Reticulated Pythons to be added to Lacey Act

[Mentat]

...They'll be targeting the entire amphibian hobby next to control chytrid fungus (they have already proposed the addition of All amphibians to the Lacey Act this year).

So if they add them; keeping our frogs in USA would be like not legal ? Government is getting too crazy these days... imagine me at my old age becoming a rebel and anarchist again .

[JeffreH]

So if they add them; keeping our frogs in USA would be like not legal ? Government is getting too crazy these days... imagine me at my old age becoming a rebel and anarchist again .

It would be illegal to take your pet with you across state lines. You may keep your pets, even breed them within the state. But any form of transportation across state lines (and naturally, import/export) would be against the law.

Part of the reason it has taken this long to add the retic (and the reason Boa constrictor spp. are still 'under consideration') is due to the massive economical impact it would have. The livelihoods of many people who have made a living out of breeding these animals will be destroyed. The hobby may persist at the state-level, but because animals cannot be shipped or transported across state lines, it severely cripples the hobby.

[Bombina Bob]

I agree with Daniel that they have the potential to be dangerous and that a permit would be necessary . But the issue I`m most concerned about is that the Lacey act would start putting animals on the list that don't even endanger us, ive already heard ball pythons were going to be put on this list . Its a matter of time that our rights to keep animals may disappear.

[LLLReptile]

Brian from BHB had a great blog post about this. Into the Future: SnakeBytesTV - The fate of the Reticulated Python

It's important to stay on top of these kinds of laws and legislation, even if you don't keep the animals currently being added. A lot of the rhetoric about what's best for the animals, about how wild animals should stay wild, it's cruel to keep them in captivity, that kind of stuff that comes from HSUS and similar organizations trying to get pet reptiles banned...that same faulty logic can be applied to keeping frogs, too. Just something to keep in mind.

-Jen