The best thing that can be done that I have thought of is to make laws similar to drivers license laws. Have a specific license required for varios exotic pet such as a large constrictor license or a venomouse snake license. A specific class should be taken for each license. After that a law saying that the average size, life span, cage requirements, and temperment of the exotic pet must be clearly displayed if the animal is going to be sold. If it is privately sold or at a pet store.
EricWI - 13 years ago
No. The issue surrounding Burmese pythons and other exotic reptles in the Florida everglades is, and has proven to be just that- a Florida specific issue. An independent panel of 11 herpetologists and other well respected scientists have thoroughly debunked Rodda and Reed’s USGS constrictor report (which, as it exists, is the sole document being used to support the federal rule change, stating “this document is unsuitable as the basis of legislative or regulatory policy changes”. No fewer than three peer reviewed scientific documents have been published in recent years completely debunking the notion that these snakes can possibly survive or reproduce anywhere else in the U.S. A SC study by Pyron et all proved that all 9 pythons in the study died from the cold even despite being provided heated artificial refugia. Another study by Collins et in the FL everglades showed that only 2 out of 9 pythons in the study survived Florida’s cold temperatures, also despite being provided artifical refugia. The links to all of these and other studies can be seen below:
A Critique of the Analysis Used to Predict the Climate Space of the Burmese Python in the United States by Rodda et al. (2008, 2009) and Reed and Rodda (2009):
http://usark.org/uploads/Barkers_DataSetCritique-002.pdf
Cold-induced mortality of invasive Burmese pythons
in south Florida:
http://usark.org/uploads/Cold%20pythons%20%282%29.pdf
Can invasive Burmese pythons inhabit temperate regions
of the southeastern United States?:
http://usark.org/uploads/Dorcas%20et%20al%202010%20-%20Can%20pythons%20inhabit%20temperate%20regions.pdf
Claims of Potential Expansion throughout the U.S. by
Invasive Python Species Are Contradicted by Ecological
Niche Models:
http://usark.org/uploads/Pyron%20et%20al%202008%20-%20ecolog%20niche%20modeling%20contradicts%20python%20expansion%20claims.pdf
The best thing that can be done that I have thought of is to make laws similar to drivers license laws. Have a specific license required for varios exotic pet such as a large constrictor license or a venomouse snake license. A specific class should be taken for each license. After that a law saying that the average size, life span, cage requirements, and temperment of the exotic pet must be clearly displayed if the animal is going to be sold. If it is privately sold or at a pet store.
No. The issue surrounding Burmese pythons and other exotic reptles in the Florida everglades is, and has proven to be just that- a Florida specific issue. An independent panel of 11 herpetologists and other well respected scientists have thoroughly debunked Rodda and Reed’s USGS constrictor report (which, as it exists, is the sole document being used to support the federal rule change, stating “this document is unsuitable as the basis of legislative or regulatory policy changes”. No fewer than three peer reviewed scientific documents have been published in recent years completely debunking the notion that these snakes can possibly survive or reproduce anywhere else in the U.S. A SC study by Pyron et all proved that all 9 pythons in the study died from the cold even despite being provided heated artificial refugia. Another study by Collins et in the FL everglades showed that only 2 out of 9 pythons in the study survived Florida’s cold temperatures, also despite being provided artifical refugia. The links to all of these and other studies can be seen below:
A Critique of the Analysis Used to Predict the Climate Space of the Burmese Python in the United States by Rodda et al. (2008, 2009) and Reed and Rodda (2009):
http://usark.org/uploads/Barkers_DataSetCritique-002.pdf
Cold-induced mortality of invasive Burmese pythons
in south Florida:
http://usark.org/uploads/Cold%20pythons%20%282%29.pdf
Can invasive Burmese pythons inhabit temperate regions
of the southeastern United States?:
http://usark.org/uploads/Dorcas%20et%20al%202010%20-%20Can%20pythons%20inhabit%20temperate%20regions.pdf
Claims of Potential Expansion throughout the U.S. by
Invasive Python Species Are Contradicted by Ecological
Niche Models:
http://usark.org/uploads/Pyron%20et%20al%202008%20-%20ecolog%20niche%20modeling%20contradicts%20python%20expansion%20claims.pdf
http://www.conservationmaven.com/frontpage/cold-weather-limits-potential-range-of-burmese-python-invasi.html