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The SHS Monthly Meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the
month at 7:00 PM click for more information and directions.
Each monthly meeting has an informative speaker, raffle and
members are invited to bring animals or husbandry equipment they
have for sale. Children are always welcome. Please visit the
Calendar Page for more detailed
information.
Website Updates: APRIL 11, 2008; APRIL NEWSLETTER IS UP! 16th Annual Turtle Workshop Info is up. Please go to Boyd Hill Link off of the Calendar Page! We will be hosting a table at the Repticon Show, April 19 & 20, 2008 at the Manatee Civic Center! Come and be a part of the fun! The reptile show season is getting set to take off! We need volunteers to help with our table. Please think about volunteering...it's a lot of fun! Please check Calendar and Moccasin Lake Page for updates! CALENDAR PAGE AND ADOPTIONS PAGE ARE ALWAYS CHANGING...CHECK OFTEN!!
On January 31, 2008, U.S. Fish and Wildlife began a "Review of Information Concerning Contrictor Snakes From Python, Boa, and Eunectes genera." Part of the reason for this is because on September 21, 2006, US Fish and Wildlife received a petition for the South Florida Water Management District to add the Burmese python to be included in injurious wildlife regulations pursuant to the Lacey Act. Basically this means that if a law is passed, certain species of the Boidae Family...or all the species will be banned from importation into the United States AND across state lines. The USFWS is asking for comments by April 30, 2008. You can submit comments to www.regulations.gov/search/index.jsp and follow the instructions (please note that all of your information will be posted online along with your comment) or by U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AV68, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. They will not accept email or faxes, and all comments made to USFWS will be posted on a board. I also have two email addresses you can go to through www.kingsnake.com which gives information on what is going on, possible impact and what you can do to help. To see the actual Proposed Rules form that this appears on, please visit www.pijac.org. For an exlpanation of what is going on and what you can do to help, please visit http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1474808,1474808. Of course, you can also go to www.kingsnake.com and click on "herp laws" on the top of the page to get more information. I believe this is something we need to keep on top of because banning these animals could cripple the entire reptile industry.
If you can help find a place to care for non-native red-eared sliders, that has a permit to take them in, please contact Steven Gaber, Park Naturalist at Sawgrass Lake Park at 727-217-7256 or sgaber@co.pinellas.fl.us.
Our Vice-President, Michele Patton, has started a column. She researches a topic and writes an article about it. And I must say, she is very talented at doing it! If you have any ideas on what she should write about, please email Michele.
If you have a reptile that needs a home, there is a place listed on the Adoptions Page that will take your animal. Please see Adoptions page for more details. To put an ad up on the Adoptions and Advertisements page, please send Carrie an email with information on the animals, including temperment, the price you are selling for (if applicable), name, email and a phone number.
REPTILE EXILE We offer pet sitting for reptiles and quality feeder rats at low prices. Contact Sean or Nicole at 727-365-4568 or Reptile.Exile@yahoo.com
If you are sending me pictures, and are an aol member, please send them to me through my account in the body of the email or in a zip file only. Do not use the "You've Got Pictures" feature because it isn't very protected.
If you are sending me pictures to put up on the page, please be aware that we are redoing the photo page and it may take awhile to get the pictures up. Thank you for your patience.
If you are interested in updates through email, please sign up to the Yahoo list on the bottom of this page.
REPTILES OF SPECIAL CONCERN: I called FWC about the reptiles of special concern...there are 6 animals: reticulated python, Burmese python, African rock python, amethystine python, green (not yellow) anaconda, and the Nile monitor. As of January 1, 2008, you must have a permit to own the above mentioned animals. The permits are combined with the Venomous animal application on FWC. The cost is $100.00, and this is whether you have one or 100. Dealers MUST see the permit before selling an animal to a person, and the Dealer is responsible for keeping records of who they sold what too (in other words, you should have documentation of the name, address, permit #, etc. and what animal you sold too). Also in effect Jan 1. is microchipping reptile of special concern that is over two and a half inches in diameter. That will be enforced on July 1, 2008 more strictly. Any questions, contact Jenny Novak from FWC at 850-926-0128.
RED-EARED SLIDERS: As of right now, there is no rescue for red-eared sliders. However, I spoke to Jenny Novak from FWC and they are working on an adoption network for hopefully the beginning of next year. As of right now, they only option available for unwanted turtles is euthanizing. Again, if you have any questions, please contact Jenny Novak with FWC at 850-926-0128.
Special thanks to Bruce Shwedick, who helped me immensely on my page for the American Alligator. Please visit his page at www.reptilediscovery.com to learn more.
Please help George Heinrich with his tremendous tortoise/turtle conservation work. Please visit Gopher Tortoise Council and Florida Turtle Conservation Trust
From George Heinrich: Many of you are aware that the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a species of conservation concern rangewide. We are writing to provide the following publications and to inform you of conservation issues related to this species in Florida. It is our intention to get this species on the radar screen of biologists, coastal land managers, educators, and conservationists in our state. The single most feasible action that would benefit terrapin populations is a regulatory change requiring the use of a simple bycatch reduction device on crab pots used in Florida waters. A recommendation as such has been submitted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and we are hopeful that they will act in good faith. We will keep you posted, as we may eventually need letters of support.
Bill Murray has a website up for purchasing his tortoises, and eventually other animals. I highly recommend that you go to the site, because I designed it. Please visit www.redfootranch.com. On the picture page are photographs of the identical twin red foot hatchlings...though they are not for sale.
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