Fellow Macnuts,
I'm writing to ask for your help with something that is of great concern to me. The help you give can take as little as 15 seconds of your time.
New York (the state in which I live and study), has passed a bill through the state senate and state assembly that now awaits being signed into law by Governor Pataki. Bill A02684's purpose is to ban the keeping, sale, and breeding of "wild animals" due to the dangers they pose to residents of the state. The conservationist in me can certainly respect that goal, but the problem, as always, is the government's uninformed definition of "wild animals" and its wildly inaccurate idea of the dangers they pose.
The bill would ban the keeping of non-human primates, non-domesticated cat species (lions, tigers, panthers, oh my!), non-domesticated canidae (wolves, coyotes, etc.), bears, crocodlians, large monitor lizards, and venomous snakes. I can understand the concern about all of the aforementioned animals, and for the record, as a reptile keeper for more than 15 years, I have always supported the need to license keepers of venomous snakes, crocodilians, and large lizards.
However, the troubling part to me is that this bill also calls for a blanket ban on all members of the family Boidae. Indeed, Boidae does encompass all of the largest snakes in the world, including the African rock python, Burmese python, reticulated python, and anaconda, all of which can attain lengths in excess of 15 feet. Yet, Boidae also includes dozens of species of small, and medium sized snakes that are totally harmless and pose less of a threat than any dog or cat. These smaller, innocuous species include the sand boas of the genus Eryx which grow to a maximum of 40" (garter snake size!). Also included are the subspecies of boa constrictor, animals which can, rarely, attain lengths of around 10 feet, but average lengths of only 6 feet. Finally, the ball python, the most commonly kept snake worldwide, which only grows to around 4 feet long and spends its whole life curled up in a ball, would also be banned. I have mentioned only a few, but this blanket ban would affect dozens of species that pose no harm to anyone.
Ban the 4 largest constrictors, fine. Require a license that can only be obtained by satisfactorily equipped keepers. But ban EVERYTHING from that family? That is true ignorance.
Some of you may keep reptiles, although I realize most do not. However, I'm asking you to take 15 seconds of your time to call the office of Governor George Pataki at 518-474-8390, and voice your opposition to this bill being signed into law in its current form. To help, simply call the number and tell the clerk "I am calling in reference to bill A02684." You will be asked, "For or opposed?" Simply answer "opposed," and the clerk will ask you for your ZIP Code. That's all. Please note that it does NOT matter if you are not a resident of NY. This ban even affects the sale of reptiles to NY residents, so out-of-state residents certainly have valid concerns. Of course, if you decided you may eventually move to NY, you might give them a NY ZIP Code instead...
I'd like to thank in advance anyone who spares the 15-second phone call needed to help out.
If you are curious about the ever-raging controversy over the banning of certain reptiles, it may help you to read my own letter to Governor Pataki and my state Assemblyman. If the topic interests you, I also suggest emailing Governor Pataki in a thoughtful and respectful manner. He can be emailed from this website:
http://161.11.3.75/
Happy reading, and thanks again!
_________________________________
Dear Assemblyman -------------,
As a resident of your district, I am writing to you about a topic of
great concern to me.
I became a New York resident three years ago when I began my
studies at the ---------- School of Medicine. Residency training and future
employment will make New York my home for many years to come.
Prior to moving here, I was a resident of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, where I served as director of the New England
Herpetological Society, a non-profit group of scientists and
enthusiasts whose chief aim is educating the public about reptiles
and amphibians. I have been keeping and breeding snakes for over
15 years, and have donated many animals over the years to
institutions like our own Bronx Zoo, and the National Zoo in
Washington, DC.
New York is currently considering passing into law a bill (A02684)
that would ban the keeping and sale of venomous reptiles, large
monitor lizards, crocodilians, and the entire snake family Boidae. I
must admit that I do support, and have always supported, banning
the keeping of venomous reptiles, large monitors, and crocodilians
except by "experts" who obtain licensure through a state's DEC for
the species' scientific study or captive breeding. However, I must
strenuously object to the proposal to ban the entire snake family
Boidae in this state.
This bill proposes a blanket ban on the family of snakes known as
Boidae. Indeed, this family does include all of the largest snakes in
the world. These large animals include the reticulated python,
anaconda, burmese python, and the african rock python, all of which
can attain lengths in excess of 15 feet. However, family Boidae also
includes many dozens of moderate- and small-sized snakes that are
immensely popular in the reptile trade, a trade which is growing in
popularity faster than ever. These moderate- and small-sized snakes
include the sand boas of the genus Eryx, which grow to a maximum
of 40 inches, a length that even garter snakes in upstate New York
can attain. They also include the boa constrictor, a very popular
animal. The boa constrictor can rarely reach lengths of around 10
feet, but an average boa will grow only to about 6 feet. While there
are certainly documented cases of asphyxiation by reticulated and
burmese pythons in this country (almost always by animals that are at
least 12 feet long), I am remiss to find a single mention of a similar
episode involving the much smaller boa constrictor, even in the vast
expanse of the internet. The family Boidae also includes the royal, or
"ball", python, one of the most widely kept snakes worldwide. This
truly innocuous animal reaches an average of 4-5 feet in length, and
spends most of its time curled up in a ball, as its name implies. I
have mentioned only a few smaller and harmless Boidae species, but
there are dozens more that would be unfairly targeted by a blanket
ban on this family.
The Humane Society of the United States has published 3 main
concerns about the reptile trade that led to their decision to
recommend its banishment. While I applaud the society's noble cause
of protecting animals in captivity, I must strongly disagree with their
uninformed reasoning when it comes to the keeping of reptiles.
These 3 concerns and the HSUS's powerful lobby often serve as the
springboard for legislation like bill A02684, and I would like to take
these 3 points one by one:
1) Reptiles transmit salmonella to humans.
Granted. Reptile feces can transmit salmonella bacteria to humans, if
proper cleaning and husbandry practices are ignored. But in addition
to reptiles, it is well-documented that the following animals can also
transmit salmonella to humans:
Dogs
Cats
Domesticated birds
Chickens
Horses
Cattle
Under-cooked poultry
Under-cooked eggs
And the list goes on...
On their website, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) sums it up
nicely: ‘Salmonella passes from the feces of people or animals, to
other people or other animals.’
Translation: almost any feces-producing animal can transmit
salmonella to humans.
Solution: Educate tomorrow's reptile-keepers about salmonella
transmission. Teach them before the sale (listen up breeders and pet
shops) how to take simple, preventive measures.
The Texas Department of Health went a step further and passed a law
requiring such education. They created a poster and a flyer which
must be (respectively) posted in pet stores and handed out to all
reptile buyers.
Now that's a law we can live with!
I might also add that it is well-documented that dogs attack, kill, and seriously injure their owners at a much higher rate than even the largest constricting snakes, and that very serious diseases like cat-scratch disease are attributable to one of America's "best loved" pets.
2) The reptile trade is depleting natural reptile stocks in the wild.
Granted. This was true in the past. But with the ever-increasing (and
improving) number of captive breeders in the United States, this
becomes less of an issue with each passing year.
Want to preserve reptiles in the wild? Well that's a goal I can get
behind. But you don't do it by banning reptiles on a whole. You do it
by strengthening wildlife importation laws.
Bottom line -- Captive breeding programs are one of the strongest
conservation tools, especially when combined with importation
control.
Or to put it this way ... more legitimate breeders means fewer illegal
trappers.
3) Reptile keepers do not know how to take proper care of their
animals, which leads to inhumane conditions for said animals.
My first question is: how can one make such a broad generalization of
such a large and diverse group of people? The answer is that you
cannot.
There are good dog-keepers, and there are negligent dog-keepers.
There are good snake-keepers, and there are negligent snake-
keepers. The same goes for cats, birds, fish, horses, etc.
As of this writing, there are more than a hundred ‘how-to’ books
about caring for snakes at Amazon.com. Boa constrictors alone have
a library to themselves! There are literally thousands of well-
researched care sheets online. There are hundreds of professional
breeders who teach people about reptile care, post articles on their
websites, and encourage customers to learn, learn, learn.
With all this quality information for the taking, there is no excuse for
neglecting a reptile, so if such an offender is found, they should be
punished by law ... as is the case for an abuser of dogs, cats, horses,
etc.
Punishing offenders is the proper step ... punishing a hobby is the
lazy one!
Again, I would like to reiterate my support for this bill's ban on the
keeping of venomous reptiles, large monitor lizards, crocodilians, and
the large constrictors of the family Boidae. However, I do respectfully
urge you to oppose this bill until it is rewritten to reflect the diversity
of the Boidae family of snakes and how its blanket ban would unfairly
cover many harmless species and responsible keepers.
The ban on Boidae could understandably include the large
constrictors, except for those keepers who are suitably equipped to
obtain a license from the DEC for scientific study or captive
propagation. The following is what I believe to be an informed list of
species to be banned without a proper license: Python sebae (African
Rock Python), Python reticulatus (Reticulated python), Eunectes
species (the anacondas), Python molurus bivittatus (Burmese python). The remaining Boidae, of which none attain the lengths or pose the same risks as these four species, should not be banned by state law. The data and the history of these animals in captivity support this assertion.
Please join with me in supporting a rewrite of this bill to treat the Boidae family at a species-specific level. The immensely popular White Plains Reptile Show, an event that occurs at least 4 times per year, is proof of just how much these animals have sparked the interest of New Yorkers. I might add that the sale of animals (almost all of which are produced from captive breeding) at those shows generate a significant amount of tax revenue for the state of New York, as do sales associated with their upkeep.
Thank you for your time and your consideration of this matter, Assemblyman. If you should wish to discuss this matter further, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Doc
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