWS and USGS to submit this document to an independent body for proper and legitimate peer review. Additionally, we encourage the Committee to review this document, not as an authoritative scientific publication, but rather as a report currently drafted to support a predetermined policy.
Signed:
Elliott Jacobson, MS, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACZM
Professor of Zoological Medicine
University of Florida
Dale DeNardo, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor School of Life Sciences
Arizona State University
Paul M. Gibbons, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVP (Avian)
President-Elect, Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
Interim Regent, Reptiles & Amphibians, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners
Director, Exotic Species Specialty Service
Animal Emergency Center and Specialty Services
Chris Griffin, DVM, Dipl. ABVP (Avian)
President, Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
Owner and Medical Director
Griffin Avian and Exotic Veterinary Hospital
Brady Barr, PhD
Resident Herpetologist
National Geographic Society
Endangered Species Coalition of the Council of State Governments
Crocodilian Specialist Group
Warren Booth, PhD
Invasive Species Biologist
Research Associate
North Carolina State University
Director of Science
United States Association of Reptile Keepers
Ray E. Ashton, Jr.
President
Ashton Biodiversity Research & Preservation Institute
Robert Herrington, PhD
Professor of Biology
Georgia Southwestern State University
Douglas L. Hotle
Curator of Herpetology/Conservation/Research
Natural Toxins Research Center
Texas A&M University
Francis L. Rose (Retired) , B.S., M.S. (Zoology), PhD (Zoology)
Professor Emeritus
Texas State University
Edward J. Wozniak DVM, PhD
Regional Veterinarian
Zoonosis Control Division
Texas Department of State Health Services

CC: Secretary Kenneth Salazar, US Dept of the Interior; Director Marcia McNutt, US Geological Survey; Director Sam Hamilton, US Fish & Wildlife Service

Even National Geographic is now weighing in on this issue.

Justification for Congressional python ban unscientific, researchers say - NatGeo News Watch

I mailed a letter to Presdient Obama yesterday with photos of some of our pythons and other boids interacting with the public at various events. My ball pythons have been handled from people as young as 4 up through elderly folks in their 90's.

 

[rabernet]

The latest from USARK (US Association of Reptile Keepers)

S373: Sen. Nelson Won't Honor Commitment
USARK has received letters from Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Democratic majority Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee Staff indicating that they will not honor commitments to work with us in regards to S373 aka ‘The Python Ban’. USARK has offered up a number of amendments to mitigate the effects of S373 on the captive bred reptile industry, including a moratorium on import until more definitive science can determine weather a Lacey Act listing is actually necessary. This would have amounted to what is known as a “sunset clause”. Apparently Democrats on the Committee feel they have the political momentum to ignore science in favor of political expediency. Justification for these draconian measures is predicated on the discredited USGS report on 9 large constricting snakes.
Democrat Staff are working on an amendment for tomorrows ‘Mark Up’ hearing that would “amend S373 to include the 9 snakes addressed in the USGS report”. It will be offered tomorrow. What is unclear is whether that means the bill will be ‘limited’ to the 9, or ‘include’ the 9. If it is ‘limited’ to the 9 it would target the large snakes including Boa Constrictor. If it ‘includes’ the 9, that could mean all of the large snakes, but also ALL the other pythons. As of yet there has been no language shared to clarify what they will actually attempt.
This utter disregard for good science in favor of political expediency continues to be pushed by the Humane Society of the United States. They see this as an opportunity to destroy the Reptile Nation. They have had unfettered access to Senator Nelson’s (D-FL) and Senator Cardin’s (D-MD) offices through sympathetic staff members.
EPW Committee Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK) is working hard with USARK to build a coalition Opposing S373 for a fight on the Senate Floor. He is concerned with the obvious “railroading” that is being attempted with a viable sector of the economy to satisfy powerful special interests invested in destroying the captive bred reptile industry. He is also concerned with the lack of evidence to support such drastic and damaging measures. The USGS report has many problems which have been pointed out by scientists with far more acclaim than the authors, but one of the most glaring flaws is the aggressive climate model that the entire report is based on. In addition there have been no provisions made to account for more than 4 million snakes already in captivity that will become valueless overnight if S373 becomes law. S373 is an economic and ecologic disaster in the making.
USARK is doing everything possible to protect the Reptile Nation. Andrew Wyatt has been in Las Vegas raising money and awareness across the country. Todd Willens will be representing USARK in Florida at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commissioners meeting. Frank Vitello continues his vigilance on ‘The Hill’ and will attend the Senate Mark Up Hearing tomorrow in Washington, DC. We have the back of the Reptile Nation and will continue to do everything in our power to protect our members.
ACTION STEPS:
1. Contact The Media; Pythons Politics & Destruction of the American Dream Campaign. Click on this link to send a hard hitting email to all the big media outlets: USARK
2. Contact President Obama. Click on this link to let the President know you oppose S373 and the destruction of American jobs: Contact the White House | The White House
3. Call & Fax the Senate EPW Committee Today!
Obama Sample Letter: cut and paste in whitehouse contact portal above
President Obama,
S373 aka the Python Ban is being considered in the Senate right now. It will destroy thousands of jobs and bankrupt thousands of American families. The bill has been sensationalized and politicized and has no basis in real science. In fact a report generated by USGS to justify this bill has been called unscientific by an independent panel of scientists. It is being pushed by powerful special interest groups and it will hurt me financially. It is a confiscation of my personal property rights and will not solve the problems proponents claim it addresses. This is clearly a situation that has become politically driven and ignores science that does not support S373. Please do not allow politics to trump good science and sound policy. This is wrong and you promised in your election campaign not to allow situations like this to occur. Please stop S373.

***Join the Reptile Nation!

1. Click the 'Donate Button' at the top of the page to donate to USARK. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by Zoo Med.

2. Click the 'Become a Member' link at the bottom of the page to Join the Reptile Nation. These battles are costly we need your support!

3. Click the 'Twitter Button' at the top of the page to follow USARK for fast breaking updates.

Forward this Alert to everyone you know... Your friends, email lists, forums, social networking sites... Everyone! This will only work if EVERYONE participates!! We must generate 10's of thousands of responses. Do it now! Go, GO, GO!!!!!

CALL IN DAY:
Sample:
My name is _____. I oppose S373. Although I support and appreciate efforts to preserve the Everglades, there is NO evidence to show this bill will have any conservation effect on the Everglades. This bill will hurt American families in our state. It would Ban the captive bred trade in 40 species of pythons and destroy thousands of jobs in our state and across the country. Scientists have questioned the USGS report being used to justify this extreme proposal. Science should trump political expediency. Please oppose S373.
Contact: Full Senate EPW Committee
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), (Sponsor S373)
Phone: 202-224-5274
Fax: 202-228-2183
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), (Chair EPW)
Phone: 202-224-3553
Fax: 202-224-0454
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), (Ranking Member EPW)
Phone: 202-224-4721
Fax: 202-228-0380
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), (Chair Water & Wildlife)
Phone: 202-224-4524
Fax: 202-224-1651
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), (Ranking Member Water & Wildlife)
Phone: 202-224-6142
Fax: 202-228-1375
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Phone: 202-224-4944
Fax: 202-228-3398
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
Phone: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Sen. Max Baucus [D-MT]
Phone: 202-224-2651
Fax: 202-224-9412
Sen. Christopher (Kit) Bond [R-MO]
Phone: 202-224-5721
Sen. Thomas Carper [D-DE]
Phone: 202-224-2441
Fax: 202-228-2190
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY]
Phone: 202-224-4451
Fax: 202-228-0282
Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]
Phone: 202-224-3244
fax: 202-228-2186
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ]
Phone: 202-224-3224
Fax: 202-228-4054
Sen. Jeff Merkley [D-OR]
Phone: 202-224-3753
Fax: 202-228-3997
Sen. Bernard (Bernie) Sanders [I-VT]
Phone: 202-224-5141
Fax: 202-228-0776
Sen. Arlen Specter [D-PA]
Phone: 202-224-4254
Fax: 202-228-1229
Sen. Tom Udall [D-NM]
Phone: 202-224-6621
Sen. David Vitter [R-LA]
Phone: 202-224-4623
Fax: 202-228-5061
Sen. George Voinovich [R-OH]
Phone: 202-224-3353
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI]
Phone: 202-224-2921
Fax: 202-228-6362

 

[Flyte]

Just waiting for my email confirmation so I can vote.. thanks for the info.

I don't keep, nor do I ever intend to keep large snakes but some people do and they should be able to continue to do so.

- Sarah

 

[rabernet]

Just waiting for my email confirmation so I can vote.. thanks for the info.

I don't keep, nor do I ever intend to keep large snakes but some people do and they should be able to continue to do so.

- Sarah

Thanks for your support Sarah. I keep the small constrictors, but this is just one foot in the door for HSUS, unfortunately.

This video keeps getting yanked (gee, I wonder who's holding the chain?)

YouTube - SCAM ALERT - HSUS and Wayne Pacelle

If it doesn't play, the transcript is below.

PetPAC: Story Exposing HSUS Buried: Read Transcript

 

[rabernet]

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/pr...el_121009.html


December 10, 2009
Senate Panel Approves Large Constrictor Snake Trade Ban

The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for approving S. 373, a bill to add certain constrictor snakes to the list of injurious species that cannot be imported or moved in interstate commerce as pets. The committee amended the bill to cover nine species of large constrictor snakes identified by the U.S. Geological Survey as posing high or medium risk to the environment. The amendment was supported by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Sen. Bill Nelson and The HSUS. The bill now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

"The Humane Society of the United States is grateful to lawmakers and Interior Department officials for working to prohibit the trade in all nine species of large constrictor snakes, getting ahead of this problem and not facing the next new fad in the exotic pet trade," said Michael Markarian, chief operating officer for The HSUS. "Congress must swiftly pass this important bill to prevent further threats to public safety, animal welfare and our natural resources."

The HSUS and HSLF express their thanks to bill sponsor Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Committee Chair Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Subcommittee Chair Ben Cardin, D-Md., for their leadership on this measure.

"As stewards of our country's vast public lands and natural resources, we have to deal with the threats posed by invasive species," Sen. Nelson said, adding that more still needs to be done to better regulate all kinds of foreign plants and animals coming into the United States.

If large constrictor snakes escape or are released outdoors, they can multiply rapidly and prey on native wildlife, depleting vulnerable species. Burmese pythons are already widely established in the Everglades, making it difficult if not impossible to remove them, and boa constrictors and Northern African pythons have been found in a smaller area of Florida. Action is needed now to prevent these snakes from spreading further and to prevent other species from becoming established. If only a few species are included, the trade will simply shift from one giant snake to another.

Facts

* A 2-year-old Florida girl killed by a python this year was the fourth person killed by a pet python in the United States since 2006. The others were adults with experience handling reptiles, two of them killed by reticulated pythons.
* S. 373 targets the exotic pet trade. These snakes could still be imported and moved in interstate commerce for zoological, educational, medical and scientific purposes with a permit.
* The bill would not affect possession or sales within a state. People would keep and retain responsibility for existing animals.
* The nine species included in the amended bill are: Burmese/Indian pythons, Northern African pythons, Southern African pythons, reticulated pythons, boa constrictors and four species of anacondas.
* Related legislation (H.R. 2811) was approved by the House Judiciary Committee, which held a hearing on Nov. 6 where HSUS testified in support of the bill and urged an amendment to cover nine species.

 

[Hypancistrus]

People, please notice this part:

"As stewards of our country's vast public lands and natural resources, we have to deal with the threats posed by invasive species," Sen. Nelson said, adding that more still needs to be done to better regulate all kinds of foreign plants and animals coming into the United States.

They will NOT stop with the big constrictors. Next it will be more snakes... then lizards... and before long more animals will be added to this list.

Please consider writing to your local Senator to oppose this bill being signed into law. The future of the entire pet trade is at stake... this is the "foot in the door."

 

[Angelicarboreals]

Okay, so this still has to go up in Congress, right?