Nice collection! You're lucky to have a couple of the most coveted spiders. No Missulena sp. in your collection yet though, huh? Any plans of obtaining one? It would sure round it out nicely.Originally posted by Crotalus
I have kept Atrax robustus and it was CB in Germany. A friend of mine obtained two Phoneutria, incl. one fera from a local store (the spiders came along with a fruitshipment) - pictures on my website on the fera and on my Atrax.
I dont see a problem in keeping those potential dangerous species, as long as you know what you doing.
In SA smugglers often just collect animals from a country which bans smuggling, and take across the border to a neiboring country that doesn't have a ban and claim it was locally collected. This is not as easy to do in Australia, an "island continent" with more money to spend on enforcement. Also, the Aussie government is also more likley to make an international stink about this than the more impovershed nations of SA. Recently, Autralia was after the USFWS to go after private US keepers of Australian varanids (monitor lizards) as "smuggled", even though the much of the breeding stock originated in legally obtained animals in European zoos. The Aussies claimed that the permits only applied to the original animals exported and that all offspring of said animals remained the "property of Australia"! I suspect that the only reason the USFWS didn't comply was lack of funds.Originally posted by Crotalus
Perhaps, but what the difference between Atrax and other smuggled species for ex blondi and irminia? They too comes (and still do) from smuggled specimens.
They would if they could. I keep a few Australian herps myself, and although they're captrive bred, I would be surprised if somewhere down the line they didn't come from smuggled stock. Since at least some animals came here through legal channels, I can't say for sure.Originally posted by Crotalus
I dont think so either. However, there are more aussie species (reptiles etc) out there openly so i doubt the aussie aothorities will crack down on anyone who keep them.
In the US there are no frequent imports from Australia, Mexico or other countries that ban animal exports, at least not openly. We simply can't get them legally, unless it's through multi-generational captive breeding programs. As you say, many Australian herps are already well established in the trade, but that is not the case with invertebrates (here, anyway). If someone in the US started openly advertising that they had A. robustus for sale, I wouldn't be surprised if the USFWS were kicking down there door in no time. Part of that has to do with noteriety, the Sydney funnel web is a famous spider, and anyone selling it is going to attract attention. There's probaly many other Australian species that the authorties wouldn't even notice if they came on the market.Originally posted by Crotalus
Sure, many countries have those laws. Still there are a frequent imports available from those countries. I do not condone smuggling for profit though. But if someone takes a few spiders with them on holiday, i really dont care.