Comments on: New Species Being Raided For Private Pet Trade

By: sluggo

sluggo — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:55:42 +0000

I have recently read two excellent books about the illegal reptile smuggling business..
What concerned me more than anything was just how guilty many of the larger zoos are in this despicable practice.
Many of those non indigenous snakes and lizards roaming the everglades have been left there by non scrupulous smugglers who bring legal reptiles into the country [to disguise the illegal ones they really want] and then let the ones they don`t want go free in the wild.

By: graybear

graybear — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:44:28 +0000

The gist of this article was the absolute proof that some people really do have more money than brains. Considering the status (?) attached to the owning of such a new and colorful snake, the price will be high no matter how many of the first offspring will be provided. Plus, it’s nice to know from so early a date just what Florida’s next invasive species will be.

By: Loren Coleman

Loren Coleman — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:36:56 +0000

Markus is correct. The paper he posted very specifically notes the area where this new species is found. However, if the mainstream media refrain from making a big deal out of publishing where they are found, perhaps the thought is that this will prevent illegal pet trade collectors/merchants from rushing there. Protecting the habitat site would help too, as well as placing stricter limits and enforcement on import/export of endangered new species.

By: Markus

Markus — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:20:43 +0000

Basics... To be acknowledged from science every new species has to be officially described. So here's the paper from Atheris matildae.

By: Steve Schaper via Facebook

Steve Schaper via Facebook — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:11:03 +0000

Domesticating animals is not evil. It is what humans do.

By: Jerry D. Coleman

Jerry D. Coleman — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:23:33 +0000

This gives ‘legs’ to those who insist Bigfoot information made public severely put the creatures at high risk! And on the other side of the coin this article also gives ‘legs’ to those who insist Bigfoot would not be kept a secret for long for the mere reason that too much fame and fortune would come from the discovery. So needless to say, the Bigfoot debate will continue ~ business as usual.