Laws against tarantulas as pets

[harwin]

Singapore Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority

For a City which is also a country I think they are more concern about the safety of the population (almost all live in high rise apartment flats therefore high density) rather than the local animal habitats. (they barely have any wild environment worth mentioning other than the ocean).

 

[wulf04]

Hawaii is also an extreme left wing anti-gun state.Yet another reason not to move there!

 

[Jeri]

The same thing holds with Guam. They brought in the Brown Tree Snake to help with the rodent problem, and the nearly annihalated the bird population. At least that's what they say. I spent 15 months there and only saw two of these snakes. Both dead. There are lots of birds there. At least there were in '94-'95.

Jeri

 

[Wade]

I believe the snakes were accidently released in Guam as stowaways in cargo. Since many planes fly from Guam to Hawaii, they seach the airports routinely for any signs of them.

What's misunderstood about this situation is that it's not that there's something magically evil about brown tree snakes, it's just that this was an island without snakes where endemic bird species have no evolved defenses against snakes in general. Birds that migrate from other islands where there are snakes wouldn't be effected. Common corn snakes, could case the same type of problem.

It makes sense to try to keep exotics off of islands, these ecosystems are extremly delicate. I have to roll my eyes when people start harping on introduced species in Florida, however. We've gone and drained the swamps, built roads, developed the hell out of the place, planted non-native plants, turned huge tracts of land into orange groves and golf courses. The idea that pet spiders pose a threat is absurd. It's a little late to close THAT barn door.

Wade

 

[ShaunHolder]

I agree 100%. I really enjoy how humans will talk about how forigen ogranisims and how they are a threat to the ecosystem, when we are destroying it every day for our convienence.

As far as bird populations dying out, I think it's good to perserve species, but its also interesting to see how other creatures will co-evolve with outside introduced species. The laws, however, aren't outrageous in the least bit.

 

[Pixie]

We are a very destructive species and IMO we are somewhat individually intelligent but if one studies us as a species, I wouldn't qualify us a very intelligent, far from it.

One of the best descriptions that I've heard of the human species was from the movie "The Matrix" where agent Smith compares us to viruses.

So by some people's definition, since we've already destructed so much for various reasons, why not destroy it all?!

Lovely point of view!

Pixie

 

[Wade]

Nope, you missed the point. Golf courses and orange groves do not count as natural areas that need to be protected from exotic pets. The idea that natural areas are in some sort of perfect balance and that any introduced species is going thow throw everything is hogwash. In most cases, the only reason these introduced species get a toe hold in the first place is that the natural predators have already been swept away. Few introduced species that become true pests (either to native species or humans) come from the pet trade. Most are either deliberately released in a misguided attempt at biological pest control (Such as Bufo murinus in Florida, Hawaii, Australia) or else accidental imports like fire ants and tiger mosquitoes. The pet trade gets singled out because it's an easy target, not because it's a real threat.

Wade

 

[Ultimate Instar]

A while ago, I posted a message in the Watering Hole asking: If you owned a private island that resembled Hawaii, what animals would you put on it? I don't know what responses were posted because the Arachnoboards crashed the next day and everything was lost. Personally, I would put chameleons, poison dart frogs and Galapagos tortoises on my "island". Hmm, sounds like a good sim game.

Karen N.

 

[AWS]

Tarantulas are illegal in New York City (legal in the rest of the state).

 

[FryLock]

Tarantulas are illegal in New York City (legal in the rest of the state).

AWS a lot of herp's where banned too in NYC :? i remember reading, were facing this kind of crap over boids in the UK right now lead by the AR D***s lobbying the govenment luckly were starting to fight back now.

 

[sansoucie]

I got my T from a pet shop here in town. They take in pets that are unwanted and give credit. Last month they got a 17" long "pet" alligator. I got my first T from my stepdaughter's ex boyfriend. An Indian Ornamental that his mother said either got given away or RELEASED OUTSIDE.

We apparently have MANY people who release "pet" animals and don't care if they live or die. I can see why SOME laws are put into effect for the protection of the animals. Other laws totally banning thheir sale/keep seems kind of excessive.IMHO.

 

[ShaunHolder]

Humans are like everything else part of natures design. We do change things while making things for ourselves, you viewing it as destroying in a negative light is just part of your human bias. Things are meant to be destroyed, and as far as natural order goes, the strongest survive, and the weak will die out. It's true that we destroy things that have been working for thousands of years, and there are things remain benificial to us.

I think the matrix comparing us to a virus was amusing, but still silly to say in the least. I think we think to highly of ourselves when we say that we have the power to destroy what whatever we want. If we went about killing off everything we wouldn't be able to survive. We do have to protect other life, not just because we want to, but because we depend on it.

On the other hand, the people that believe we should protect certain wildlife aren't wrong. One way of looking at it; if enough people feel like somethings worth protecting, then it deserves to live.

I suppose my point is this; Humans can not do something that is unnatural. We make change, and change changes us. Whats wrong and whats right is only something we as humans have invented. While inside our own limit's we do have certain responsiblities, but I think it's important not to forget how fragile we are. We wouldn't be here on this planet if we couldn't co-exist with other life. As long as we stay smart we will survive. As a race I think we have been highly successful, but we can't compare to other things that have been living here much longer.

Anyway... I dont think I'll rant any longer about my views on natural order. Instead I'll just say that theres nothing wrong with a state outlawing foriegn organisims. It only takes a few isolated instances to change an entire system. Things will always balance off, but it's understandable for them to want to keep things the way they are for as long as they can. People fear change afterall.

 

[FryLock]

I look at it this way even if every person on the planet took out time and money to keep and breed/grow just ONE species (it matters not if its animal or plant of fungus you name it) we would still lose a hell of lot species say over the next 100 years and the would be nothing anyone could do about it, at the end of the day as ShaunHolder as said its only things that MATTER to us in one way or another that get preferential treatment from us for example why is a B.smithi any more important to the world and even man kind as a whole then say one of the true spiders that gets lumped under the name of "house spider" because we like its colours of course, personly other then rare case's like small islands i think the pet gets targeted unfairly like Wade said it sounds like good pseudoscience to feed the public with about the dangers of exotic's by AR scaremongers "OMG if tho's giant (insert animal type) get lose in are country no one will be able let there kid's play outside again"