The Columbus Reptile show was Raided by Fish&wildlife officers

lol
gotcha , found the hidden meaning
clever

At Ohio University we had our own hidden message for our foe's at Miami.

Chanted at every game we sparred with them was the cheer, Muck Fiami!

I like the effort Scremdreams.

Thanks!!

ourselves. Eventually, what will happen is that the promoters who run these shows are going to get smart and only allow legal Herp businesses into these shows. Thats one of the problems that I see in this herp world, everybody has a business, whether its a weekend or weekday herper, their in on Monday , cause havoc and are out by Friday. Its no wonder that we are treated the way we are. Reptile people are looked at , as the scum of the earth, low lifes who are in the peddling trade for the fast buck. The people who run these shows allow anyone who has a business name, the money to pay for the booth, and possibly a state permit, to get in the show. These people dont give a dam about the legal good people in the herp trade, they just want the fast weekend buck, and silently fold their tents after the show and move on.

I hope the day will come when only legal corporations can exhibit, sell, at these shows. They would have alot to loose if they started playing games with animals that were protected .Their permits would be revoked as permits are a privledge and can be taken away. I realize you may think this is extreme, but its coming, and it is the only way to police oneselve. It would add some legitimacy, to the trade, and Fish and Wildlife would know who is in the business of selling herps and who are looking for an easy kill without any reservations for the legit dealer. JERRY TRESSER

This was NOT a "bad guy" sting!!! Yes, some of the "fly-by-nighters" got hit but so did some other people. Do you realize what they're trying to do here??? It's not to save native species...it's to shut down the hobby. A certificate of health for every single animal - every single animal microchipped - out of state. Please take a minute - scroll down the herp law forums at our 2 favorite sites, quickly look at the subject matter. It's horrible!! So you mean to tell me, you're all for this??? So the guy that has a small collection that takes great pride in captive breeding a few choice low-high end animals "on the weekends" should have to drown with the bad guys??? Yes, I hate JUNK dealers, I see them often - on the net - everywhere!! You know what?? They exists in every market place. Every one. Do you actually think that Mark S. Bell and BHB Ent will spend the money to have every one of their animals "vet certified" just so they can sell to Ohio, PA, or who knows where next?? This is not a local issue, it's nationwide, they are only starting this thing, and their only mission is to bury the industry. What happens if Kev gets hit?? What about RDR?? Pro-Exotics??? I'm serious when I'm telling everyone this is for real this time. The want it over PERIOD. I don't care how big your corporation is, if we don't make our voices heard we're through. FLA just passed some BS, PA did the same. Bottom line, is we are letting the uneducated, scared little suits, right are laws and regs. We sit back with are Corns & Kings and are Gecko's thinking everything is alright. Guess what?? Its not. I can almost promise you within 10 years there will be no shipping of live harmless reptiles, no state to state sales, the hobby will downward spiral unless we all make some noise!!

PIJAC!!!!!!!!

I'll be dropping some big names soon, then maybe our eyes will open.

Knobtail, please don't take this as an attack on you or the points made. I see what you are saying, and I agree with alot of what you said, but it's much bigger than that. It's not going to help the industry at all. Yes, we should clean up other people's act in the hobby (BOI is great for that) but we can't let this one go.

OK, correct me if I'm wrong here but wouldn't these morons be doing more harm than good by releasing the confiscated animals bask into the wild? CB and even LTC snakes could pose a serious health risk to wild snakes. What about bacteria or anything else that could threaten wild snakes that have never been exposed to something new? Also, wouldn't CB snakes not have the same immune systems to fight disease as the wild snakes? What about hunting? How would a CB snake released into the wild know what is edible and what is potentially lethal to eat? I always thought it was a big time NO to EVER release a CB snake into the wild unless it was immediately after hatching? How will an albino be able to survive? It will not be able to blend into the surroundings in order to hunt or to avoid predators?
To me it sounds like these asses have no clue about what they are doing.

I am all to well aware of the situation considering that I am probably the oldest one on this site to be in the herp business, Ive seen alot over the 40 years. As you pointed out, we are all looked at by the authorities the same. Whether corporate or not. I dont care if someone decides to make a hobby out of what their enjoyment is, but these shows provide an avenue for everyone to become a vendor , including deadbeats and those that are looking for some weekend wealth regardless of the consequences. The authorities know just where to go excluding smuggling, and that is a Herp show. The authorities have no choice but to lump everyone into one pot, as they do not have the expertise, nor the manpower to check every vendor out, but my gripe , and I understand yours, is that I have every right to know who my next door vendor is. As you pointed out, my investment may be substantial, and I may be very legit, but I would be caught up in the whirlwind of being lumped together with people who not only have no business being vendors, but may be dealing with illegal herps.

Alot of this could have been avoided. In this specific instance. I dont know what the future holds. Maybe you are correct, and the writing is on the wall, but maybe if we made the game and the players use the rules instead of the anarchy that exists today, we would all be the better for it. Just look at all the rip offs on the net , just to get an idea of whats going on. Just look at the complaints of the deadbeats on the BOI. Just look at the shows, and think about how many of the vendors are legal businesses. They have no obligation other than to themselves. Thats the problem, and thats what has to be cleaned up. For the good of everyone and the industry. JERRY TRESSER

they say in the news report that the confiscated reptiles will be released into the wild...
well, here in connecticut, you cannot release certain wild-caught reptiles unless you know the EXACT place of capture. for instance, last year at the nature park where i work, we had an Eastern Box Turtle dropped off at the nature center. no idea why, or who dropped it off. the nature center has permits to temporarily care for injured animals, but not permanently keep them. we have a near 500 acre premesis, and we thought that it would have a good, safe home. but when we looked up the rules, we found that we weren't allowed to release it anywhere except exactly where it was picked up.
we put up notices at the park and in the paper, asking whoever dropped the turtle off to just call us and tell us where it was found, but to no avail. we finally had to send it to a rehab center, where the poor guy will live out the rest of his life in captivity.

i know, long story, but i do have a point. there is a reason that law exists here, and i agree with it. what happens if certain reptiles they're releasing into the wild have diseases or infections? (NO OFFENSE, DEALERS!!!) i know the chances are relatively small, but still..
also, they talk about putting them back in their rightful habitat, and how they have niches to fill... WHAT ABOUT THE CB HERPS??? they have never been wild, and in many cases neither have their parents. what place do they fill in the ecosystem, do tell?

look, it's perfectly fine that they're catching people who have endangered or protected species. but putting captive snakes into the wild (particularly albinos and other uncommon morphs) is practically signing their death warrants. OR, putting even normal black rat snakes (even wild caughts) back into the wild into an already established colony is still going to mess things up.


but all that is, as always, only my opinion on things. i'll shut up now.

that anything that is confiscated will not be let go into the wilds of Ct. or any other state. The authorities have ways of protecting their own enviornment, and either the herps will end up in some zoo or institution is a more likely scenerio than being let loose in the wilds of Ohio. JERRY TRESSER

"What we've seized will be put back in the wild in their (rightful) habitat. There's a niche those reptiles fill," Reda said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...o_wews/1677951