DBTs on Kingsnake-BAD

[Crysti P.]

Crysti P.

October 12, 2006 at 8:41 pm #24118

Regarding these recent posts about the WC DBT’s on Kingsnake…. is ANYONE upset about this? Why isn’t everyone upset about the selling of these wild animals??? Instead someone says they may buy some for breeding purposes then changes their mind? I don’t get it… what is everyones stance on this… I think it’s horrible and am upset to see that no one here is outraged and bombarding them with emails!!! My 2 cents.Crysti in CA

[Richard M. Biondi]

Richard M. Biondi

October 12, 2006 at 9:57 pm #24119

Christi, These DBTs are legally harvested animals under the current laws of Maryland. Many dedicated conservationists labor long and hard to reform the laws regarding commercial harvesting, and are making some progress, but much more needs to be done to help the species survive. It is my understanding that, once harvested by commercial fishermen, the turtles are refrigerated and stored en masse, taken to wholesalers who then transship to restaurants here and abroad. Some individuals are selected and diverted to the pet trade, which is quite legal. And maybe that’s fortunate. Once these turtles are caught, there seems little chance they will ever be repatriated; doubtful that they could survive if they were released. We see increasing examples of people and organizations who wish to establish viable, protected populations to ensure that the genetic pool of such threatened/endangered species can be maintained, perhaps one day returned to natural habitats (if any is left — loss of habitat being #1 on the list of threats). Tewksbury Institute in New Jersey is one new organization that comes to mind, as does the Terrapin Institute. Private breeders provide another approach. Unfortunately, experience has shown that attempts to breed such wild-caught females in captivity is very difficult, perhaps futile. But, just maybe, some small number of the chosen few sold through Kingsnake will end up surviving and even thriving. Those diverted to other uses will most assuredly not survive. Remember, nobody’s going to put them back. It’s probably better for breeders to buy these and make a try than to relegate them to the stew pot. The solution will be the elimination of commercial turtle exploitation. Dick

[Stephen Chew]

Stephen Chew

October 13, 2006 at 11:31 am #24122

Dick, Well said. Crysti, we are certainly upset that terrapins continue to be harvested from the wild but there’s not much we can do when it’s all done legally. Bombarding the advertisers with emails won’t do any good since that’s not going to stop the harvesting. In fact, some of these advertisers probably see themselves as doing justice to the species by saving them from the soup pot. But this is where activism plays its part and being connected to the various conservation groups. Some may argue that buying wild-caughts drives the harvest and that may have been true a decade ago but it’s no longer so. There is a great and inexhaustible demand for turtle meat overseas and that’s what’s driving the market nowadays. Terrapins are suffering the same threats as the Asian turtles and may need similar measures to conserve the species. One thing I did want to add from Dick’s comment is that some of the terrapins are being repatriated. The Terrapin Institue continues to do this with its Adopt a Terrapin program. They work with several vets to help rehabilitate the terps they rescue and get them fit for release. The Wetlands Institue also has a similar program and I know for a fact that many in our group have donated to both groups. Both also engage in headstarting captive raised terrapins to help replenish the populations in Maryland and New Jersey. So our stance is naturally against the commercial harvest and though we encourage hobbyists to purchase CBB over WCs, we will strive to ensure that any terrapin keeper is well armed with enough information to help the species thrive in herpetoculture, whether it be CBB or WC. It may be up to private organizations and hobbyists like us to help replenish populations in the future if the government fails to secure a safe future for the terrapin. -Stephen C — In diamondbackterrapins@yahoogroups.com, “Richard M. Biondi”

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