A couple months ago I bought a male northern spider tortoise with plans of getting more soon. But I've been hearing about spider tortoises being put on the endangered species act and it might become illegal to sell them or ship them over state lines. Can anyone shed light or voice an opinion? I'm freaking out
Spider tortoises under the ESA
- Thread starter fitz12
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They will be looking over everything soon, I hear. Still don't know if they will actually be listed or not.
Nothing to be scared of though. They are being bred readily, so it won't be difficult to obtain a CBW Permit to keep, sell, trade them.
Nothing to be scared of though. They are being bred readily, so it won't be difficult to obtain a CBW Permit to keep, sell, trade them.
Yeah Anthony summed it up pretty well. To all they review species as a whole annually. It may get brought up this fall and voted on. But it's not like it would be instated immediately. Will take a long legal process. Basically they have to amend the ESA and that takes a process.
I think it's funny that they have Pyxis on their radar, but not so many other species, like some of the unlisted Cuora or platynota, for example.
Agreed. Still to this day too Kleinmanni has never been brought up to be put on there. They're almost extinct In all of their range. Yeah cuora for sure too.
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The thing about the ESA that pisses me and many other reptile enthusiasts off so much is that they are doing NOTHING to preserve the species they add to the list. It was created to protect native species. While the US FWS concerns it self with so called protecting species abroad, they sit back and allow native plants and animals to be wiped out. They allow the great citizens of this country to rape the native lands that they should be protecting to keep NATIVE species from becoming extint. They have NO BUSINESS sticking their noses in places they have no intent on protecting. Will the US FWS really help protect the Pyxis species and their native land and habitat? Hell no! It is crap! Adding non-native animals to the list actually worsens things for the captive animal populations. It does nothing to "protect" them!
A government agency that does nothing? I am shocked sir, shocked I say. I would think captive breeding programs would lessen t he need to collect from wild populations.
I wonder how many Pyxis are being smuggled into the US at this time. Isn't that what this law would prevent? Has anyone seen any animals in this genus that looked smuggled lately?
Not recently. I have seen plenty of "founder groups" offered recently to me. Those are obviously LTC but you never know when they were imported. Could of been smuggled. No way of knowing. I'd bet for sure some are still smuggled. Canada and Mexico is pretty easy to get into with some tiny tortoises or anything really.
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You mean the tortoise itself, or the nature of the opportunity to acquire it from a shady person? Yeah, they are trickling in here and there, as are the Egyptians that someone else brought up.
No matter how hard I try to think regarding this subject, I am really on both sides of it. I wonder if they really will be listed, though.
They will be.
It feels that way.. So interesting.
I'll be the first one amending my CBW, I can tell you that!
Typically when species goes under review they always add them. Good luck on the CBW. Mike carpenter retired so the new guy is a bit more strict, and very anal about approving the permits.
Turtlepete
Well-Known Member
The review hasn't been concluded yet, right? I thought I read that it was til September that they would be reviewing information, etc....I guess since it's under their radar, it's unlikely it will get off of it.
Yeah it's not concluded yet. But if it's brought up especially a very endangered genus like Pyxis they will be placed on it.
This is why I got my CBW in the first place. Just in case the new guy got very strict, which he is, then I would already have the permit.
Right now, my permit is for Astrochelys radiata, Geoclemys hamiltonii, and Podocnemis unifilis. The funny thing is, I don't want to keep any of those species, in particular. Now, I'm really hoping that it really helps me get the amendment when I need it, like for this. And hopefully having a group of arachnoides and planicauda, luck willing, will help get the amendment as well. Here's hoping :-/
Right now, my permit is for Astrochelys radiata, Geoclemys hamiltonii, and Podocnemis unifilis. The funny thing is, I don't want to keep any of those species, in particular. Now, I'm really hoping that it really helps me get the amendment when I need it, like for this. And hopefully having a group of arachnoides and planicauda, luck willing, will help get the amendment as well. Here's hoping :-/
Turtlepete
Well-Known Member
So whats your stance on it? Good? Bad? Little bit of both?
I shouldn't have lied.. I'd love to keep radiata, but they're not a priority for me, since they take so long to mature. They sure would be fun to work with though.
