HR 511 ‘Python Ban’ Goes To Hearing

[EricRoscoe]

*UPDATE: HR511 'Python Ban' Hearing at House Natural Resources Committee scheduled for November 29th at 10:00am has been postponed 24hrs-- until November 30th at 10:00am.*

HR 511 ‘Python Ban’ Goes To Hearing

On Thursday, November 29 at 10:00 AM, the US House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on HR 511. The bill known as the ‘Python Ban’ seeks to add nine constricting snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. HR 511 could restrict import and interstate transport of constrictor snakes throughout the US. The bill’s sponsor is Representative Tom Rooney (R-FL). HR 511 reported out of US House Committee on the Judiciary on a voice vote in February, 2012.

HR 511 will be heard by the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs on November 29th. The Subcommittee Chair is Representative John Flemming (R-LA). The hearing will be held in the Longworth House Office Building at 10:00 AM.

USARK will provide three expert witnesses for the hearing; USARK president and CEO, Andrew Wyatt; NatGeo Wild Python Hunter, Shawn Heflick; National Geographic Society Resident Herpetologist, Dr. Brady Barr. Witnesses will submit written testimony and have five minutes each to deliver verbal testimony. Committee members will likely ask follow up questions of witnesses to clarify points.

USARK opposes the addition of any constrictor snakes to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. The USGS “science” used to justify the action is biased and controversial. The economic impact to businesses engaged in herpetoculture has been ignored by the CBO. Additionally, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that feral python populations are in drastic decline due to predation and cold, and cannot survive temperate climates north of south Florida. These facts have clearly demonstrated that the Lacey Act is an ineffective tool to deal with invasive species issues, as well as, the herpetoculture community.

Amendments to the bill may be introduced or passed. A vote to report the bill out could be taken. If passed as written, HR 511 would supersede the recent US Fish & Wildlife Service ‘rule change’ increasing the number of constrictors on the Injurious list to nine. (Boa constrictor, the northern and southern African pythons, Burmese python, reticulated python and all four anaconda species)

* According to govtrack.us, HR 511 has a 42% chance of passing the 112th Congress: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr511.

What you can do to help!

1. Call or Fax Committee members from your state, and say ‘NO on HR 511′: http://naturalresources.house.gov/subcommittees/subcommittee/?SubcommitteeID=5063

2. Watch the House Natural Resources Committee hearing on HR 511 LIVE at this link at 10:00 AM Thursday November 29th, 2012: http://naturalresources.house.gov/live/.
3. Tell all your friends and family to watch this important hearing for the herpetoculture community LIVE at this link: http://naturalresources.house.gov/live/

 

[AliCat37]

Man, if that passes.. my boa is still coming with me when I move.

 

[Dale]

...and I'm sure this will be the year I finally get my BCC's to produce...

 

[Nanci]

Just my opinion- it's a freaking lost cause, at this point. The politicians will not recognize legitimate studies. So we're basically screwed. They DON'T CARE. It's more exciting, better publicity for them to ban this perceived threat. Makes them look like they're protecting the sheep herd of constituents.

 

[antiochian]

Just my opinion- it's a freaking lost cause, at this point. The politicians will not recognize legitimate studies. So we're basically screwed. They DON'T CARE. It's more exciting, better publicity for them to ban this perceived threat. Makes them look like they're protecting the sheep herd of constituents.

That's why I love the government so much--always trying to tell me how to live my life.

 

[RoseRed]

I hope it doesn't pass although with how ignorant our government is (and how more concerned they are about getting "big" issues taken care of under their belt) I am not optimistic. I will hope though, sadly no one on the board was from IL (not surprising corruption 101 here) and I did not believe the others would even be bothered to listen to a citizen from another state (can't help them get back in office and all).

 

[DragonsDenSerpents]

Out of all the things they could be working on to fix in this country, it just blows my mind that *this* is what they choose to harp on. :nope:

 

[Outcast]

It is the old disappearing act thing. They distract us with stuff and then take away our rights... It has been happening for decades.

 

[BloodyBaroness]

It is the old disappearing act thing. They distract us with stuff and then take away our rights... It has been happening for decades.

That's exactly it.

This is a lost cause. The govt gets to look good protecting the sheeple from a trumped up threat and we get the short end of the stick.

Humane Society propaganda artist win the day.

 

[Nanci]

On the bright side, BSL against pit bull type dogs seems to be taking a few hits nationally...

 

[airenlow]

I thought the hearing went well...

 

[Tavia]

Out of all the things they could be working on to fix in this country, it just blows my mind that *this* is what they choose to harp on. :nope:

I think this is what pisses me off the most about these types of bans. You have the one side of it raising money, throwing it and energy at the issue. Then the other side has to rally, raise money and energy and throw both back at it. Just think of everything that could have been accomplished if those two groups of people had turned all those resources to a sane, practical fix for any one of the real problems in this country. And the other thing that ticks me off the most about these bans is that they aren't practical, they will have little to no effect on the actual real problems that they are supposedly aimed at, they will only adversely affect responsible people who weren't the problem and will actually create new problems and possibly increase the initial problems. They are a never ending complete waste of time, resources and energy where no one who matters actually wins.

 

[Mark Dwight]

I miss living in a free country. I can't turn around without being told what I can and can't do.

These day you can't even stick your thumb out and ask for a ride without being thrown in jail.

So much for freedom and rights. This country has been cooked for a long time. Stick a fork in it...it's done.

 

[kaypar2011]

If people did not release unwanted non native snakes where they can breed and threaten the native wildlife, this would not be an issue. Snake owners must be responsible. I know I will get beat up for this, but I live in Florida and the Anacondas, Boas and Pythons are a real problem in the Everglades and south Florida. They are not native to this country and they did not get there on their own, they were put there by irresponsible owners.

 

[tsst]

It's the big gov way ... punish ALL for the acts of the few.

 

[Mark Dwight]

If people did not release unwanted non native snakes where they can breed and threaten the native wildlife, this would not be an issue. Snake owners must be responsible. I know I will get beat up for this, but I live in Florida and the Anacondas, Boas and Pythons are a real problem in the Everglades and south Florida. They are not native to this country and they did not get there on their own, they were put there by irresponsible owners.

The only real problem snake in S. Florida is the Burmese pythons. And they got there from a hurricane destroying a breeding facility..not from releases. The other species become winter kill. Boa constrictors for example don't have the instinct to go underground during freezing whether..and die during the cold winters. The Burmese pythons have become a problem because they will seek underground shelter during a freeze.

 

[Tavia]

But the thing with the big snakes in Florida is that while a few were released or escaped pets, they have genetically proven that the majority were released from a import/breeding facility that was damaged during a hurricane. It was more an "act of God" (in insurance parlance, not that I think God had anything to do with it) than even an act of human carelessness. But that fact is often covered up when someone wants to ban those animals across the nation, harping instead on all of the supposed hordes of people dumping these animals.

 

[Mark Dwight]

freezing whether.

whether? Oops.

 

[kathylove]

"If people did not release unwanted non native snakes where they can breed and threaten the native wildlife, this would not be an issue..."

I have to disagree with this statement!

I do agree that all people should always act responsibly when doing anything in their lives, whether driving, drinking, caring for their kids, or caring for their pets. Unfortunately, I can't think of any human endeavor in which ALL people have ALWAYS acted responsibly, however. That is human nature. It doesn't excuse irresponsible behavior, just acknowledges it. If we ban every pursuit which has included irresponsible acts, then I can't think of what would still be allowed. And if we did magically make every herp keeper perfect, do you really think that animal rights humaniacs would be appeased and become our friends? They will continue to buy politicians to oust animals from any human use, whether in agriculture, as pets, or any other "slavery", as they call it. They will use any example they can find of an animal that has caused injury, disease, or environmental problems. It doesn't matter whether the "problem" pales in comparison to invasive hogs and cats, or to disease caused by undercooked chicken. Their arguments rely on emotion, not logic. Don't think that there is anything we can do to become their friends and escape being the target of their huge war chest of funds to use against us - except getting rid of all animals, of course.

Don't think I am giving a free pass to anyone who neglects, abuses, or releases their pets. But don't fool yourself into thinking that imperfect human reptile keepers are the real reason for this attack, either. The real reason is the advancement of the animal rights agenda, and their stragey of picking the low hanging fruit first, before moving on to animal industries with more money to fight back.

IMHO, of course!

 

[kaypar2011]

History of an Invasion
How did Burmese pythons populate the Florida Everglades, anyway? Where did these snakes come from? How are they thriving in an ecosystem so far from their native habitat?

To answer these questions, we must go back to the early 1990s. Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida in 1992, and it damaged quite a few zoos, pet stores, exotic animal warehouses, and wildlife refuges in the process. Many of the escaped animals -- ranging from monkeys to mountain lions -- were rounded up after the storm. Some, unfortunately, were put down. But many animals eluded capture. It has been documented that a large (but unknown) number of Burmese pythons were "liberated" by Hurricane Andrew, escaping into the Florida Everglades and other parts of the state.

It is also likely that irresponsible pet keepers contributed to this problem, though to what extent I cannot say. We have a snake-care Q&A service on this website, and through it I have spoken to hundreds of snake keepers over the years. On several occasions, I have spoken to Burmese pythons owners who were desperately trying to find new homes for their pet snakes, to no avail. Based on this experience, I believe it's possible that a few pet pythons have been released into the wild over the years, in Florida and elsewhere. And, as you will soon learn, it only takes a single breeding pair to start an "invasion."

Often, people purchase these animals when they are babies, and small enough to be housed in a 10-gallon terrarium. But within a few years, these snakes will be devouring rats like popcorn, and weighing as much (or more) than their owners. I believe that some keepers -- albeit a small minority -- end up releasing their Burmese pythons into the wild, out of sheer desperation. Many in the reptile industry would dispute this belief, and they are certainly entitled to their opinions. But I am convinced that a combination of Hurricane destruction and irresponsible keepers have contributed to the current state of Burmese pythons in Florida.

Florida Everglades = Ideal Habitat
So what happens when these animals are released into the wild? And why is the problem so isolated to the Florida Everglades and surrounding areas? In a word -- climate.

When a non-native animal is released into the wild, there are two possible outcomes:

If the local climate is outside the animal's tolerance level, it will soon die.
But if the climate is sufficient to support the animal, it may establish itself as an invasive species.
This explains why the Burmese python has thrived in the area. The climate and ecosystem of Everglades National Park (and much of southern Florida, for that matter) are ideally suited for the Burmese python. These snakes live in hot and humid areas of Asia. Southern Florida is hot and humid. They eat a wide variety of birds, mammals and reptiles in their native habitat. Here too the Everglades deliver, offering plenty of prey animals to sustain the Burmese python.

In short, there is no better place in the United States for these animals to survive and thrive. That's why southern Florida has become their new "home away from home."

Years went by before anyone knew the full extent of the invasion. It wasn't until 2006 that the first Burmese python "nest" was found in Florida. The females of this species will generally coil around their eggs, using slow muscular twitches to regulate the temperature around the eggs. Such a nest was found in 2006, when a female python was seen with a clutch of more than a dozen healthy eggs. Of course by then, the ecological invasion was already well under way.

How Many Burmese Pythons are in Florida?
There is no way to know with certainty how many Burmese pythons are in the southern Florida area. But they likely number well into the thousands. Some scientists estimate there may hundreds of thousands of these snakes within the state. How could this happen in only 17 years? How could these snakes propagate so quickly? The answer to this question lies within the reproductive characteristics of the Burmese python.

Consider the following. A female Burmese python can lay more than 30 eggs at a time. In fact, a previous sampling of nest sites in the Everglades National Park found an average of 36 eggs per site. Larger females can easily exceed these numbers. One female captured in the Everglades was found to have 85 eggs developing inside her. A well-fed female python will generally reach sexual maturity in a few years. On top of that, these snakes can live for more than 20 years in the wild, and healthy females can reproduce annually for much of that lifespan. Now take that reproductive capacity and spread it over the last 17 years or so, when these snakes are believed to have entered the Everglades in large numbers. Do the math. It's staggering! It seems to me that these snakes are here to stay.

Ecological Impacts of This Invasive Species
Why are scientists alarmed by the propagation of Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades (and beyond)? What kind of ecological impact do they have? For one thing, these snakes are nearly apex predators when full grown. Aside from the alligators in Florida, there aren't any animals that could attack and kill an adult Burmese python. So they are essentially unchecked in the ecological scheme of things. In nature, there is nothing to keep their populations in balance. Teams of snake hunters (wildlife officials, scientists and volunteers) have tried to round up as many pythons as possible, but that's like plugging your finger into a broken dam.



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