New Mexico Import Law

Arrrrgggghhhh!

OK - so here's the story.

On another forum, a young kid who happens to live in New Mexico is showing interest in kingsnakes. He's asking the right questions and showing real enthusiasm. He asks how to tell if a snake is healthy, best places to get them, etc. - reminds me a bit of myself when I was young.

Apparently he is unable to get to a show, and the only places that carry kings near him are certain "big name" chains known for selling diseased herps.

So I offer him one of my Cal Kings that will be hatching soon. Shipping is little less than the cost of a snake at the chains - and he'll get a healthy snake that feeds on f/t rodents. I'm even giving him pick of the litters (after my pics of course). Everything is settles.

Then I find out New Mexico has an import law - to import the kingsnake legally, he has to submit an import application with a $25.00 fee. Part of the import application is a certificate from an accredited vet that the animal appears to be free from any contagious diseases.

WTF?

The cost of just the vet visit is more than the snake is worth. The cost of the import application is about what the snake is worth (wholesale).

My vet - office visit = $48
fecal float = $23
certificate = $10

I take snakes somewhat regularly for a general checkup - I randomly take breeders in, if for no other reason than to demonstrate that I am properly taking care of my collection should "animal rights" lobbyists target me and make false complaints to F&G. I tend to be fairly vocally against the PETA type, so it is possible that will happen - and I thus must always have everything in proper order.

I'm hoping the vet will allow the baby snake to be visually inspected at the same time as one of my breeders @ no extra charge. I hope that the vet will be willing to certify the snake w/o a fecal float - given that the snake is freshly hatched (um, will be freshly hatched in July ...) and kept isolated, having been fed nothing but f/t prey from RodentPro.

If so - I'll just eat the $10 vet certificate, and the kid in NM will have to take care of the $25 import application fee.

But damn - this is ridiculous. They DON'T require any of this to bring in a Dog or a Cat. Cats are far more devastating to local fauna than any other pet, and they carry a bunch of diseases.

Ah well. That may be the one and only snake I ever send to New Mexico. Utah is also on my no send list - because of the Ryan Hoyer thing. If they selectively enforced their import law with him - resulting in the death of many of his snakes - then I'm not sending any snakes to Utah.

I'll deal with the New Mexico thing and getting the vet certification just because this is a good kid and I'd hate to see him start off with a diseased snake (that *big chain* probably imported illegally by letter of the law). But until they change their law, looks like I have to turn New Mexico customers away unless they are willing to pay for a vet exam.

Incredibly stupid.

Hopefully New Mexico revises their law soon.