I receievd he below post from Allan Salzberg today. Thought it would interest many here.
Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians Response to HSUS Proposal for Ban on Reptile Pets. November 10, 2001 To the editor, We are writing in response to the recent publication by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), "Reptiles as Pets: An Examination of the Trade in Live Reptiles in the United States." While we applaud HSUS for highlighting many of the problems associated with the trade in live reptiles, we cannot agree with their conclusion that the reptile trade must be ended, and that the sale of reptiles as pets should be banned. Maintaining captive reptiles can be a rewarding, educational experience, and in some cases may have significant conservation value. Problems associated with the reptile pet trade have been noted by conservation biologists, herpetologists, and veterinarians for decades. These problems include, but are not limited to, zoonotic diseases such as Salmonellosis, damage to wild populations of rare species due to over-collection, introduction of non-native species or exotic diseases, and animal welfare issues regarding transportation of reptiles and survival of reptiles in captivity. These are serious concerns; however, such problems can be overcome by effective education, legislation, and research. Caring for a captive reptile, like caring for any animal, can provide an understanding of the organism that can be achieved in no other way. It may pique one's curiosity, leading to further, more advanced study. Most professional herpetologists, reptile veterinarians, reptile curators, etc. report that maintaining reptiles as pets was an influential part of their childhood and may have guided their career choice. As habitat loss and urbanization continue, maintaining captive reptiles may provide one's only exposure to these organisms. Individuals that maintain captive reptiles are likely to be more concerned with local, regional, and global reptile conservation issues than individuals that have never seen or touched a live reptile. In her recent book "Why the Wild Things Are: Animals in the Lives of Children", psychologist Gail Melson investigates the potential benefit that animals may provide in childhood development. While the field is largely unexplored, Melson suggests that pets may play a role in the development of nurturing skills, compassion, affection, and "may function as a meaning system through which children make sense of both themselves and their surrounding environments." We believe that these theories are true, and that owning a corn snake as a child can be as developmentally important as owning a dog. Obviously, good judgement on the part of a responsible adult is needed, and one must ensure that children caring for reptiles are mature enough to provide proper care and hygiene for the animal, while maintaining their own safety from zoonotic disease. Owning a reptile requires a commitment of time and money as with any pet. It also requires that an appropriate animal be chosen for a given circumstance, and that ethical concerns be addressed. It is no more reasonable to think that a large aggressive reptile will be a good pet than to think that a large aggressive dog will be a good pet. It is no more reasonable to expect an ill, dehydrated, imported reptile to adapt to captivity than to expect a parasitized, parvovirus-infected puppy from a poor source to thrive in its new home. There are a number of species of reptiles now available in the pet trade that are born in captivity, remain relatively small, have known husbandry requirements, and can be obtained in healthy condition from reputable sources. Examples of species in this category are bearded dragons, leopard geckos, corn snakes, milk snakes, ball pythons, and Mediterranean tortoises. Salmonella is a well-known zoonotic disease associated with keeping captive reptiles. Human fatalities do occur from reptile-associated Salmonellosis. However, we are well aware of the risk of zoonotic disease associated with owning dogs, cats, birds, horses, etc, as well as the threat of fatal trauma induced by some dogs or horses. An estimated three to four million dog bites occur each year in the US, half of which involve children. Salmonella is just one of dozens of zoonotic diseases we may get from our pets. Should we avoid owning all animals to prevent zoonoses? The risk of Salmonellosis can be reduced by following guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV), which are available from the ARAV. Decreasing the massive importation and exportation of reptiles may be desirable, particularly for species whose post-importation survival is known to be poor. As an example, we know that hingeback tortoises (Kinixys spp.), that were imported by the thousands from Africa in the past decade, do very poorly in captivity, as do many, many other species. Ending the trade in such species would likely be met with little resistance, and is becoming more practical as more captive-born animals of other species become available However, we are not in favor of complete shut-down of the international reptile trade. There are many very motivated, dedicated private reptile keepers that have made tremendous contributions to herpetological taxonomy, husbandry techniques, and conservation based on the availability of imported animals. As an example, the endangered radiated tortoise (Geochelone radiata) from Madagascar was first bred in the US by a private individual in the 1970's. The progeny of this individual's group formed the basis of much of the captive-breeding program for this species later adopted by zoos throughout the country. More recently, the world's known population of the endangered McCord's box turtle (Cuora mccordi) has been nearly doubled by the breeding groups of private individuals. Completely eliminating the availability of imported specimens may prevent the development of captive assurance colonies of species that are being driven to extinction in their native habitats. While collection for the pet trade has undoubtedly damaged some species populations, habitat destruction and consumption in the international food trade remain the most significant threats to most reptile species. Concerns regarding the welfare of animals in transit and in captivity are valid. Improper shipping techniques and improper husbandry can result in mortality. However, I believe that the best approach to this is not to stop the trade in reptiles, but to work to constantly improve shipping regulations, inspections, penalties for violations, and dissemination of proper husbandry information. We have developed techniques to allow the humane movement of other species, and such techniques can be developed for reptiles. This may involve decreasing the numbers of animals moved in a given shipment, and may mean that prices of animals will increase; but such changes may be inevitable if the demand for healthy, ethically shipped animals increases. Husbandry techniques have improved greatly in the past decade and many excellent texts exist for most of the commonly kept reptiles. Owners that do not provide adequate husbandry simply have not done their research. This should not motivate a ban on reptile pets any more than the dog owner who calls their veterinarian on the day their bitch whelps and asks "what do I do?" should motivate a ban on dog ownership. Finally, regarding the issue of the introduction of exotic disease by imported reptiles, we are quite concerned. It is clear that the potential for exotic disease entering the US with reptiles exists. The case of African tortoises imported to Florida, found to be infected with ticks carrying the causative agent of Heartwater disease, brought this risk to the attention of many interested parties. However, this is another situation where research, rather than banishment, is needed. Since the original incident, and stimulated by the incident, an effective and safe acaracide has been identified for use in tortoises. By thinking about the problems, identifying risks, and increasing the vigilance of monitoring, it is possible to discover and address previously unrecognized diseases. If certain diseases are found that cannot be controlled, then an importation ban on the involved reptile species may be warranted. In conclusion, we believe that reptiles should be available as pets. It is desirable to greatly reduce the large-scale sale and importation of reptiles in favor of supporting the more selective sale of domestically bred reptiles of relatively easy to maintain species. The path to this end will involve participation of many groups, but at the forefront should be individual state governments. State governments have control over allowing collection of native animals, as well as which species may be sold in pet stores. In the past, many states have taken the approach of banning a few undesirable species, while allowing the sale of all other species. Perhaps states should consider instead allowing the sale of only certain species that have been captive bred and have known husbandry requirements. Provisions for more serious keepers to obtain permits to maintain restricted species could be issued based on guidelines established by each state. We encourage the veterinary and herpetological communities to voice their dissent to the conclusions of the HSUS Live Reptile Trade report. Sincerely, Charles J. Innis, VMD President, Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians Teresa Bradley. DVM Belton, MO Mark Mitchell, DVM, PhD Louisiana State University Elliot Jacobson, DVM, PhD, DACZM University of Florida Dale DeNardo, DVM, PhD University of Arizona Kevin Wright, DVM Phoenix, AZ William Griswold, DVM Tempe, AZ Lyle Puente PO Box 438 Crompond, NY 10517 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Global Gecko Association http://www.gekkota.com ########################################################################### THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV WebSite: www.gekkota.com Archive: [EMAIL PROTECTED]/ The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings. ###########################################################################
