GBR Press: Attenborough sparks reptiles (& newts) sales boom

[wes_von_papineäu]

METRO (London, UK) 19 February 08 Attenborough sparks reptiles sales boom
Lizards are becoming more popular Sir David Attenborough has sparked a boom in sales of lizards, frogs and other reptiles thanks to his latest TV series.
Demand for amphibians and all things scaly has doubled in the wake of the naturalist's BBC1 show Life In Cold Blood which began last month.
Buyers are shunning cats, dogs and rabbits in favour of iguanas, skinks and newts after seeing them close up on television, according to a major pet store.
A spokesman for the nationwide chain said: 'A programme like Life In Cold Blood really ignites public interest as it shows a different side to reptiles and amphibians and helps us feel we can connect with these animals.
'Reptiles really can make fantastic pets, as they are quiet, fascinating to look at and relatively easy to look after and maintain.
'But be warned, they can live for over a decade.'
Stocks of pythons and boas have already been replenished in preparation for next week when 81-year-old Sir David looks at the life of snakes.
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=100394&in_page_id=34&ito=newsnow

Paperboy Comment: Please stand-by for the inevitable demand for homes for herps as the novelty of these 'impulse' purchases wear off and the owners seek to unload them or release them into the wild - we saw a similar thing happen when '101 Dalmations' hit the screen.

 

[Kaysie]

Kind of along this line, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is attempting to ban all importation and interstate trade/sale/movement of all 'dangerous wildlife' including boas and pythons.

Federal Register: January 31, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 21)] [Proposed Rules] [Page 5784-5785] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr31ja08-29] DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 16 [FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015; 94410-1342-0000-N3] RIN 1018AV68 Injurious Wildlife Species; Review of Information Concerning Constrictor Snakes From Python, Boa, and Eunectes genera AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of inquiry. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or We), are reviewing available biological and economic information on constrictor snakes in the Python, Boa and Eunectes genera for possible addition to the list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act. The importation and introduction of constrictor snakes into the natural ecosystems of the United States may pose a threat to the interests of agriculture, horticulture, forestry; to the health and welfare of human beings; and to the welfare and survival of wildlife and wildlife resources in the United States. An injurious wildlife listing would prohibit the importation into, or transportation between, States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States by any means, without a permit. Permits may be issued for scientific, medical, educational, or zoological purposes. This document seeks comments from the public to aid in determining if a proposed rule is warranted. DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before April 30, 2008.



ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AV68, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. Instructions: We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section below for more information).

 

[lims]

I remember the teenage mutant ninja turtle mess, terepins everywhere, people just let them go in ponds

 

[marco]

'Reptiles really can make fantastic pets, as they are quiet, fascinating to look at and relatively easy to look after and maintain.

who ever said that is an ignorant sob... its quotes like that that are responsible for the epedemic in the USA with burms, people like him are responsible for all ther horrible ways that reptiles suffer in captivity, i work at an exotic pet store and we see it all the time, people coming in with cute cuddly little burms and boscs and they dont know jack about there temperments, poses to health and size ect and then people like this guy say that... its an out rage... all i can see from this is that were going to have a few more numb skulls who didnt reasearch there black throat monitor care properly and are now bribing us with a free 4 foot long snappy git, not meaning to offend all the responsible keepers out there but there really is some people out there who are just so iresponsible and dont have a clue....

 

[Kaysie]

Marco, I find it hard to believe that you can honestly think that reptiles suffer in captivity only because of people watching a movie.

Reptiles and amphibians make fantastic pets. They are relatively easy to care for, interesting, somewhat 'friendly', and great conversation starters. This isn't an 'ignorant' statement.

There are definitely people who will get animals and do not know how to care for them; that's true. But not everyone who gets a pet will not research it. The tone of your post smacks more of ignorance than saying 'reptiles make good pets'.

 

[marco]

like i said im not talking about all reptile keepers, and i dont mean all reptile keepers, but from the view of some one who time and time again has to explain to people that no we cant take in huge bosks monitors just because the store they bought it from didnt tell them how big they get, angry 8 foot burms and explaning to people that there bearded dragon has a lobsided jaw because its diet is devoid of nutrients just gets a little iritating at times, and then people saying that reptiles are easy to keep... kept the right way no animal is easy to keep, though you probabaly keep them so well you think its easy because you know what your doing.

then again there are people who spend an hour asking me all sorts of questions about the husbandry of a specific animal and its requirements, and when i say they will need a vitamin supplement they do purchase it, so i do not deny that there are lots of people out there who look after there animals well, but i cant help but the see the darker side to what that guy has said when we get the occasional keeper who comes in with say.. tortoises with over sized jaws and shells so small the animal cant withdraw into them because the owner fed them a lettuce only diet. then theres the false water cobra that with plenty of time and patience we managed to tame into a lovely snake with one of the best temperments we've ever seen, only for it to be bought and brought back two weeks later because un-surprisngly the owner atempted to entice the animal to 'hood up'.

i could go on with a mile long list about occurences were we've had to nurse mis treated animals through improper husbandry conditions, but im pretty sure you get the idea and have knowledge of it yourself. what im saying is that on the whole, the public is quite limited in the knowledge of reptile and amphibian husbandry, i mean... we've only been at it about a century... people have been keeping fish for thousands of years and there only just getting to a stage were they've perfected the husbandry methods. so when this guy says there easy to keep, its a gross understatement, there alot of factors that, though routine to existing hobbyists, may simply be over looked by other people for example... oh boo hoo the newt will do fine with out de-chlorinator, its just a load of rubbish that they try to get you to buy at 5$/£. they dont need filters see the water is still clear, just change it when it gets cloudy.

re-phrased as 'though a rewarding group of animals to keep, there requirements are much more specialised and take a little more attention than your average stick insect.' would be a much better and honest way of depicting there management in captivity.

sorry for rambling and i really am not trying to say anyone here doesnt look after there animals, i just worry that in the future ill be seeing more and more people coming in saying there cute little baby lizard/snake grew into soemthing they werent quite expecting.

P.S i never sell an animal without telling them how big it will get and the specific basic husbandry requirements and equipment needed for the animal.

P.P.S sorry for the ramble

 

[John]

We've been hitting record access numbers for the past few weeks. We've also had a large boost to our UK following. I think 'Life in Cold Blood' is probably the cause. Thank you, Sir David (and Mark Aartse-Tuyn ).