This past Friday the Boa Constrictor was at risk of being classified as an “injurious” species and restricted from further interstate commerce. Four large constrictors were added to the list (Reticulated Python, and a few varieties of Anacondas), but luckily the Boa Constrictor was not added to the list. The reason that they were “banned” from further interstate commerce is because some believe that there is a substantial risk of these snakes being “invasive” wildlife in nature.

It has been shown that some of these varieties of snakes are, in fact, surviving and living in the wild in parts of Florida. I agree that these animals should be restricted within Florida and perhaps a few adjacent States. However, the US Fish and Wildlife has chosen to treat this as a national problem, as Federal agencies tend to to, instead of letting individual States, who are closer to the people and who are more properly equipped to make appropriate decisions on how to handle these State specific situations.

I am grateful that Boa Constrictors were spared from this list, but am very perturbed and disgusted that the citizens of this country and of individual States are not able to make these decisions. Instead, non elected Federal officials from the US Fish and Wildlife are making these “rules” and destroying the free industry of reptile keeping. This sort of “rule making” that is being done by these federal agencies instead of being passed by a system or process that is under more direct control and oversight by the people or their elected representatives must stop. This is not how legislation was intended to be made and is a gross abuse of federal power. These kinds of decisions should be up to the States and more closely subject to the will of the people.

What makes matters worse is that extreme animal rights groups, such as HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States) are behind the scenes spending their money (that they raise through misleading advertising about helping starving puppies and kittens) to try and push this sort of extreme agenda driven legislation.

I support organizations such as PIJAC and USARK that are attempting to stop this immoral and dishonest legislation from passing. Please support them financially if you care about your right to own any kind of pet animal.

For more information about the constrictor ban, click here.

Here is some more information about the phony animal rights movement. Keep in mind that taking proper care of animals is most definitely something that is important. I deplore intentional animal abuse and am strongly opposed to it, but what I am describing is something different altogether. Take a look below:

http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/article/deception-in-the-name-of-animal-rights

https://www.animalscam.com/rights_vs_welfare.php

http://dailypitchfork.org/?p=625

Do your part to voice your opposition to the Python ban. Please take the time to defend your rights! There is no scientific basis for the legislation. Large constricting snakes have caused fewer human injuries than other companion animals such as dogs. Their true potential for habitat invasion is restricted to extreme southern Florida where they have already established themselves. This law will do nothing more than destroy the hobbies and businesses of thousands of people nationwide.

Stop the Python Ban, Click Here!

I went out on a local hike today with my best bud. I am still trying to find reptiles emerging from winter dormancy. Reptiles can often be found basking, foraging, and mating this time of year here in the Phoenix area. I also hoped to photograph a Great Horned Owl that we saw the last time we hiked this trail. As we approached the rock pile where we had found the Owl last week, we saw her again! I carefully approached to try and take a photograph. I only have a 100mm lens so unfortunately I have to get closer to the bird than I would like in order to get a good picture. Unfortunately, I “spooked” the owl while I was still a good distance away and it flew into a distant tree. We decided to carefully approach the nest to see if the owl was incubating eggs. To my surprise, this is what I saw:

After we took our photos, we left them be. We decended into a nearby was and hiked it for a while. The wash had steep rocky walls on either side. We walked along the rocky and at times sandy wash without finding any further wildlife other than a few whiptail lizards. I was running short on time and had to hurry back to my truck to head home. I cut through some rocky areas as a “short cut” that may also yeild the discovery of a basking snake or possibly a desert tortoise. I looked at the time and had to speed up my pace since time had already run out. While rapidly walking, I noticed at my feet a small Desert Patchnose Snake sunning itself in the late afternoon sun:

The snake lay motionless. Occasionally it would flicker its tongue. Since the snake seemed cooperative, I got on the ground and crawled closer to get a better photo of its head and its “patch nose”:

After photographing this spectacular animal, I quickly rushed back to my vehicle and sped home, arriving back home almost exactly on time (depending on whom you ask!).

The efforts to ban 9 species of constrictors is now well underway. The Senate Bill number is 373. This bill is unacceptable and founded upon faulty information pushed forward by Animal Rights Activist organizations. This legislation must be stopped. Please do your part immediately to stop this bill. Please visit http://www.kill-s373.com now and write your senators. It is very simple to do if you go to http://www.kill-s373.com you will get all of the information that you need in order to do this. The deadline on this is January 20th so please do this today!

www.kill-s373.com

Wow. It has been a long time since my last post. I had no idea it was this long. In any case, I found a very good article that illustrates what animal rights groups are trying to do to the Reptile industry. They would like to have it shut down completely. They are well funded and my guess is that they are behind a large amount of the legislation that is being proposed and passed in various states across the country.

Animal Rights Information

The Crocodile Hunter was killed by a Sting-Ray this morning.  Irwin was a great entertainer and a great teacher.  He took the camera into the animals habitat and gave his viewers a perspective of the animals not often shown.  To appreciate something, you need to understand it.  Steve Irwin encouraged people to appreciate animals by helping them understand them  My sincerest condolences to his family.  May he rest in peace.