Snake poacher busted!!!

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M.J.FRANETOVICH
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Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by M.J.FRANETOVICH »

Good job Arizona Game and Fish!!!!

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Snak ... 28241.html


Snake smuggler busted and slapped with probation

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by Christine LaCroix
Bio | Email | Follow: @CLaCroix3TV
azfamily.com
Posted on October 11, 2012 at 9:41 PM
Updated yesterday at 10:00 PM
PHOENIX -- David Langella had been traveling to Arizona for three years to poach endangered wildlife, transport the animals across state lines, and sell them in Alabama.
“There’s definitely a huge back market out there for this kind of thing,” said Daniel Marchand, curator of the Phoenix Herpetological society.
Langella, 43, was sentenced in federal court Tuesday for violating Arizona and Alabama laws, as well as the federal Lacey Act, which prohibits the illegal transportation and selling of wildlife.
According to Marchand, Arizona is a tempting spot for poachers, who can make big money selling desert animals.
“People will try to come out to our desert and poach our wildlife,” said Marchand.
Langella was convicted of transporting and selling Gila Monsters, a venomous state-protected lizard.
“There’s people that want these things. People willing to pay very high dollar for these things,” said Marchand. ”You can get hundreds of dollars for these guys on the black market.”
Langella is also convicted for dealing in the federally-protected ridge-nosed rattlesnake.
“For a pair of these, you’d get about $5,000,” said Marchand.
Marchand said there are several reasons these types of animals are so popular in the illegal market.
“It’s the idea that these animals are rare, that they are protected, so I’m not supposed to have them, that sort of thinking,” he said.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Blackburn in Birmingham, Alabama sentenced Langella to three years probation for violating the Lacey Act. She also ordered Langella to spent the first four months of his probation under home confinement.
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ThamnElegans24
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ThamnElegans24 »

Sounds like he got off easy. He should be kicked in the junk once a day, every day, for three years. :lol:
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

ThamnElegans24 wrote:Sounds like he got off easy. He should be kicked in the junk once a day, every day, for three years. :lol:

What, no fine?

PS: Thanks for the post.... ;)
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soulsurvivor
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by soulsurvivor »

Probation?? Gee, I'm sure he'll never do THAT again! I'm betting dollar signs are a little more important to this guy than having to stay home and watch Maury.
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

I dont know...have you ever watched Maury!?! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

Here is more ....

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2011/7/27/2 ... deral.aspx

Scottsboro, Ala. Man Facing Federal Wildlife Charges
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
A Scottsboro, Ala. man was indicted Tuesday for the illegal possession, transportation and sale of protected reptiles in violation of the Lacey Act, announced Ignacia S. Moreno Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department' s Environmental & Natural Resources Division and Joyce White Vance, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.

David Langella, 43, a resident of Scottsboro, traveled to Arizona for the past six years to hunt and capture Arizona state protected reptiles. According to the felony and misdemeanor charges filed in federal court, Langella conspired with others to violate the Lacey Act, as well as Arizona and Alabama state laws. Langella transported some of the illegally captured reptiles back to Scottsboro for his own collection and some were distributed to others. In addition, Langella provided guiding services to others for the capture of Arizona protected reptiles.


According to the indictment filed in federal court:

In 2009, Langella traveled to Arizona where he provided guiding services to others for the capture of Gila monsters and Ridge nosed rattle snakes. Arizona state law prohibits the hunting and capture of both reptiles.

In 2009, Langella facilitated the transportation of non-indigenous poisonous reptiles into and out of Alabama in violation of Alabama law.

In 2009, Langella attempted to obstruct law enforcement officials in Alabama by concealing illegally obtained reptiles.

In 2006, Langella shipped illegally captured protected reptiles to Alabama using false shipping labels.

In 2008, Langella captures protected reptiles in Arizona and transported them back to Alabama in violation of Arizona and Alabama state laws.

The Lacey Act is a federal wildlife law which makes it unlawful to transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase wildlife which was taken, transported, possessed or sold in violation of state, federal or Indian tribal laws or regulations.

The investigation was conducted by agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, Special Operations Unit. The case is being prosecuted by the Office of U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance White, Northern District of Alabama, in conjunction with the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division.
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frodaman
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by frodaman »

And this is why we don't talk about specific locales openly on the forum! Glad the guy is locked up for a while.
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Brandon La Forest
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Brandon La Forest »

LOL there is some hypocrisy here.....
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

Brandon

What is the hypocrisy sir?

Dave
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Mike Waters
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Mike Waters »

Brandon La Forest wrote:LOL there is some hypocrisy here.....
:lol:
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Mike Waters
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Mike Waters »

Biker Dave wrote:Brandon

What is the hypocrisy sir?

Dave
Do the math
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

Sorry Mike but I am of little patience of late... please explain.
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

I think he meant there's very little punishment for the offense (grave as it is). To AZGF's defense, there's not much they can do with out of state violators. Alabama and Lacey Act enforcers kind of dropped the ball, imho.

TC
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Steve Bledsoe
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Steve Bledsoe »

Unfortunately, this is a common problem with busting wildlife poachers. In criminal court, they can only be fined to the limit of the written law, which in many cases is only a small percentage of what the poachers make from their illegal activities. I used to see this when I was involved with the United Anglers organization in CA. Commercial fish poachers would have their boats and fishing gear confiscated after being convicted in criminal court, only to go out and replace it again with the profits they made from their illegal activities. It was very much like drug runners ditching cars and airplanes and writing them off as affordable overhead to a very profitable business. It's a revolving door.

The real heavy fines come out of civil court where the poacher can be prosecuted for stealing state property, and fined very heavily. Unfortunately, as is the case in CA, the state doesn't have the funds to take the perp to civil court after successfully prosecuting him in criminal court.

Personally, I like ThamnElegan's solution. It's probably the best deterrent one could think of. :thumb:
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

OK... I get it. I think I was looking for something that wasnt there.

A kick in the junk , etc. is too easy a penalty. IMO.

Dave
Verhoodled
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Verhoodled »

Ugh. So it's basically like hockey? Violate multiple state and federal laws for 6+ years, get caught and only have to sit in the penalty box for 2-5 minutes, feel shame, then go free.

No well-deserved kick in the crotch. No fine. No mandatory time. No bank records, names, emails, etc to follow the rabbit trail of his customers. A 6 year investigation -- did they even recoup costs? This was the Big Score? "Tag! Gotcha! Time-out chair for you! Ha!"

Meager morsel for all the effort.

Protect -- the Law keeps using that word, but by its actions knows not what it means. I fear this act of Justice may as well be the flag bearer at the Indy 500 waving the colors of Open Season to poachers of AZ protected wildlife.

Steve, thanks for the in-depth information. Educational and disconcerting.
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dery
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by dery »

im so glad that wanker got arrested. but taking protected species should be imprisonment not just paying a fine. but it is great to know that tribal laws reguarding wildlife is enforced.
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reptilist
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by reptilist »

Prosecution doesn't solve the problem.
So long as there is a prohibited status, there will be a black market.
The smart thing to do is to allow captive breeding and sales.
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dery
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by dery »

reptilist wrote:Prosecution doesn't solve the problem.
So long as there is a prohibited status, there will be a black market.
The smart thing to do is to allow captive breeding and sales.
i agree. but protected species should require a permit. but the eastern indigos,for example, need to be allowed to be bred by more people to be rereleased.
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Verhoodled »

reptilist wrote:Prosecution doesn't solve the problem.
So long as there is a prohibited status, there will be a black market.
The smart thing to do is to allow captive breeding and sales.
Agreed 100%.
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

reptilist wrote:Prosecution doesn't solve the problem.
So long as there is a prohibited status, there will be a black market.
The smart thing to do is to allow captive breeding and sales.

There are folks that are pushing for more protected species than ever. What happens if a species like the green ratsnake becomes protected. No longer will we be allowed to breed them and give them away. We won't be allowed to keep them in AZ and study their behavior, natural history, reproduction, etc. This is a fairly common species that is very desireable in the hobby. If they suddenly become black market, pushing the price up, even more folks will be hitting the Sky Islands looking for them. I think we need to ask ourselves what the benefits are of listing more herps in AZ?
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reptilist
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by reptilist »

Listing species as endangered is the strategy used by environmental groups to protect habitats.
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

Listing species as endangered is the strategy used by environmental groups to protect habitats.
replace "protect" with "control"



just sayin'!

Dave
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

My first hand experience living in s. AZ is seeing what is happening in the valleys and Sky Islands. We already have many "listed" species, and still development is taking its toll, so it doesn't stop that. The open pit copper mine is still in question for the Ritas and this is one of the few ranges that has all three of the "protected" montane rattlers, not to mention green rats, mountain kings, and others. I don't think having listed species protects our ranges or riverine habitats. I give AZGF credit for opposing the copper mine. They also don't want to over-limit our recreational field experiences, so very common species aren't too likely to get listed. However, there are a few that I would like to see de-listed.

The really scarce herps, like the Mexican garter snake, deserve protection, as does their habitat, but I'm not sure if their status is strong enough to do anything. Are they federally protected? Even when an animal is federally protected, I'm not sure it can stop certain kinds of development. When an animal is common, it shouldn't be protected, imho. Box turtles were once very common in s. AZ, but because of development, much of their habitat has been altered to make them harder to find. As of a few yrs. ago, it became unlawful to collect or keep a desert box turtle. They are still very common in certain areas, but only cars, poachers, and uninformed kids are taking any. It's not that I'm unhappy that I can't keep a box turtle, but it might be reasonable to let folks buy a permit to keep a limited number, say a male and female, and create more income for our agencies, as well as some progeny for stocking reclaimed habitat. Species that are common and live in habitat that is not at risk should not be listed, imho.

Please excuse the following plug for NAFHA...

The more sightings of a species we enter into the database, the better AZGF and others will understand their overall range and have accurate range maps. Also, the number of sightings will help indicate how common or rare a species might be. More and more people are becoming interested in the ranges of species and their abundance these days, as well as protecting certain types of habitat. Look for this kind of info in future literature and keep entering that data.

:o
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

I agree with what Terry said above.
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Steve Bledsoe »

I have to agree with "reptilist" in that the solution to herp poaching is to allow legal captive breeding and sales. Once enough people are breeding "protected" species and making them available on the open market, the price will fall to very affordable low levels. There was a time when an albino Corn Snake was easy to sell for $150 or more. Nowadays lot of people just give them away or sell them for very little money. The same would happen to almost any protected herp species you could name that is currently targeted by poachers. It's no different than what the lifting of prohibition did to the cost of booze and the bootlegging business. The way to put poachers out of business is to deflate the value of their contraband.

The situation is a little different, however, with species like Gilas and Indigo Snakes. Gilas and Indigos are legally bred in many states, but are illegal to possess in the states they are native to. This I believe is what keeps the value of them so high and continues to make them attractive to poachers. If these animals were legal to possess in all states, and more people were allowed to breed them, we would see the competition generated by free enterprise drive the prices down to affordable levels and destroy their black market value. Even a stupid poacher could figure out that it's a losing proposition to spend $150 in gas money to illegally collect a snake that he can only sell for $50.

The other problem we have to work on is the laws themselves. It does no good what so ever to protect a species if the habitat isn't protected as well. It doesn't do much good to protect the frogs then drain the lake!
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dery
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by dery »

Steve Bledsoe wrote:I have to agree with "reptilist" in that the solution to herp poaching is to allow legal captive breeding and sales. Once enough people are breeding "protected" species and making them available on the open market, the price will fall to very affordable low levels. There was a time when an albino Corn Snake was easy to sell for $150 or more. Nowadays lot of people just give them away or sell them for very little money. The same would happen to almost any protected herp species you could name that is currently targeted by poachers. It's no different than what the lifting of prohibition did to the cost of booze and the bootlegging business. The way to put poachers out of business is to deflate the value of their contraband.

The situation is a little different, however, with species like Gilas and Indigo Snakes. Gilas and Indigos are legally bred in many states, but are illegal to possess in the states they are native to. This I believe is what keeps the value of them so high and continues to make them attractive to poachers. If these animals were legal to possess in all states, and more people were allowed to breed them, we would see the competition generated by free enterprise drive the prices down to affordable levels and destroy their black market value. Even a stupid poacher could figure out that it's a losing proposition to spend $150 in gas money to illegally collect a snake that he can only sell for $50.

The other problem we have to work on is the laws themselves. It does no good what so ever to protect a species if the habitat isn't protected as well. It doesn't do much good to protect the frogs then drain the lake!
I agree 100%
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frodaman
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by frodaman »

I really like this thread, very informative. :thumb:

My question is, what can we as herpers do? Do we have any voice in things like this? How can we individually fight poaching and the black market?

Jeff
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by azatrox »

The other problem we have to work on is the laws themselves. It does no good what so ever to protect a species if the habitat isn't protected as well. It doesn't do much good to protect the frogs then drain the lake!

And *THIS* is the major issue facing the VAST majority of threatened/endangered species...*THIS* is why so many species have gone extinct and why so many are on the verge of doing so...I'm not minimizing poaching in any way, but poaching is relatively small potatoes (at least in Az) relative to habitat loss and destruction.

Nicely said.

My question is, what can we as herpers do? Do we have any voice in things like this? How can we individually fight poaching and the black market?

Well, if you see someone poaching, call 1-800-GAMETHIEF. That's a start. As far as the larger issue of habitat loss/destruction, I've often wondered whether the idea of a collective pool of funds to buy up land would be effective. I know some organizations do it, but as yet I'm unaware of any herp groups that do. Of course, everyone talks a good game but when it comes time to crack open the wallets everyone is broke.

-Kris
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

I've often wondered whether the idea of a collective pool of funds to buy up land would be effective. I know some organizations do it, but as yet I'm unaware of any herp groups that do. Of course, everyone talks a good game but when it comes time to crack open the wallets everyone is broke.
If herpers became involved in the groups that have the ability to purchase the lands then those organizations might be more willing to buy those lands.

Dave
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QUESTION:

Post by Fieldherper »

All,

I have spent a fair amount of time herping in AZ over the past 14 years. It's a big place with loads of largely inaccessible habitat. Think about a particular mountain range--Huachucas for example---how much of that range ACTUALLY gets herped? The canyons and trails--yes, but all of the slopes, rocky prominences, steep areas? Most parts of a given range never get herped.

I thought Gilas were rare before I went to AZ. I lived there for a year and saw many of them AOR, DOR, walking in washes, even saw one walking through a town in the daytime. I have also seen many montane rattlers with minimal difficulty. Lepidus are the easiest, followed by pricei, and then willardi, in my experience. I have never been tempted to collect any of these, but based on my experience, there should be bag limits on all of them. Captive propagation has a long and documented history of reducing the price of these animals and therefore damaging the black market. No one is collecing graybanded kingsnakes in Texas for profit these days, but in the 80's and 90's there were LOADS of people out there--many of whom weren't herpers and just heard about "those valuable kingsnakes." When I made my first trip there in 98, there were still tons of people out there. I had the place all to myself on my last trip out there a few years ago.

I don't think ANY of these herps could ever become extinct by human actions UNLESS there was a systematic effort (with the montanes) to level every rocky/upland area that they inhabit. This isn't going to happen. Development is certainly the biggest threat, but most of these critters live in areas where people will not/cannot live in numbers due to steep topography. With Gilas, their range is too large and varied for them to ever go extinct from collection or even habitat destruction----if ALL of that habitat is destroyed, then we have bigger problems.

I understand that local populations can be reduced. I have herped at areas known in the past for having healthy willardi populations where I didn't find any under ideal conditions and I suspect that collection may have impacted this. I have also heard that the many illegal immigrants that traverse the Southern AZ ranges may be killing any rattlesnakes they see and this may have an impact.

I always point to the fact that herpers are in the habitat for a relatively small period of time and in small numbers over a huge area CONTRASTED with the the other threats these species face from nature, such as all of their natural predators (skunks, badgers, weasels, coyotes, bobcats, birds of prey, other snakes, javelina, coatis, etc...), fires, floods, disease, etc.... How about the "take" on all of Arizona's roads throughout a given year--how many millions of herps killed there?

So my question is this: Does anyone think that any of these species can go extinct in AZ? If not these, then which species?

FH
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

There's always going to be some species that are more fragile than others. I've already mentioned the Mexican garter, and the narrow-headed garter is another that may be in jeopardy of disappearing eventually. The desert massasauga is a rattler that is getting very scarce in AZ. The Tucson shovelnose is a subspecies that is getting rare. And there are other examples of snakes, lizards and amphibians, etc.

I think we mostly worry about fragmented ranges and the disappearance of favorite sites, and things like that. We know that development and habitat loss takes the greatest toll, and every good herper knows that if there's a fair amount of prime habitat, there will always be some good herping there. It's impossible to protect a species or population of a species, unless there's some good habitat for them, and if there's plenty of prime habitat collecting won't ever make them extinct. For instance, the milksnake in Cochise County has very little habitat left. People didn't know it existed until a few years ago, and now they are protected. However, the habitat they require is nearly all gone. So, how long will they last, and how will the protected status help them?

BTW, I'm all for restoring habitat in favorable locations, and stocking that habitat with native species. For those looking for opportunities to help, I'd suggest The Nature Conservancy, and also becoming aware of local projects to restore habitat, especially riparian.

:beer:
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azatrox
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by azatrox »

“So my question is this: Does anyone think that any of these species can go extinct in AZ? If not these, then which species?”

Specific to Arizona, I’d say that most species are not in danger of extirpation, for precisely the reasons that you mentioned. That said, there ARE some species that definitely are. These would include the Mexican garter snake and Desert massassauga. Both of these animals’ historic ranges were larger than they are today, and they’ve lost ground as a direct result of habitat loss/destruction. The Narrowheaded garter snake has lost some ground as well, but IMO it’s situation isn’t anywhere near as dire as that of the Mexican garter. Of course Chiricahua Leopard frogs and Arizona Mud turtles are also species that I would advise are critically imperiled, for similar reasons.

The issue is a limited amount of available suitable habitat and the alteration/destruction of that habitat. No one is out there poaching Arizona Muds or Chiricahua Leopards.

As far as the traditional “sensitive” species (i.e. willardi, pricei, triaspis, Oxybelis, etc.) there’s really no scientific evidence to suggest that any of these animals are in any danger of extirpation. In fact, some of these animals can be quite common in appropriate habitats, and said habitat is expansive enough to support healthy populations.

-Kris
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

azatrox wrote:“So my question is this: Does anyone think that any of these species can go extinct in AZ? If not these, then which species?”

Specific to Arizona, I’d say that most species are not in danger of extirpation, for precisely the reasons that you mentioned. That said, there ARE some species that definitely are. These would include the Mexican garter snake and Desert massassauga. Both of these animals’ historic ranges were larger than they are today, and they’ve lost ground as a direct result of habitat loss/destruction. The Narrowheaded garter snake has lost some ground as well, but IMO it’s situation isn’t anywhere near as dire as that of the Mexican garter. Of course Chiricahua Leopard frogs and Arizona Mud turtles are also species that I would advise are critically imperiled, for similar reasons.

The issue is a limited amount of available suitable habitat and the alteration/destruction of that habitat. No one is out there poaching Arizona Muds or Chiricahua Leopards.

As far as the traditional “sensitive” species (i.e. willardi, pricei, triaspis, Oxybelis, etc.) there’s really no scientific evidence to suggest that any of these animals are in any danger of extirpation. In fact, some of these animals can be quite common in appropriate habitats, and said habitat is expansive enough to support healthy populations.

-Kris

Your exactly right, Kris. In fact pricei is a great example of how we like to protect a population of a species in a very desireable location. Every crote lover who likes to see twin-spotted rattlers knows about the slopes in the Chiricahuas that has them. They are easy to get to for researchers and poachers alike and this site is well protected. But the species was never in any danger of extirpation with populations in places like the Grahams and Santa Ritas that have very little access.

None of the "sensitive" species you mentioned are in any danger. One of my favorite study subjects, the green rat, is actually very common and there is no chance they can be over collected in the major parts of their habitat. There just isn't enough roads to cover more than 1% of their habitat, at most, and noone knows enough about them to know how to get them w/o road cruising. On top of that, I believe only about half of the ranges they are in have actually been published, and folks find them mainly in about half dozen ranges. As far as I know green rats are only considered sensitive, because folks don't want others zeroing in on the easiest locations to find them, so once again we are protecting some favored locations.

Another sensitive species I'd like to mention is the vine snake. I know that researchers are concerned with this species because of its limited range in the U. S., thus making AZGFD concerned about their protection. However, this is not a rare species in the habitat they are in. They are only restricted, because their habitat is somewhat restricted. As long as their habitat remains, there is no problem with this species and it should not be protected, imho. Also, their habitat is pretty rugged and there is no way anyone or group of people can cover it in a destructive way. The same goes for thornscrub hooknose snakes and Yaqui black-headed snakes. These are also restricted species, because of the limited borderland habitats, but they lack the popularity of the vine snake, so aren't as much in the limelight.

These arguments apply to amphibs, lizards, turtles, etc, too. Great strand.... 8-)
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

azatrox wrote:The other problem we have to work on is the laws themselves. It does no good what so ever to protect a species if the habitat isn't protected as well. It doesn't do much good to protect the frogs then drain the lake!

And *THIS* is the major issue facing the VAST majority of threatened/endangered species...*THIS* is why so many species have gone extinct and why so many are on the verge of doing so...I'm not minimizing poaching in any way, but poaching is relatively small potatoes (at least in Az) relative to habitat loss and destruction.

Nicely said.

My question is, what can we as herpers do? Do we have any voice in things like this? How can we individually fight poaching and the black market?

Well, if you see someone poaching, call 1-800-GAMETHIEF. That's a start. As far as the larger issue of habitat loss/destruction, I've often wondered whether the idea of a collective pool of funds to buy up land would be effective. I know some organizations do it, but as yet I'm unaware of any herp groups that do. Of course, everyone talks a good game but when it comes time to crack open the wallets everyone is broke.

-Kris

Another thing you can do is to get e-news from AZGFD (www.azgfd.gov/) and monitor things that are going on around the state. I just got this notice from them....

Federal government targets sportsmen's dollars to reduce deficit
Oct. 24, 2012

Federal government targets sportsmen's dollars to reduce deficit
Conservation of wildlife resources and your outdoor recreation heritage is at risk!

“The Greatest Story Never Told” is the mantra being extolled by the nation’s wildlife conservation community in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Fund (WSFR). Farsighted and forward-looking sportsmen worked with Congress in 1937 to pass the Pittman-Robertson Act, whereby excise taxes on hunting equipment flow into a trust fund that is one of the most significant sources of funding for state wildlife conservation efforts. Subsequent amendments of the act and passage of the Dingell-Johnson Act and the Wallop-Breaux Act have since added excise taxes from fishing equipment, archery tackle and motorboat fuel to grow the funding available for wildlife conservation. By law, your dollars are allocated to each state to support important conservation work on the ground and to keep critical wildlife programs going. Since 1939, the State of Arizona has integrated these funds, along with dedication of license-based revenues, into the core of our financing for wildlife conservation. With these resources, the state has been able to restore elk and bighorn sheep populations, construct and operate boat ramps and shooting ranges, restore native trout species, develop a modern hatchery program and continue conservation of our wildlife heritage.

Your funds have been untouched in the 75 year history of the WSFR fund and have been used only for conservation. In order to participate in the program and receive these funds, each state and territory made legal, binding commitments that these funds (and license fees) would be used only for wildlife conservation in specific, approved programs. Ironically, the current administration’s Office of Management and Budget has decided that your funds must be withheld (sequestered) under provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2012. While this action only keeps funds from being allocated to state wildlife agencies (for now) and does not in and of itself divert your funds, it does set the stage for future Congressional action which could sweep these funds from the trust accounts into the federal treasury. The fact that this diversion is occurring during the 75th anniversary of the WSFR Act is the ultimate irony. Federal agencies charged with the fiduciary protection of this trust fund are now the architects of the only authorized diversion in the fund’s history.

Because of explicit language in the original acts, these funds are to be allocated to the states and are not subject to annual Congressional appropriation. It is difficult to understand how these funds are now subject to the provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2012. Excise taxes would still be collected from manufacturers of hunting and fishing equipment and excise taxes would be paid by hunters, anglers, archers, boaters and shooters. Interest will still accrue in the various accounts. However, the new action of the Budget Control Act automatically denies the full allocation of funds to each state for their intended purpose of fish and wildlife conservation. This should be a critical concern to all sportsmen and conservationists. Under the Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, every state would see funding reductions in administration, multi-state grants, boating safety, wildlife and sport fish restoration (WSFR) that will directly affect the department’s ability to do on-the-ground conservation, permanent agency jobs, agency resources and agencies’ ability to provide public access for hunting, fishing, boating and shooting. Conservation of wildlife resources and your outdoor recreation heritage is at risk, no matter what your choice of hobby, sport or pursuit. For Arizona, the impact for 2013 could be as much as $3 million with cuts to Wildlife Restoration, Sport Fish Restoration, Boating Safety and other programs.

State wildlife agencies have been working diligently with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Interior to exempt State Trust Funds from being sequestered, but to no avail. Remember, these are your dollars as a sportsman or as a manufacturer of hunting and fishing equipment. If you are an Arizona citizen, your dollars support wildlife-related recreation that is a $2 billion economic driver annually; more than golf, more than professional sports. The federal administration needs to know how the sequestration of these funds and the impacts on your programs here in Arizona will affect you personally (contacts listed below). You may also want to contact your Congressional Representatives on this issue.


DOI Secretary Ken Salazar
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240
Phone: (202) 208-3100
Email. [email protected]

USFWS Director Dan Ashe
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
Phone: 1-800-344-WILD
Email. http://www.fws.gov/duspit/contactus.htm

White House – Council on Environmental Quality
Council on Environmental Quality
722 Jackson Place, N.W.
Washington, DC 20503
Phone: (202) 395-5750
Email: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submi ... d-comments


I wonder if dollars from our hunting and fishing licenses are going to end up going to the Federal Government to help reduce the deficit. If so, that would affect the conservation effort and would be something I'm opposed to. You can write or call your reps in government to complain, if you want to do something about this. Just commenting..

Also, the concept of creating a fund is interesting, although I doubt it will ever happen. I wish we could, as a NAFHA group, create a fund that we could then use to enhance some habitat of great value, but I don't think that is covered in our bylaws. It would probably have to be a private fund raised by a small group of concerned citizen scientists.

TC :crazyeyes:
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Because of explicit language in the original acts, these funds are to be allocated to the states and are not subject to annual Congressional appropriation. It is difficult to understand how these funds are now subject to the provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2012. Excise taxes would still be collected from manufacturers of hunting and fishing equipment and excise taxes would be paid by hunters, anglers, archers, boaters and shooters. Interest will still accrue in the various accounts. However, the new action of the Budget Control Act automatically denies the full allocation of funds to each state for their intended purpose of fish and wildlife conservation.
Let me make sure I get this right... we (as a state) collect this money, send it to Washington, so that Washington can take its cut in administration fees and it in turn sends the balance back to us.

Another reason to support SMALLER government! Imagine if we had the ability to keep ALL of that money collected here in Arizona how much better it would be!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

"Excise taxes would still be collected from manufacturers of hunting and fishing equipment and excise taxes would be paid by hunters, anglers, archers, boaters and shooters. Interest will still accrue in the various accounts. However, the new action of the Budget Control Act automatically denies the full allocation of funds to each state for their intended purpose of fish and wildlife conservation."

All I know is what you see. I just got this message. It seems that the Budget Control Act is somehow allowing the Feds to siphon off some of the funds in the sportmen's accounts.

:(
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

"Excise taxes would still be collected from manufacturers of hunting and fishing equipment and excise taxes would be paid by hunters, anglers, archers, boaters and shooters. Interest will still accrue in the various accounts. However, the new action of the Budget Control Act automatically denies the full allocation of funds to each state for their intended purpose of fish and wildlife conservation."

All I know is what you see. I just got this message. It seems that the Budget Control Act is somehow allowing the Feds to siphon off some of the funds in the sportmen's accounts.
If the Feds didnt have this power, we would have more money here AND they wouldnt have the opportunity to keep it all.

Other than that, I agree with everyone above.... put in bag limits for the popularly poached species.

Dave
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

"Other than that, I agree with everyone above.... put in bag limits for the popularly poached species."

Just to make sure all understand, you're talking about "protected/listed" species. Unprotected species already have bag limits, but poachers take them w/o buying a license, or paying their dues, if you will. We should have bag limits on species like the montane rattlers, box turtles, and other protected species, is what you're saying?
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azatrox
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by azatrox »

While we're on the subject of land use:

http://news.yahoo.com/arizona-ballot-me ... MAbg3QtDMD

Prop 120 proposes to take all land in Az controlled by the feds and hand it over to Az authorities. Such a plan is rife with problems. Where exactly in the state budget will the state find the funds to responsibly manage thousands of acres of (formerly) national forest? The answer is....they won't. They'll likely sell it off to private individuals, mining companies, timber companies, etc. for a profit.

Before you know it, Arizona will be just like Texas.

If this prop passes, some of your favorite herping spots will disappear. Count on it.

NO on Prop 120!

-Kris
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

ratsnakehaven wrote:All I know is what you see. I just got this message. It seems that the Budget Control Act is somehow allowing the Feds to siphon off some of the funds in the sportmen's accounts.

:(
After thinking more about it I think what is happening is that the Feds collect the taxes and then allocate the provisions to the states. But now, with the Budget Control Act in place, it isn't allocating those funds that agencies like AZGFD are used to. If this action continues, AZGF won't have nearly the amount of funds as normal to carry out their operations, which includes conservation efforts and fighting poachers.

:o
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ratsnakehaven
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by ratsnakehaven »

"Before you know it, Arizona will be just like Texas."

You mean like a sovereign state, in that it can do whatever it wants, with no interference from the Federal Government?

No, no, no..... :shock:
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azatrox
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by azatrox »

You mean like a sovereign state, in that it can do whatever it wants, with no interference from the Federal Government?

No... I mean like a state wuth virtually NO public lands for people to enjoy....Period. 98% of Texas is controlled by businesses or private citizens.

-Kris
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azatrox
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by azatrox »

In order to LEGALLY field herp in Texas, one basically has to get the ok from a landowner/business to be on their property....And I'm not talkin' road cruising either....(altho that's a whole diff ball of wax in Tx, now isn't it?). Without getting someone's permission, you'd be trespassing.

Is that what you REALLY want Az to turn into? A place where you can't enjoy the outdoors without asking the permission of someone else?

No thanks.

-Kris
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

Something tells me 120 will fail. I think most of the voters realize its a completely stupid proposition.
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

Terry

Yes...after obtaining proper licensing, a bag limit would apply to the protected species. And breeding for resale should be allowed on those species as well to drive the black market of these species out of existence.
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Nigel Smith
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Nigel Smith »

Found this news report on the smuggling conviction.

http://video.app.msn.com/watch/video/sn ... /1v7s8qgt3
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

Nigel

Its funny it took someone from Kentucky(you) to find the video of a local Phoenix AZ news report!

Dave
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upcreek83
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by upcreek83 »

If Ridge-Nose and Twin-Spotteds are So Protected due to a decline in Populations, etc.

Then why dont we have more Captive Breeding Programs going on and Special Collection Permits???

That would stop alot of the Poaching and "Black Market" activity.

Its like a kid in a toy isle. They more you tell him he cant have that toy then the more he is gonna want it and the more valuable its gonna be to him.

So in all Honesty its Arizonas Laws that promote the Poaching business.
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Biker Dave
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Re: Snake poacher busted!!!

Post by Biker Dave »

upcreek83 wrote:If Ridge-Nose and Twin-Spotteds are So Protected due to a decline in Populations, etc.

Then why dont we have more Captive Breeding Programs going on and Special Collection Permits???

That would stop alot of the Poaching and "Black Market" activity.

Its like a kid in a toy isle. They more you tell him he cant have that toy then the more he is gonna want it and the more valuable its gonna be to him.

So in all Honesty its Arizonas Laws that promote the Poaching business.
upcreek83

You are correct!
Now march on over to a AZGF Board meeting and tell them that!

Dave
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