Re: [Gecko] Phelsuma imports and Parasite loads

[Emmanuel Van Heygen]

Dear Mr. Wells,   As said more tigers are bred in captivity then P.flavigularis. This Phelsuma is extremely hard to keep and even harder to breed. So leave them in nature where they indeed do better then tigers. That was my point.   I said 'Do not buy an endangered species' that the animals are smuggled makes it only worse! I am only telling you the situation as it is, if you are ignorant about this then you are entitled to, but I will continue to fight this problem. A problem that is very sensitive to me as I have been working on the Mascarene Island Phelsuma populations for over ten years now. My statistics on population densities are NOT based on price and numbers imported! If that is your method, than I do not have anything to add. And I do know where to look, thanks for the insult! Talking about arrogance!   I guess you just peed on the electric fence!   Emmanuel Van Heygen ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001 10:14 PM Subject: Re: [Gecko] Phelsuma imports and Parasite loads Hello Emmanuel Dear Mr. Wells, 1. There are more captive bred tigers then there are captive bred P.flavigularis, and back in the late 80's and early 90's hundreds of these animals where imported.(More than tigers anyway) So your statement that they are easier to breed is false! >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tigers are easily bred in captivity also! If I am not mistaken we werent speaking of captive bred but wild caughts and certainly there are far more flavigularis then there are tigers in a smaller area in nature and I would still bet that reproduction rate as well as numbers are higher then the cats! 2. Most of the European collections that you mention are NOT bought in a pet-store! These animals were imported on a very small scale by specialist breeders with NO commercial goals! Most of the 'rare' species are traded among other specialist breeders in Europe and do not see the tanks of a pet-store or a commercial breeder at all. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Your post to this esteemed group was one of warning and basically said "Dont buy these animals they are smuggled" true or false? Now almost in the same breath you state that the animals "imported" otherwise known as smuggled by us lower classed  so called pet collectors and breeders, are justified as such because they are going into the hands of "experienced breeders" of course these people dont do dirty things such as breed for money either! God Forbid! I get your point and agree with you that most Phelsumas in particular dont belong in the conditions most petshops present. We dont disagree there at all! I do however have a problem with the " I am exempt" attitude you have taken and the justification that you can do something illegal because of your self appointed status! Somehow the arrogance of it all has gotten to me I guess? 3. Phelsuma guimbeaui and its subspecies live in a very restricted area on Mauritius Island. You even can not do a study on the density of these species per hectare as their biotope is even smaller! I have been visiting Mauritius for the past 8 years and the population decreased alarming over these years. It took me 5 days last year in May to spot my first P.guimbeaui at a spot I have been researching for many years. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Apparently by the numbers supposedly being smuggled by this one person alone and the cheapness that they are sold for, this cant be true? Is it possible you just dont know the good spots to look in? Don Wells There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.