Changing the Laws by Luke Halstead

It is becoming increasingly common around the world for reptile and other exotic animal keepers of all persuasions to find themselves all of a sudden in contravention of the law, as new municipal, state/provincial and federal regulations are drafted to control our hobby.  This is sometimes understandable with the regulation of dangerous exotics, but in some places like my township near Ottawa, Canada, all reptiles, amphibians and arachnids are banned outright!  I believe personally that a prospective owner should have to prove their competence in order to keep an animal that could harm someone, or an animal that could be invasive to the local environment if escaped or released.  They should have to keep and maintain a license for as long as they have such animals and I think that’s only fair.  However, there is nothing dangerous or invasive about keeping a leopard gecko in Canada!

This is where we as a community of reptile keepers come into the picture.  Reptile keepers as a whole have failed on a variety of fronts.  We have not succeeded policing ourselves as a community and holding our peers accountable for their mistakes.  We must realize that most people at best don’t understand, and at worst fear and despise our hobby.  Our actions and the actions of those around us reflect upon us all in circumstances where exotic animal keepers make bad press or present a negative public image of our hobby.  That may entail releasing a non-native turtle into the local pond, or taking a pet boa out to the mall for a shopping trip.  We’ve all read newspaper articles like that at some point or another.  We must act as good ambassadors for herpetoculture, be respectful of others and the environment, and insist that our peers do the same.  If there were never any bad press surrounding our hobby, there would be no reason to regulate it.

And speaking of the reptile community policing itself, perhaps our biggest failing as reptile keepers is the profound lack of the very community to participate in!  Other exotic animal keepers (such as those involved in falconry) have banded together to fight for the ownership of their animals, why not us?  In my experience, excluding some herpetological societies and dedicated hardcore keepers, there is not much of a sense of community among herpetoculturists – and what little there is certainly is not strong enough to be able or willing to mobilize enough resources and people power to stave off the constant battles with the animal rights groups and the politicians that want to make ‘popular’ decisions.  Recent years have seen USARK take on the fight for reptiles, but the tide of battle has been turning against them – and therefore us. Continued buy this issue or subscribe

Carpet Pythons By Bruce Riker

Carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) are quickly becoming a popular snake in the hobby with many subspecies and morphs to choose from. Here we will discuss the three most popular subspecies that are commonly kept in the US – coastal carpet pythons (Morelia spilota mcdowelli), jungle carpet pythons (Morelia spilota cheynei), and Irian Jaya or West Papuan carpet pythons (Morelia spilota harrisoni). Coastal carpet pythons and jungle carpet pythons are Australian in origin where they can still be commonly found in the wild. Coastals come from the areas of eastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales while jungles can be found in northeastern Queensland. Irian Jayas come from the Merauke region of Papua New Guinea and also along the northern coast of Australia.

Temperament: All subspecies of carpet pythons are similar in temperament. Most are nippy as babies, growing out of this behavior by the time they reach a year old with regular handling from a calm and patient keeper. Some keepers may feel the need to use a hook when removing carpet pythons from their enclosures. Hook training is not a bad idea considering their adult size especially that of coastal carpet pythons.

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My First Foray into Breeding by Tom Williams

Then on the morning of Friday 2nd September 2011 I awoke to find 2 perfectly formed, tiny hatchling Leopard Geckos sitting in the incubator. I couldn’t quite believe it and probably never thought it would actually happen. But it had, and much to my surprise the eggs that had hatched were about 2 weeks early! Over the next couple of days 2 more eggs hatched on time and I had 4 little baby’s screeching at me, and of course 2 more eggs to hopefully hatch soon. I’ve kept the babies with their egg twins in tubs and now the excitement of watching them grow and develop begins.

Tales & Trails by Melissa Coakley

You never know what you are going to find in the Cane fields and this is one of the most alluring aspects of hunting there.  I often find snakes loaded with scars from controlled burn.  Last year Bill and I found one badly burned yellow rat snake that seemed to be doing quite well despite the burns.  One of the worst finds was a huge pile of dead frogs – there had to be several hundred – all missing their legs.  I have also found piles of dead fish and other trash and debris of just about every imaginable type.  The sugar cane fields seem to be a magnet for strange garbage – everything from beds to boats.