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tricksterpup
11-25-2009, 5:00 PM
ALERT: S373 Python Ban Goes to Hearing


S373 aka ‘The Python Ban’ will receive a Hearing before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chaired by Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on December 3, 2009. The bill sponsor is Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL). If passed as written it would Ban all snakes in the family Pythonidae, placing them on the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act. That is ALL 40 species of pythons! This action would stop all import, export and interstate transport. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) took definitive steps yesterday toward lobbying Senator Nelson to add Boa Constrictor to the bill as well. HSUS has publicly called for an end of reptile ownership nationwide for years.



As we understand it right now there will be eight bills heard by the committee with only one witness to testify on all eight. USARK does not anticipate that there will be additional witnesses called. This seems to be an effort to move through as many bills as possible in as short a time as possible. We will know more soon.



USARK is opposed to legislating any animals on to the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act. This should be a science and policy driven debate. As it stands now the science is being “cherry picked” to support political expediency. Just yesterday an independent group of scientists called the USGS study being used by HSUS and others to justify a ban, “unscientific”.



As always USARK is providing the best, most timely information available on this issue to the Reptile Nation. We realize that these are scary times and we ask that everyone in the community come together to fight this battle. There is Strength in Numbers... Protect Your Rights. Join the Reptile Nation!



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***Stay Tuned for Detailed Instructions on ACTION STEPS to be taken by the Reptile Nation to defeat S373!!!***
http://usark.org/

calivivarium1
11-26-2009, 12:00 AM
As usual, my senator Boxer is busy helping to improve the lives of Americans everywhere with the legislation she is helping sponsor.............................

Not.

Vicious_Fish
11-26-2009, 1:59 AM
It will be a very sad day here in the US if this passes. And remember folks this counts for ALL python species including the harmless "Ball Python".

SubRosa
11-26-2009, 9:21 AM
I'm not in favor of any ban and don't support this one in the least but if it puts the brakes on the heterohypobananasplitwithtwocherriesonontopandasid eoffries craze that has overtaken the hobby in regards to Ball Pythons it would be some consolation. Not being able to get a couple of Boelen's in a few yrs when I have the means will really suck though. And given the ease of breeding of the actual species that are causing the problems ie Burms, Rocks , and Retics I don't see this bill accomplishing its intended goal anyway. The prices will go up a bit but the "problem snakes" will still be available, particularly in the areas that they're already established and causing problems.

GEV83
11-26-2009, 1:53 PM
I think that banning animals on a certain level is ok but on a large scale is not cool at all. If anything they should just make it to where you have to have a permit to own one and have it registered with the city. Permits restrict it to those who could properly raise them and registering keep there numbers monitored per house hold like they do with dogs. There are ups and downs to this more downs then up to the pet trade and owners. I think there are to many out there already to be able to ban them.

I personally never have owned neither python nor boa but did hope to in the future like 5-10yrs from now but that may not be possible legally soon. Hope this bill doesnt pass. I feel for all you herp owners out there.

tricksterpup
11-27-2009, 1:30 PM
Here is one animal that is even smaller than the Ball Python, the spotted python.
This snake will grow to be about 3-4 feet max. Not a very large or dangerous animal.
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j82/iguanajim/spotted1.jpg

Vicious_Fish
11-27-2009, 4:23 PM
^ Love spotted pythons!

Eupterus
11-27-2009, 4:42 PM
I'm not a snake keeper nor probably ever be. Do hope this does not pass however.
Seems like is needed is mircochips in those large pythons.

calivivarium1
11-28-2009, 3:14 AM
I am so tired of the government passing mindless bills in an attempt to protect us, "the people," from ourselves. Why don't we ban all dogs because some breeds are sometimes allowed to be a danger to the public? We have several small populations of wild dogs in the hills around where I live, this shows that they can also be a danger to the environment if allowed to escape/released into the wild.

This kind of legislation is all the more asinine when we remember that unemployment is over 10% nationally(12% for my state), we are fighting a war/police action/whatever you want to call it around the world, attempting to recover in other ways from a recession, facing off with Iran and North Korea over nuclear programs, etc.. and this is what our senators decide to debate.