Quote:
Originally Posted by sickvenom
Wayne, why would the garter be illegal?
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A common misconception that requires just a bit of a history lesson to understand.
Not so many years ago it was a common practice for pet stores and wholesalers to gather herps in massive quantities in the early spring when they were all coming out of brumation.
Turtles, garter snakes, ribbon snakes, water snakes, toads and salamanders were getting wiped out by greedy merchants with no regard for the welfare of any species.
Bullfrogs were gathered up during breeding cycles and their hind legs chopped off for "gourmet food" the still living frog was then just discarded in the trash to die slowly & turtles were slaughtered for turtle soup.
Many states passed legislation forbidding the gathering of native herps, (can't say I blame them) that was intended to end that madness, to simplify paperwork the laws were written that it was illegal to gather any and all reptiles & amphibians, the laws were targeting the money grubbers.
So realistically if someone encountered a forest ranger with a bug up his arse, the ranger could exploit (enforce) the written laws.
However, think about this, every moron that chases down little colubrids and chops them up with a shovel, lawn mower or hoe should be prosocuted under these laws, and it never happens.
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