Imagine the hypothetical scenario of picking up your weekly town's Tribune one lazy morning on March 2nd and coming across a headline or legislative agenda item for your town council on March 6th reading something to the effect of:

*Board Agenda item 3333333- Final Reading of An Ordinance to prohibit the keeping and sale of Wild, Exotic Animals

No doubt your mind will probably be racing at this point as will your heart rate and blood pressure . What should you do? Is it too late to rally the troops? Is it time to move to another area and/or surrender your animals?

Luckily, the above situation can be prevented or avoided if one becomes organized and proactive in a myraid of different ways in which I shall describe below. The purpose of my wanting to write this post are two fold: one; to serve as a simple and easily understood guide, or resource for many of those who may not be experienced or familiar in the art of grassroots activism, or what to do and when should a ordinance, bill, or amendment to prohibit the keeping of reptiles and other exotic animals arises in your area. And secondly, the purpose of this post is also largely intended to compliment and follow up on a previous posting on the subject by Cindy Steinle, which can be viewed Here

First off, we all need to adopt the mindset of expecting legislation and ordinances coming down the chutes not *if*, but *when*. In other words, we need to expect it coming. As I have previously mentioned, it takes very few catlyists to initiate consideration of these ordinances on the local level. If one is considering moving to an area, please do not specifically inquire to your police department or local lawmaking body about reptiles or exotic animals and certainly please do not keep animals where they are not legal. Case in point: the City of Middleton Wisconsin, whose License and Ordinance committee, along with recommendations from the police chief, began considering an ordinance when an individual with American alligators from Madison WI (where they are presently illegal) requested to keep the animals when moving to Middleton. Having had correspondence with the head animal control officer of Dane County WI following a Dane County Environment, Agriculture, and Natural Resource committee hearing, this particular individual had been implicated in multiple prior incidents of keeping the animals illegally in Madison WI, which was the catlyist that spurred the situation in Middleton, and subsequent involvement, time, manpower, and resources of the Madison area Herpetological Society, of which I serve as Education and Events Coordinator.

Having said that, lets examine some of the simple yet proactive steps everyone can and should do to help fight for our animals locally.

Get to Know Your Local Government Inside and Out

I believe this is one of the most important ones of all. If you are unfamiliar with it, or rusty on the mechanics of local government since last studying it in grade school or middle school, now, prior to anything coming down the chutes, would be an excellent time to referesh yourself as well as others you may wish to network and get involved with on how it works. Among the things I recommend that everyone familiarize themselves with on their local and county governments at a minimum, is how are bills, amendments, or ordinances typically introduced, navigated through the legislative process, and passed. What boards or committees does your local or county government have? How are agenda items typically advertised? Are they printed or broadcasted in the local newsprint or media, posted on city hall's bulletin board, or advertised on the city or county's website? Is there an email subscribe feature to be put on a mailing list for notifications of upcoming agendas, minutes, public hearings, and other legislative activity? Who currently sits on these boards and what is their contact information?

One subject I cannot stress enough is that when the time comes where correspondence with your elected officials is necessary, PLEASE be courteous, knowledgeable and respectful towards them. While it is completely understandable that our hobby and our pets (Got it Right there, Cindy) is a passion and life's work for many of us, please do not shout, badmouth, our use vulgarities or profanities towards them. This is simply unprofessional conduct, and will not carry any weight or result in any progress for our cause. Please be polite and courteous, and provide facts, statistics, and personal examples of how such an ordinance relates to you, your friends, or your family.

One thing we must understand, is most elected officials are barraged with a variety of topics and issues daily, and cannot possibly be knowledgeable or up to date on everything currently before them. We must also understand that most of the time on a local and county level especially, the crafting and consideration of these ordinances by our elected officials are NOT intended to serve as direct attacks against responsible pet owners, keepers, and breeders and should not be viewed as such. In the case of both Middleton WI and Dane County WI, their stated intent of having an ordinance was to simply address those few instances where negligent and/or irresponsible owners do create a health or safety issue with their animals. Does this mean I am in support of the legislation as it is currently written and proposed? Of course not!

Instead, what it comes largely down to a matter of public education, which should include our local elected officials, on the matter. Case in point: one representative on the Dane CO Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources board hadn't even known that stores in the Madison WI area sold reptiles or that people kept them in such great numbers! Instead of attacking and alienating one's local elected officials, identify what their main concerns are for proposing the legislation and what problems they are attempting to address with it. If you are involved with reptile rescue, a herpetological society, or any other business or entity that conducts outreach and education for the public, try offering your assistance and input on the matter by directly addressing their concerns and work towards finding a mutually agreeable solution. You may just be surprised at how much further this approach will take you.

Organize! Joing a Local Herp Society!

The second most important factor (actually tied with the first) to proactively fight for your animals on the local level, is to organize now!!! Do not wait until the last hour or minute to locate and subsequently assemble the troops. If there is one already present, joining any of the education, outreach, and community based local, regional, or state herpetological socieites (or herp socities for short) is also an excellent way of networking with other passionate, motivated, like minded individuals in your area on a variety of subjects pertaining to reptiles and amphibians including legislative matters. In my area of Wisconsin, I am very proud and fortunate to be able to serve as education coordinator and as an active member for the Madison area Herpetological Society (MAHS). Over the past several months, we have been tirelessly engaged and involved with legislation at the local level, all of the way on up to the federal level regarding the python and boa rulemaking. The herp society I am a part of may only be approximately one year old, but in that time, we have managed to become the largest and most active herp society in the state of Wisconsin, and I have little doubt that we will continue to grow and experience the legislative successes we have been having at the local level due to the perseverance and dedicated teamwork all of our members have contributed thus far.

If no herp society currently exists in your area, identify any and all locations where individuals who keep or enjoy reptiles may frequent. You may know of some in your area already. Otherwise, make informal inquires around town for contacts and/or networks at any and all local pet or specialty stores, veterinary clinics, schools, universities, museums, nature centers, fairs or pet shows, or others. Even if one resides in a small town, I suspect that it would not be overly difficult to locate at least a dozen, if not more, interested and dedicated individuals to stand behind you in the cause.

Assembling such a successful and focused grassroots network in such an uphill battle is certainly no small undertaking, and it will undoubtedly require large amounts of time, motivation and energy (and not to mention missed sleep) for successes to happen, given the seemingly daily barrage of legislation coming down the tubes. However, the simple illustration I would like to make, and conclude with, is that legislative victories for us in the herp community CAN and DO happen if we organize, network, and stay aware of legislative happenings.

The involvement of MAHS in fending off and/or influencing both the Middleton WI and Dane Co WI bans thus far are proof positive of the shining star efforts we can all make on local communities.
When these ordinances come up, especially on the local level, they are almost always passed unanimously under our radar simply because very few, if any residents in those respective communities have taken an active role in paying attention to and involving themselves in their local government. That is what will kill us if many more people do not start paying attention. Board members or other local governing bodies operate on the assumption that if they do not hear from their residents and constituents, that the measures they propose will not apply to anyone, or to only a very tiny few. SPEAK UP!!! Make your Voices Known!!

A new and recent study performed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has predicted that hatchling Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) collected from the Florida everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments. According to USGS research ecologist and author of the study Kristen Hart, it is speculated that Burmese pythons are now capable of expanding their south Florida range to surrounding islands such as the Florida Keys.

Which begs the question: If Burmese pythons have been present in the Everglades since the 1980's, why haven't they been found in these areas already? Why then haven't naturally occurring populations of Burmese pythons in Southeast Asia made their way over to the Phillipines, Malaysia, Borneo, and Indonesia yet?

The Study

According to the new study, 24 hatchling, and 1 YoY Burmese pythons were collected for the study out of Everglades National Park, where each was housed individually in 75L plastic storage bins. One of three different water "treatments"; fresh water, brackish water, and salt water were then evenly distributed among the hatchlings (8 were subjected to each "treatment") while the single Yoy was subjected to marine treatment. Each "treatment" was provided in the form of 4 L plastic bins covering approximately 40% of the enclosure surface area, thereby allowing the snakes to voluntarily come into contact or avoid the "treatments" (more on that in a moment).

According to the results of the study, the mean (average) longevity for the snakes subjected to marine treatments was 32 days, with some animals perishing as early as 17 days. Dr. Warren Booth has stated it well: death= no further reproductive ability. The last animal subjected to marine treatments perished at 50 days. Only 2 hatchlings subjected to the brackish water treatment survived for more than 200 days, with mean being 156. The single Yoy subjected to a marine treatment survived throughout the study, but long turn effects and prognosis of the surviving snakes is not mentioned at all in the study.

More Shaky, Poorly Constructed "Science"?

The study may have been just released, but after reading it, I am already noticing several major flaws in it and yet even more poor quality "science" at play. The first, and perhaps foremost observation I have is that this "study" fails to accurately replicate prolonged long distance travel and/or survival in saline/marine environments; all experimental snakes in the study were provided access to dry land and were still given access to fresh water in the form of food items (in this case, mice) throughout the study. Thus, because of this, I suspect that survival rates for snakes housed in such brackish and marine "treatments" were prolonged significantly by the authors of this study.

The other consideration the "study" fails on is examining long term prognosis and survival of snakes subjected to brackish and marine treatments. Even if a Burmese python did manage to travel to one of the Florida Keys, or the Phillipines, what would be the long term survivability of said snake having been exposed to such saline environments for the prolonged periods of time needed to move across it? Such a preliminary study should require significant follow up and review in the months to come.

Undoubtedly we can expect more of the same in 2012 as we did in 2009. No doubt that this "study" and its predictions will splash far and wide in media headlines in the new year, and be used in the latest efforts to drum up speculative fears of widespread U.S. python invasion via ocean ways as well as support for a Federal Lacey Act listing of 9 boa and python species. One thing is for certain; this study will make for an appealing case to legislators and ambitious politicians alike looking to maintain their bids for upcoming re-election.

All in all, like the failed climate maps and other poor quality "science" put out by USGS projecting that Burmese pythons are capable of expanding their south Florida range across the southern third of the U.S. and deemed by a panel of 11 herpetologists and other scientists as "unscientific", I would likewise entirely expect this new "study" to be largely unconvincing to the majority of the herpetological community and failing to stand up to external scrutiny and review once it is made.

Here is a link to the USGS press release:
USGS Press Release

One topic that I have seen frequently posted on many various reptile forums on the Internet, as well as having been asked many times over the years is the issue of renting with herps, or in other words, how can one successfully locate herp friendly housing? What should be done if you run into issues over your animals with the landlord? It can often be a daunting, and stressful enough task to find rental housing that accepts many of the more traditional pets such as dogs and cats. Matters can and do become more complicated when we are advocating for our collections of scaly friends to those who provide many of us housing and residential leases, but may also have preconceived notions or misconceptions towards the animals we keep and enjoy.

Having rented several times and locations during my college experience and beyond, I would like to take some time to share my insights, experiences, and suggestions for those who may find themselves in similar such situations. Perhaps what I want to most importantly convey, is that all hope may not be lost if one does need to rent and also keeps herps, provided one is willing to give at least some additional effort, responsibility, and persistence into locating herp friendly housing.

Shop Around and Negotiate

If one chooses to keep herps legally and responsibly in rental housing, they will inevitably need to inform owners or management of the animals kept. For example, a locally or family owned establishment (and perhaps others) may allow one to simply keep "caged pets" or "small and harmless pets". I use the term "caged pets" because this is how the subject of keeping herps should be lead into or bought up. Do not assume that every landlord will be familiar with herp husbandry or know that we keep our animals caged or otherwise in secured enclosures. None of this is of course not to say that one should not inquire about or abide by their established pet policies, however (I will touch more on this later). It is also usually beneficial when the prospective landlord is a housing may be slightly more difficult, and may require a prospective herper or other renter to rely less on newspapers and apartment showcase booklets, and more on drive by searches.

If one finds a pet policy held by a rental that disallows pets, or seems otherwise overly restrictive, ask the landlord or property manager why. Keep in mind that many pet policies are put into place as a result of some previous incident or negative experience involving them. By asking why, you will not only be considering your prospective landlord's position (which in turn may prompt them to be more considerate of yours), you will be in a better position to directly address each and every of the landlord's potential concerns regarding your animals being housed on their rental property. Convincing landlords to take a case by case approach as to whether to allow keeping animals may be well be enough to put some landlords at peace of mind, and thus more open to considering your request. If, however, the prospective landlord still refuses your request (or if pet negotiation requirements seem overly unreasonable, or require you to waiver many tenancy rights you would otherwise be entitled to), then it may be best to search elsewhere.

In my experiences, decentralized owner or family operated rental housing (such as multi-family, or other locally owned rental units), which are typically deemed as Class B and C property classes, oftentimes tend to be far more receptive and open to allowing animals. If anything else, many will be at least more willing to overlook the animals we keep for sake of filling much needed vacancies. Many other apartments also state or advertise that pets are allowed, although pet clauses typically vary from one owner or agency to another, or even one location to another owned by the same entity. In addition, some local humane societies and animal shelters may also maintain free directories of pet friendly housing in the area, sometimes with the agency or property's pet clause included for convenience. Although most of these directories, if offered, tend to cover policies only as they pertain to dogs and cats, they may nevertheless serve as a guide or reference to save one at least some time and effort.

By contrast, many of the larger leasing companies, with centralized leasing offices and numerous rental units either per building, or over a moderately to heavily populated geographic area (typically A and some B property classes), tend to more often than not have far more comprehensive and restrictive pet clauses such as mandating weight and possession limits on animals, limits on the numbers and/or sizes of cages/enclosures, or in many cases disallowing herps, or even any animals from being kept in their rentals at all. This is not to state that renting such properties is always should be discouraged in every scenario, as much as it is promoting the idea that those of us who keep herps and seek rental housing have other options and may wish to pursue those if they find that the pet clauses of a given rental company too restrictive.

Likewise, if one is attending college as an undergraduate, residency and enrollment requirements may require you to live on or near campus in campus owned and operated dormitories (dorms) or other forms of campus housing. Typically, most college dorms disallow pets from being kept, with any possible exceptions being limited to only aquariums or terrariums of a specified size and number. Read and understand all housing and residency guidelines if this scenario is applicable to you.

The most important takeaway point is to shop around, do research into the agency or property, and compare options and benefits. At least some will not be nearly as "pet friendly" as they may advertise.

Read All Terms and Leases

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading and fully understanding all lease terms and agreements prior to signing on to one. This is of course just as applicable to animal clauses, especially if one is as serious and dedicated to keeping their animals as I know many are. Knowing and understanding the lease and rental terms or agreements, and having copies of them all in writing for your records, can and often does go a long way in preventing any conflicts, confusion, or misunderstandings later on. It is also important to note that if any exceptions or addendums are made during any point in time, to have copies of those in writing as well. Knowing and understanding all clauses, including pet clauses, should also be made a rental housing criteria for the serious herper as well. Find out up front what their pet policies entail before moving forward with any lease agreement. If herps are explicitly or implicitly prohibited in the lease, or if such clauses are otherwise not to your liking, it is, in my opinion, best to not spend any more time or energy pursuing that particular lease and to seek other rental housing if it is available.

Negotiation with landlords oftentimes is a reality that may need to be made in at least some cases involving herps. As much as I enjoy and advocate for the responsible keeping of such animals, convincing a prospective landlord to allow tenants to keep venomous reptiles, crocodilians, or large constrictors may be a difficult sell in many rental housing situations. Some forms of rental housing may also be reluctant to allow tenants to keep rodents or feeder insects for fear of infestations. One could emphasize however, that frozen thawed rodents stored in a freezer are unlikely to ever escape and infest their rental housing. Fortunately, the vast majority of animals we keep and propagate are relatively small and benign to humans, and should be a focal point in negotiating with landlords as should your due diligence in keeping these animals (see below).

In short, it will never be an unwise idea to have anything and everything in writing, whenever possible.

Be Responsible

The final point I would like to convey is to be a responsible herp keeper regardless of whether you choose or need to utilize rental housing or not. Emphasize this multiple times to a prospective landlord and practice it to the letter. Again, emphasize the term "caged pets" or "terrarium/aquarium pets". Some owners or agencies may require an additional pet deposit and/or monthly fees to keep animals. Although this is typically applied mostly to cats and dogs, I have heard of such fees applicable for aquariums in which aquatic to semi aquatic herps may be kept in to cover any possible water damages. These deposits and fees in general will vary by location or owner if they do exist.

It is important to practice responsible keeping and due diligence in maintaining all animals under your charge. This should include providing proper housing for all of your animals that is absolutely escape proof, properly feeding your animals according to the dietary requirements and habits of the species you keep, and perhaps most importantly of all, be as discreet as possible by not recklessly exposing others to your animals. As we have seen time and time again in the legislative arena, it only takes one escape, one mishap, or one case of irresponsible ownership to, in more cases than not, initiate legislation designed to ban or severely restrict ownership of herps and many other exotic animals.

While it may also be tempting to violate clauses we view to be unjust or illogical, don't. It is simply not a good idea, and keeping an animal in violation of your lease agreement, or attempting to sneak them in undetected could result in the confiscation of your animals, the latest case of negative publicity for the hobby on the 9 '0 clock news, your reprehension by the landlord or management, or even eviction in some cases. Furthermore, eviction can further affect your ability to find future rental housing, and it can negatively impact your credit ratings. In short, don't get evicted. Our hobby of keeping reptiles and amphibians will not stand to gain any legitimacy in the public eye if we are perceived as "underworld smugglers and rule breakers".

To conclude, while renting with herps can be a more complex than average endeavor, the purpose of me writing this is to convey that it is possible in most circumstances for herpers to find herp friendly housing if they are willing to expend a bit more effort and persistence into doing so. One does not need to sell or give up their hobby, or their animals should they be faced (either voluntarily or out of necessity) with the possibility of having to rent instead of own their housing. In doing so, it is important to be honest, up front, and responsible, as, in my opinion, this is far more preferable in the long run than having to hide your animals each and every time maintenance comes by or when inspections have to be done.

In short, be smart about renting with herps, and please don't be the reason for any further policy changes.

OH: Exotic-animal rules debated in secret
However, new rules governing a wide range of exotic animals and reptiles are being discussed by an eclectic group in closed-door meetings convened by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/23/exotic-animal-rules-debated-in-secret.html

PA: Lower Burrell woman wants to save Beaver Run gator from winter
Even though a Lower Burrell woman has found a home for the reptile in Florida, her efforts may be futile -- the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County won't allow a rescue on its land.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/lifestyles/s_760237.html

VA: Man charged for housing reptiles
Investigators from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries found two alligators and 23 box turtles at the home of 31-year-old Jason Holloman.
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/man-charged-for-housing-reptiles

OH: Woman Says Ex-Boyfriend Assaulted Her with Snake Feces
Elyria police say a man used his pet snake and its excrement as a weapon in an alleged assault on his ex-girlfriend.
http://www.fox13now.com/news/wjw-woman-says-ex-boyfriend-assaulted-her-snake-feces-txt,0,4219985.story

WI: No international travel for charged reptile collector Cullen
A Milwaukee reptile collector facing charges of sexual assault and improper storage of animals won't be visiting southeast Asia and South Africa until he can provide more detail about such trips, a judge ruled Wednesday.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/130302053.html

Federal: Air Force puts more bite in pet regulations
The list of blacklisted critters is long under the Air Force’s new pet policy: arachnids; reptiles; rodents, except hamsters and guinea pigs; ferrets; hedgehogs; pot-bellied pigs; monkeys; skunks, raccoons; squirrels; farm animals; and five kinds of dogs — pit bulls, Doberman pinschers, Rottweilers, chows and wolf hybrids — as well as any dog that displays “aggressive or dominant behavior.” Military dogs are allowed in base housing with the permission of the base commander.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/09/air-force-puts-more-bite-in-pet-regulations-091811/

NY: Glitch in law leaves loopholes for those who handle venomous reptiles
Nevertheless, a public safety question has been raised in reptile circles: Is everyone who puts on shows for school children and Scout troops qualified to do so and acting the way they should?
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110920/NEWS01/109200321/Glitch-law-leaves-loopholes-handlers-venomous-snakes?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews


UT: Reptile rescuer finds new home after forced to relocate by UDOT
Jim Dix is an animal rescuer who was forced from his home in West Valley City to make way for Utah Department of Transportation’s Mountain View Corridor road project. He has since found a new home for his 550 animals and himself, thanks to volunteers and assistance from UDOT.
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-reptile-rescue-reptile-rescuer-finds-new-home-after-forced-to-move-20110919,0,5277568.story

Washington D.C./Federal: Congressional Republicans Attack ‘Broken’ Rules System
The report criticizes Fish and Wildlife Service plans to define boa constrictors and some pythons and anaconda as “injurious” to humans and the environment, banning their transportation across state lines in most cases. The agency has been paying particular attention to a snake infestation in the Florida Everglades.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/09/13/congressional-republicans-attack-job-killing-rules/

WI: Man who housed baboon had run-ins with police over alligators, snakes
A Madison man found last month to be housing a baboon in his basement had previously been investigated for keeping alligators and large snakes at his East Side home, which he shares with a young daughter, Madison police records show.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_d09e9af6-db4b-11e0-9432-001cc4c03286.html

PA?: Easton to consider banning animals at special events
Easton Farmers’ Market Manager Megan McBride said she wouldn’t mind seeing exotic animals, such as the occasional snake or monkey, banned from Downtown events. But she’d hate see dogs barred from events, particularly the bustling market.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2011/09/easton_to_consider_banning_ani.html

NJ: Huge tortoises seized from NJ home, taken to zoo
(AP) HIGHLANDS, N.J. — Authorities have charged a New Jersey man who owned four tortoises, including one weighing between 500 and 600 pounds.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/13/ap/business/main20105485.shtml

FL: Reticulated python seized from Palm Beach County home
A 13-foot tiger reticulated python has been seized from an Acreage man who turned out to have small menagerie of exotic wildlife in his home.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/blogs/green-south-florida/sfl-reticulated-python-seized-from-palm-beach-county-home-20110913,0,2484802.story