Looking at ad 669-401on the Herp Trader I knew even before I searched the schedules that WA Lined-Tailed Pygmy Goanna (Varanus Caudolinetus) could not be kept here.
** Rant ON **
The department in Victoria has got lots of things right... like the sensible way they handle inport an export permits but when it comes to the schedules the maintenance of these the laws are definitely Victorian by nature
Anything that is fairly new to captive husbandry is just not on the schedules because only they were not kept at the time when the schedules were defined.
I am not blaming the department for this but the legislation ... and alas there are no votes in of correcting the anomalies so they are pretty much doomed to stay this way unless we can elect a herper to state government.
It is frustrating to say the least that many species, with straight forward husbandry requirements, can be kept in most states apart from Victoria (and to be fair Queensland, Tasmania and WA).
The species missing from the Victoria schedules that interest me include RSP's, leaf tailed geckos and a number of the monitor species.
Perhaps if this reptile expo can get enough popular press publicity we can start to raise some awareness which would be a good first step.
** Rant OFF **
