Where do they come from

[longqi]

In Timor there is a python very similar to the Oenpelli
I have seen them but only in the wild

 

[Pythoninfinite]

What I meant is that in the NT snake relocators are permitted to sell ANY reptile they are asked to move

A large number of BHPs and some other beautiful specimens end up on the open market just because they are pretty

YES I totally agree that except for that aspect Australia is way ahead of most other countries

Protect your animals while you can
When its too late .....it is too late
..
.

I agree with some of the sentiments you express longqi, but I do have a huge problem with the notion of 'protection' you say is a great part of the bureaucratic structure here in Oz. Now I'm not supporting uncontrolled collecting for a moment - let's get that out of the way right now - but the notion of conserving a species has much more to do with habitat management than it does with the removal of a few voucher specimens from the wild. Habitat destruction and change will always be the biggest single cause of species decline, especially for cryptic, secretive animals like reptiles. In most cases, the ones you see will be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of overall population.

It may be a different story in Indonesia, where labour (collecting) costs are probably lower, but destruction of habitat is a massive problem in that country as well - activities such as logging/burning and planting oil palms over millions of hectares will do far more damage to reptile populations than a few collectors going into the forest with a couple of pillowcases. Hell, they can't even save the last few remaining Orang Utans in that part of the world.

Christmas Island is a currently interesting story - looks pristine when you're there, or flying over it, but introduced ants, an introduced giant centipede and an introduced snake have wrought massive changes to the island fauna - so much so that a gecko and a skink species only hope of survival is to be taken into captivity and bred in whatever numbers they can achieve with the reduced genetic strength the remaining populations of 50 animals will allow. I was speaking to the project coordinator the other day, and it seems the movement of the introduced predators across the island had been tracked for some time until the last remaining wild population of the native reptiles was located in one tiny corner of the island, and thus on the verge of total extinction.

Armed with the knowledge that the species were vulnerable to the influence of these pests, wouldn't it have been better to be more proactive, and act far sooner to ensure the establishment of genetically diverse populations, than wait until the last minute? This scenario is being repeated across mainland Australia time & time again, and for many species it will be a case of too little too late.

Jamie.

 

[longqi]

Oh yes
Be proactive
But under strict guidelines

Even though private breeders are usually much more successful than zoos there would need to be strong guidelines for say the Oenpellis if they decided to breed them

They are such a lovely python that morphing would be an immediate temptation

Guam has the same problem with a tree snake as Xmas Is

 

[Wallypod]

Where is the demand and where is the action demanded? Here on APS? Have you (and thousand others) written to the TN government and the Feds explaining your "need" for Oenpelli pythons? Have you got the skills and facilities in your Redlands and northside to keep and breed this unique species? It's easy to post one-liners here, try to do something real for the cause.

just asking chill