Collecting Wild Reptiles.

[Greebo]

I think bigguy summed it up best when he put into perspective the numbers of reptiles killed needlessly by people each year as well as the huge numbers killed by feral pests next to the comparitively tiny numbers taken by people to be kept alive and cared for,

I actually thought that was the major flaw in his argument. If you follow that logic then there is nothing wrong with me going to a spot I know and "collecting" a few Bell's Phase monitors (little ones of course). I promise I would look after them real good and considering the damage done to herps by all the other factors, I would really be doing them a favour when you think about it.

 

[Sdaji]

I actually thought that was the major flaw in his argument. If you follow that logic then there is nothing wrong with me going to a spot I know and "collecting" a few Bell's Phase monitors (little ones of course). I promise I would look after them real good and considering the damage done to herps by all the other factors, I would really be doing them a favour when you think about it.

I don't really see the parallel, you seem to be missing the point. He didn't say we should take as many animals from the wild as we possibly can, he has clearly been saying that the numbers needed to establish captive populations are far below the numbers which would cause harm. I think he even pointed out that while it was great the collecting was occuring in WA, it wasn't necessary for the eastern states because those populations already exist, and as I'm sure you know, Bell's phase lacies are well represented in captivity, so by his arguments there is no need to collect them. In a sense you're right though, if a few were collected and cared for, it wouldn't cause any harm, if you collected little ones it would probably just deprive a couple of kookaburras of a feed, which you could replace with a couple of pieces of steak.

 

[womas4me]

WHAT!!!!! Waste steak on a kookaburra. Get a grip man.

 

[PilbaraPythons]

Heh Greg < no i
I do apologise for the last comment. I was reallt just trying to bait you a bit to get you going. And I don't know how to insert those emotion symbols into the post. So no hard feelings. But gee I was having so much fun.

 

[RAZZA]

Big Guy... not too sure which paper you are talking about with your figures but here's one from the government on the commercial utilisation of australian native wildlife..senate

www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/rrat_ctte/wild/report/contents.htm

this covers a fair few facts...

cheers

 

[Guest]

Ok, here goes my second post in this topic... womas4me i like the way that u are trying to preserve the wildlife in a domed area from development etc and in the future i would love to make a big order to u with my wishlist, (when i get my own place). i don't like the idea however (not saying u do) of collectors going into an established area of wildlife and decimating the reptile population to make a buck.

On another note, have u ever found any pygmy pythons? . i hope a breeding thing is established 4 them.,

cheers pete

 

[westaussie]

womas4me i like the way that u are trying to preserve the wildlife in a domed area from development etc

That was me who posted that.

i don't like the idea however (not saying u do) of collectors going into an established area of wildlife and decimating the reptile population to make a buck.

Where & when has this happened ???????

Could someone please show me where all this "raping & pilaging" is happening! I am yet to see any evidence of this & I am actually out there to see for myself, Maybe I am blind.

I could use the same argument that I HATE the idea of eastern states keepers who cook & eat thier pet reptiles. It is true that I hate this idea even though I have no proof that it has ever happened.

Can anyone show me some facts rather than emotive thoughts hatched from distorted imaginations.

Please ?

 

[womas4me]

Lib, this area here in the pilbara is not widely developed. Not a great deal of it has even had white man walk on it. From experience that i have gained through actually being in the field, the pilbara has a massive reptile density. I could go out and find 200 stimsons and not make a significant impact on the numbers any regular herper would see. I DO NOT ' rape and pillage ' any set area, but rather i move around a great deal so that the impact i have is not centred on any one location. Alot of people dont seem to grasp that we are not just doing this for a buck, we are reptile enthusiests ourselves and if this money we make was to provide us with a living then we would be poor men indeed. If i didn't have a love of reptiles why would i spend so much money doing this for such little return, and believe me it is not alot of money if taken in perspective. If all you can see is the end $$$ then you have no grasp of the real picture. Oh, and if you ask you will probably find that we do have reptiles of our own that we are keeping to breed from in the future.

 

[hey_im_sam]

Perhaps he was referring to the fact that it does happen with 'poachers', and the term 'collectors' was used loosely? Saw a great (and sad) doco on the broad-headed snake a month or two ago, and i know that a fair few members on this forum have stories regarding a favourite "secret" spot becoming known to a few other individuals, only to return to find every rock overturned, and not 10% of the herps that were there before. I'm not saying this against any of you licensed collectors, but I understand how it would be too easy to make a comparison.

 

[Guest]

Sorry if i offended, thought what sam said is what i was thinking, thanks 4 clearing it up.

 

[hey_im_sam]

For the record, and to re-enforce a previous post of mine, I think you three have made some great posts, good logical, rational discussion, and although some people don't seem to think so there has been a lot to be learned from this thread. The laws surrounding it, the small number of licenses, the watch CALM seems to keep on you...; all seem to be doing their best to keep things under control. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from any of you because of what I've heard here, and I came in sceptical.

Side-note 2a; Any ideas when perthensis and pilbarensis might be on the lists?

 

[womas4me]

Sam, no idea when the list will change. CALM are resisting change ATM as they believe there is enough different species available. I think they should drop a few species that no one wants off and put some others on.
By pilbarensis are you referring to the monitor?

 

[westaussie]

Womas,

there is a herp committee meeting at c.a.l.m head office on the 11th of this month and extending the species list is high on our agenda. C.a.l.m have been quite positive about adding to the list and I have already submitted a list of possible species additions, and yes, perthensis is one of the animals that I have suggested.

 

[womas4me]

Best of luck then. I was talking to them last week about it and Adrian said it was highly unlikely things would change just yet. I hope you guys are successful with it.

 

[Simon_Archibald]

Westaussie,
Please, whatever you do, make ABSOLUTELY SURE that Varanus pilbarensis is added to the list. While I know you don't have the power to do this, MAKE IT HAPPEN ANYWAY

Simon Archibald

 

[westaussie]

No worries Simon,

V pilbarensis is a natural addition and one I have already suggested.

 

[hugsta]

Are you guys able to post a list of what species you are allowed to collect. I would be interested in knowing what CALM let you get from the wild and will also let ppl know what animals will eventually be up for sale.

By the way I found this a to be quite an interesting debate and certainly learnt a couple of things.

Thanks
Daz

 

[womas4me]

The list is available on CALM's website. It can be looked up there.

www.calm.wa.gov.au/plants_animals/reptiles/index.html

 

[hugsta]

Thanks.