A.A.N.N.A Amphibian Alliance Network of N. America

Well it looks like Amphibians are the next thing going to be regulated. Below and attached is a letter I was asked to post so here it is:

A.A.N.N.A
Amphibian Alliance Network of N. America

Proudly provides a united voice to amphibian breeders & keepers. Contributing in the security of our hobby, its members and our future.

This is a non-profit that has been organized of breeders, hobbyists and the average people joining together to voice our opinions to be able to keep the animals we love to have.

Did you know?:
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are preparing to propose adding all traded live amphibians and their eggs to the list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act?


Bottom line if this is to become true:
An importer couldn't bring in frogs
A breeder couldn't get new bloodlines
A hobbyist couldn't buy,sell,trade,breed amphibians
No person would be allowed to trade, ship or cross states lines with amphibians w/o a proper permit for each Amphibian

For example: If your family is moving out of State and your son/daughter has a fire belly toad, you are breaking the law when you cross a state line.


-AND-

If you are found with amphibians and not the proper permit, you will be breaking the law. Permits could be issued for Scientific, Medical, Educational or Zoological purposes. THIS DOES NOT LIST THE COMMON HOBBYISTS OR BREEDERS.

FWS has proposed a ban on several boa and pythons, with the aid of certain societies, their goal is to block ownership/trade of exotic animals. Reptiles & Amphibians are, sadly, one that may be upcoming on the list.

Their reasoning:
The accusations and reasons they are using are pointed toward a Chytrid Fungus which affects amphibians. Through many decades (dating back to the 1930’s), this Fungus has been spread by wildlife and by man. The Fungus has a treatment in the hobby but not in the wild as of yet. Because Chytrid is in the wild and not controlled by man, except for deforestation and pollution, conservationists feel it necessary to eliminate any hope that the species may exist on this planet, even if it is only in the hobby, by restricting the breeding,selling,trading and importation of amphibians.

At this time, there are species that exist only in the hobby and not in the wild because of hobbyists and breeders. Without hobbyists and breeders, deforestation by the human species will eventually deplete amphibian wildlife on this planet, not just the Chytrid fungus.

If this becomes true, you may need to purchase a permit to own an amphibian! What’s next? A permit to own a fish? This is the direction it is going!


This is the time to organize and prepare for the future of possibilities to come. We are creating a website WWW.AANNASOCIETY.ORG to allow people to voice their opinions and be ONE UNITED STRONG ENTITY to voice and show how detrimental this Act would be if it came about. When the time is right, every and all opinions would be sent and hopefully our voices will be heard and stop a possible sadness.

We are not looking for any donations of any kind, no information given will be passed out or given to anyone. All we ask is that people will stand up and petition with us and show them our love for our animals.

Stand up and be heard and do not allow them to take away another one of earth’s creatures, do not allow them to take away the rights from breeders, hobbyists and the average people to keep these amphibians in our lives.

If this Act toward amphibians is initiated, we will have a letter stating we oppose any Act against our amphibians with an area for your information AND TO WRITE YOUR OWN OPINION or you may write your own letter, if you are not comfortable with us sending it in for you.

This is such an astronomical event that may occur, if you are not given the chance to fight it, you will only feel the repercussions of it, hence the sadness.

We feel so strongly about this, that we will even pay the postage for you to send it in, when the time is right. We need to prepare for the future and what may be and the time to organize this is now.

This only takes a minute out of your life to state how you love your animals and would like to keep them and not have prohibitions on them. This is their life and existence we are talking about. We have to be the voice for the little things that cannot speak for themselves.

We would like to thank everyone, in advance, for their support and hope you will voice your opinion with us when the time is right.

Everyone from breeders, hobbyists, pet store owners, science and all teachers, importers, exporters, and the average person living an average life with their families and pets need to come together and express our love for our animals!

Thank you again.


You are encouraged to put your own opinions and comments in the area below or write your own letters when they do propose this.


To Whom It May Concern:

I oppose any bill or legislation to be passed on banning any importation, exportation or any Lacey Act on amphibians in transit.

It would be unwise and contradicting to support the theory that the pet trade/breeder/hobbyists are responsible for the chytrid fungus/contamination in the wild.

I feel that in order for these animals to exist and to survive, they must be bred in captivity not just to supply the pet industry but for research studies as well that maybe the breeder/hobbyist could actually help maintain significant populations.

For example, if the chytrid fungus is actually wiping out all the amphibians in the wild then their existence would be no more. Certain amphibians carry medical properties that we have yet to research and it would be unwise to not allow people to work with them and breed them.

I feel as though this is just another step for people who do not believe we should have animals in our home.

Name:_____________________________________________ ____________

Address:__________________________________________ ____________

City:_____________________________________________ ____________

State:____________________________________________ ____________

Phone#:___________________________________________ ____________

E-mail:_____________________________________________ __________


Additional Comments:

Thank you DAND for posting this


I dont think it will get as much support as the python ban but any support helps.

I'm going to print out some copies to pass out at the show this weekend.

African species like the Ball python will be next....

You don't have to believe it, but it's coming. They will use the possibility of ticks and heartwater. Once all imports are done they will move to natives. Cornsnakes aren't even safe.

Originally Posted by porkchop48

Thank you DAND for posting this


I dont think it will get as much support as the python ban but any support helps.

I'm going to print out some copies to pass out at the show this weekend.

Cool deal Kristy, it'll save me from having to do it and you being the frog chick it would make sense for you to have it on your table versus the cricket guy having it. Just you wait until they start to try and restrict my crickets by God. Then look out, they'll suffer the wrath of DAND!!!!!!

While I agree that the Feds seem to be really pushing anti-pet legislation lately, defending the hobby by saying our captive animals can "save" a species is stretching it. MANY scientific papers indicate that captive animals rarely survive in the wild upon release, or even translocation by as little as a few miles. Amphibians and reptiles are so specifically adapted to local environments that a timber rattlesnake from only 10 miles away can have a completely unique venom cocktail from a timber rattlesnake in your backyard. Reintroduction/translocations rarely, if ever, work.

Please become informed before you use the "conservation" aspect of captively owned animals. This really doesn't fly far in the face of documented scientific proof that such captive animals may have little value in actually "saving" any wild species, especially considering our captive populations OFTEN were initiated through illegal field collecting.

Originally Posted by DAND

Just you wait until they start to try and restrict my crickets by God. Then look out, they'll suffer the wrath of DAND!!!!!!

They already are by going after the people you produce them for. Sneaky s they are.

Originally Posted by snowgyre

Please become informed before you use the "conservation" aspect of captively owned animals. This really doesn't fly far in the face of documented scientific proof that such captive animals may have little value in actually "saving" any wild species, especially considering our captive populations OFTEN were initiated through illegal field collecting.

When the only place an animal still exists in is captivity it is at least saved from extinction.

Is it perfect? No.

Is it better than nothing? Yes.

I see a greater diversity and better set ups in the shows & people's homes than I do at the zoo.

Also - how many of the keepers of critters not on the snake ban list thought they could sacrifice us boa & python keepers to keep their preciouses safe?

We told you you'd be next. Anybody who owns an animal is.

I'll fight this the same as any herp ban, but it really sticks in my throat when I remember how many people were saying to give us up to appease them.

Originally Posted by Twizted Paths

Also - how many of the keepers of critters not on the snake ban list thought they could sacrifice us boa & python keepers to keep their preciouses safe?

We told you you'd be next. Anybody who owns an animal is.

I'll fight this the same as any herp ban, but it really sticks in my throat when I remember how many people were saying to give us up to appease them.

I really do hope the boa and python keeper help out the "frog" keepers on this one.

I know I signed everything I could and sent letters for the python ban, as well as having all the people from my office do the same.

Hopefully a few of them will return the favor

DAND - I will be printing up copies today. I was hoping you would be ok with that. I was going to send you an email this morning to make sure I was not over stepping my place

Originally Posted by porkchop48

I really do hope the boa and python keeper help out the "frog" keepers on this one.

I know I signed everything I could and sent letters for the python ban, as well as having all the people from my office do the same.

Hopefully a few of them will return the favor

Just because we vary on what we keep we should all stick together as a community versus being the frog people, or the gecko people, or the boa people, or the spider people or whatever you decide to keep as we are seeing you never know what will be next on the chopping block.

Originally Posted by porkchop48

DAND - I will be printing up copies today. I was hoping you would be ok with that. I was going to send you an email this morning to make sure I was not over stepping my place

Get in line woman!! Just kidding. That will help me out greatly as I am so behind already this week and I'd probably end up forgetting. Thanks for doing it!!

Originally Posted by Twizted Paths

Also - how many of the keepers of critters not on the snake ban list thought they could sacrifice us boa & python keepers to keep their preciouses safe?

We told you you'd be next. Anybody who owns an animal is.

I'll fight this the same as any herp ban, but it really sticks in my throat when I remember how many people were saying to give us up to appease them.

You know I love you Bell. Like a sister. -snug-

Where do we need to send these letters in to? I looked a few times and maybe I missed it but I don't see an address.