Ploughshare article

[dmmj]

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/23/120123fa_fact_finnegan

 

[jkingler]

An interesting perspective that I tend to agree with on most fronts. I wonder if they will make the trade legal and what impact it would have if they did.

 

[dmmj]

Some may disagree with this but personally I would like to see some type of farm raising going on with all endangered species, more tortoises out there means lower prices and less black market ones.

 

[tortoises101]

Some may disagree with this but personally I would like to see some type of farm raising going on with all endangered species, more tortoises out there means lower prices and less black market ones.

I agree 100%. Farm raised animals will reduce the pressure on wild animals and will allow potential for re-wilding programs, keeping in mind that the wild habitat is protected.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Some may disagree with this but personally I would like to see some type of farm raising going on with all endangered species, more tortoises out there means lower prices and less black market ones.

I agree 100%. Farm raised animals will reduce the pressure on wild animals and will allow potential for re-wilding programs, keeping in mind that the wild habitat is protected.

Ditto.

I think a lot of herpers more or less agree. More captive breeding projects = less wild collection. There is always a few things that get in the way of this idea:

#1) Perceived short-term return of breeding efforts - This mainly refers to currently legal, common mainstream species like savannah monitors, russian tortoises, house snakes, armadillo lizards, water dragons, etc. With the exception of specialized niche markets, most people do not want to put forth the effort of breeding these species when they can easily still import them and get them dirt cheap. Unless it's some weird morph or mutation, we're not going to see a lot of those species being bred in captivity in large numbers.

#2) Some species, try as we might, just do not acclimate well enough in captivity to breed in it. Look at Boelen's pythons. The industry isn't really any closer to unlocking their breeding secrets then it was decades ago. Sometimes it's rather out of our control, related to barometric pressure drops, and rainstorms, etc. Nothing we can do about stuff like that.

#3) The topic at hand: Protected and endangered species - A lot of the points have been made already. Its another clear indicator of the common discord between the zoological community and the private sector. So much red-tape and paperwork involving breeding projects, whereas a few dedicated hobbyists can make a lot of headway. Look at the Crested Gecko. It was thought to be extinct until 1994, but the cute little guys started getting popular, and by golly, it turns out they breed like rabbits. Now, they're staple at nearly every reptile expo.

I was talking the other day with someone about herp vets. It's kind of the same situation. Yeah, the vet can be qualified in reptile medicine and stuff, but there's a whole lot of acquired knowledge that they miss if they are not a true "reptile keeper." Tom hit on it in another thread about mxing species. Its one thing to have books smarts and "official studies" but firsthand experience is not something to be discounted at all. That's why zoos and private breeders really need to put their pride and differences aside and figure out how to work together. Then they can really make some stuff happen.

 

[Nay]

Someone brought this article in for me. Happy there are some zealots that will do anything to help them.Especially some with funds!
Sad..that we as a species ruin everything.
I wonder how many folks here have Plougshares?
Nay