Disgusted with Animal Planet

[EasternGirl]

Right.

[ConcinusMan]

In the case of San Diego county, the ban was out of concern for the San Diego Mt. King snake. (Lampropeltis zonata pulchra) They (and their habitat) were getting decimated by illegal collecting. Too many collectors were using the excuse that they were hunting for other snakes. Too much damage was being done to vital habitat, by reptile collectors, and that habitat often was home to the Mt. King or other protected species.

While CA law says it's legal, with a fishing license, to hunt, collect, and handle non-protected reptiles such as most garter snakes, the law also says this:

"Special Closure: No common garter snakes shall be taken in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura counties".

What I am not clear on is whether or not the law in San Diego has changed since I lived there, to allow collection / keeping of other native reptiles. Presumably the ban on collecting garters there is to protect San Diego's only garter, a small and struggling population of checkered garters.

What is clear is that there is no law protecting rattlesnakes at all and no license is required. From Californiaherps.com:

"The California Department of Fish and Game has decided that a license is not needed to collect rattlesnakes. I'm guessing that this is probably for the benefit of someone who is not intentionally hunting for animals who feels that they need to kill a rattlesnake in order to protect themself, their family, or their animals, and to prevent an unreasonable expense to property owners such as farmers and ranchers who feel they need to kill snakes on their property. Whatever the reason, it seems to encourage the unnecessary killing of rattlesnakes"

The law should be amended so that it doesn't allow people to do what is going on in Texas. Shouldn't allow for the outright slaughter of unlimited numbers just for sport or profit. I can somewhat understand the need to control the numbers of rattlesnakes in populated areas but I watched an episode last night and these people were going out into remote areas far from people, to collect them just for pure profit. That's ridiculous.

[ConcinusMan]

From an invasive species management and biodiversity conservation standpoint, ONLY native animals should be kept. And native would be from the local population.

Of course implementing such a rule would be disastrous.

Well a lot of people have noticed that Scott Felzer and other garter breeders will not ship native CA garters to CA. It's not because it's illegal to keep them in CA or to collect them. It's because the law says that if you keep a native snake in CA, it cannot be a captive bred snake. The law states it must be collected from the wild, and no captive breeding, selling/trading or release of a snake once it is kept captive, is allowed. Importing native snakes from other locations or captive breeders is illegal and the shipper would be comitting a crime.

Come to think of it, that does cover collection of rattlers for profit or sale. That's not allowed in CA. However, it doesn't stop people from going out of their way to hunt them down and kill them for sport.

Perhaps if Texas specified that buying/selling them, (but not collection or killing) is illegal, then many people, including the people in this show, would stop hunting them and that would still allow someone to kill one that shows up their front porch.

[Selkielass]

I'd be happy to get a license or permit to keep/breed my natives, if only it was clearly laid out what the requirements were.
Call the DNR in Michigan and nobody seems to know anything. I tried to look into getting a permit to rehabilitate and release protected species like Fox snakes, and couldn't get a straight answer from anybody. Staffing has been cut to and beyond the bone.

I decided to content myself with my small group of Butlers, who don't seem to violate any rules so long as I keep no more than 6 wild caught individuals at any time. Kinda grey area there- 6 gathered at a time or six total, ever? I have kept birth records on the captive born individuals I have kept, but I hope I never have to find out how the DNR interprets the rules the hard way.

[EasternGirl]

Delaware is weird...you are allowed to own native species, but you are not allowed to bring non-native species in from other states...that I guess I understand...they don't want you to bring a non-native species in and plop it down into the native species' habitat...I don't think they actually care about pets...but who knows? Maybe you get a fine if you have a non-native species as a pet. If that's the case, I guess I could get fines for my snakes that are not native to Delaware...but I'm not sitting here worried about it either. You are not allowed to have venomous snakes, and you are not allowed to own large snakes like pythons and boas...yet, they sell them in Delaware...that is the weird part. Now...the law is supposed to be that you have to have an out-of-state license to prove you do not live in DE in order to buy a python or a boa...but the stores will let you come in with a friend with an out-of-state license and buy the snake.

[kimbosaur]

It's almost opposite here. You're allowed to own native species, but only those you purchase from a breeder (in, or out of province). You're not allowed to remove them from the wild without a hunting license.

[aquamentus_11]

Reptiles just can get a break.
We have "Swap People" and now we have "Rattlesnake Republic".

I'm not one to get offended by tv, but Swamp People is probably the most offensive show I've ever seen. I literally can't watch it. I've never seen Rattlesnake Republic, but it sounds even worse. Is it bad that I want to be a physician, but also want to slash the throats of half the world's population? We should tie these guys down and let our garters and ribbons gnaw their venom into them. I bet you that would get better ratings than an episode of them killing snakes.

[aquamentus_11]

DNR in Michigan and nobody seems to know anything.

don't get me started on the MI DNR.

[EasternGirl]

No, Nate...it makes sense to me...I want to be a nurse and I was a shrink and I despise most people...

Kimberly, that law actually makes more sense than most of the laws concerning reptiles that I have come across.

[RedSidedSPR]

Disregard -- f my dyslexia.