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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: Updates: 1/23/12: DECEMBER NEWSLETTER IS UP! We are now on Facebook!! Please visit us at www.facebook.com/suncoastherpsociety to like! All Repticon shows (for Tampa, Orlando, and Sarasota), FIRExpo, and the National Reptile Breeder's Expo are listed when I get the information on the Calendar page. Please check the Calendar for upcoming events. Calendar and Ad pages are always changing, so check back often. PLEASE SEE NEWSLETTER FOR UPDATES ON ALL THE NEW BILLS INTRODUCED THAT COULD AFFECT THE REPTILE INDUSTRY...
THE PYTHON BAN HAS PARTIALLY BEEN PASSED!! As of March 23, 2012, it will be illegal to import into the country and across state lines the following species: Burmese pythons, yellow anacondas, Northern African rock pythons, and Southern African rock pythons. WWW.USARK.ORG NEEDS YOUR HELP! They are trying to raise $150,000 to challenge this law in court!! If everyone can donate $10.00 or $20.00, it would all help. As of now, the other five species (Reticulated python, Common boa constrictor, green anaconda, De Schauensee's anaconda, and Beni anaconda) can be added to the list WITHOUT going through Congress. There is also talk of putting the ENTIRE genera python on the Lacey Act. This would make it a felony to transport a ball python across state lines. PLEASE stand up to this or it would be illegal to own ANY reptile in this country!!
WE ARE CO-HOSTING AMNESTY DAY WITH FWC & PLANT CITY ON APRIL 21, 2012! We will be needing quite a few volunteers to help out with this. It would be a perfect time to educate the public and to promote conservation. If you want to be an adopter, you need to fill out two separate applications. The first is the Applicant Information for yourself. The second application is for the animals that you are willing to adopt. You need to fill out an application for EACH species you decide to adopt. For example, Doreen filled out two separate animal applications for bearded dragons and iguanas. Click here: Animal Application to get that. If you have problems sending it via email, please print them out and send them in. We would also be happy to mail them for you. These applications are permanent. You will no longer need to fill out an application for every Amnesty Day event, and you can choose to be contacted by FWC if they get a call in for your particular species that needs to be re-homed. Once you fill out the application, you need to be approved. You will get a letter in the mail, and you must bring that with you to Amnesty Day in order to adopt.
Instead of January 7th, we are having our St. Augustine field trip on February 25,2012 we will be having a field trip to St. Augustine Alligator Farm (the ONLY zoo in the world to have all species of crocodilians.) If we get more than 10 people, admission will be around $8.50...that is more than 50% off.
Emergency Wildlife Rescuer - 24-Hour Service throughout Florida. Able to rehome any animal INCLUDING ROC AND CROCODILIANS within 72 hours to proper/legal facilities. Humane Removal Always!!! Please call 941-840-8002 Anthony-Founder/Field Director; Heather-Co-Founder/Asst. Field Director
SUPPORT USARK!! www.usark.org Sign up on their mailing list, join them on Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace, become a member or make a donation. These people are out on the front lines protecting our right to own, breed, and sell these animals. Any donation made will be matched by ZooMed.
FLORIDA FRESHWATER TURTLE HARVEST As of July, 2009, Florida's laws regarding fresh water turtle harvests have changed. The new rule bans the commercial take or sale of freshwater turtles from the wild in the state and ends the commercial harvest of freshwater turtles. It also bans the taking or transporting of freshwater turtle eggs from the wild. It allows a person to take one freshwater turtle for non-commercial purposes, such as education or to keep turtles as pets. *Exception: only includes species that are NOT LISTED as species of special concern, threatened, endangered, or from groups that include species that are similar in appearance to the listed species. This includes alligator snapper turtles, Barbour's map turtles, Suwanee cooters, Escambia map turtles, cooters, and common snapping turtles. The closed season for taking softshell turtles remains in effect from May 1 - July 31. Owners of turtles under old rules will be able to apply online for a Class III No-Cost Personal Pet Permit at www.myfwc.com and keep their pet turtles. You should be able to apply for this permit in Sept. 2009. If you need to transport more than one turtle at time, you can apply online at www.myfwc.com for a Captive Wildlife Importation, Temporary Possession of Class I, II, III permit. That will allow you to transport more than one turtle for 45 days. Turtle Farms licensed under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Servies will be able to apply for a permit August 31, 2009 to collect a limited number for breeding stock. The new rules alows the FWC to issue a permit to take more than one turtle per day from the wild for scientific purposes, educational programs, exhibition, farming, or other justifiable reasons. If you need more information, please contact Florida Fish and Wildlife's Patricia Behnke at 850-251-2130.
Since the photo page is back up, I can start accepting photographs once again at luvcatz7@yahoo.com. Please make sure the photos you send are resized so I can open and save the attachment. Thanks!
Our President Melissa Coakley wishes t hear from you! If you have any comments or ideas, please email her at mmcoakle@mail.usf.edu!
Our Vice-President, Michele Patton, has 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.
REPTILE EXILE Offers 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 interested in updates through email, please sign up to the Yahoo list on the bottom of this page.
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.
Herp Hobby Shop is a yearly contributor to our auction. Please visit their store at 103 Douglas East, Oldsmar, FL 34677, or give them a call at (813)925-0041.
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