# Mine worker fined over reptiles



## News Bot (May 17, 2011)

A FLY-IN fly-out mine worker in Western Australia has been fined $3700 for illegally possessing five native reptiles. 












*Published On:* 17-May-11 05:04 PM
*Source:* AAP via NEWS.com.au

*Go to Original Article*


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## mad_at_arms (May 17, 2011)

So what will become of the snakes?


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## richoman_3 (May 17, 2011)

python pie.

maybe i could have them :O


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## saximus (May 17, 2011)

mad4400 said:


> So what will become of the snakes?


 Most likely euth'd


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## dossy (May 17, 2011)

is it illigal to keep banded sand swimmers or just illegal to catch them? ( nsw) well at least they are getting them i supose


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## Torah (May 17, 2011)

why would they be euth'd ? If they were wild caught couldnt they just be checked over for health issues and released ??? What about a ballot ??


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## Snakeluvver2 (May 17, 2011)

haha $3700 for ants. 
Gold.


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## saximus (May 17, 2011)

From what I understand they don't have ballots in WA (maybe one of our western friends can confirm this). You also can't just release them without knowing where exactly they were captured


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## Kimberlyann (May 17, 2011)

Same with any exotic that comes into the customs doors illegally, they get killed, it makes me sick, i want to start a thing where i can quarintine the animals and either send them back, give them too a zoo or keep them, i dont know what kind of "thing" i would need thou


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## Torah (May 17, 2011)

saximus said:


> From what I understand they don't have ballots in WA (maybe one of our western friends can confirm this). You also can't just release them without knowing where exactly they were captured



would it be better to release it anywhere than not at all?


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## saximus (May 17, 2011)

Not sure really. I guess there are arguments for and against but apparently someone smarter than you or I decided it's not


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## Torah (May 17, 2011)

damn !


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## Elapidae1 (May 17, 2011)

DEC is very anal about introducing disease into wild populations. They will be euthed or balloted to licensed reptile dealers.


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## Daynemh (May 17, 2011)

yea it is quite important that they are released from where they came. Snakes are very territorial. a couple of sites i work on, i know exactly where the red bellies live, never changes, same snake, same rock, everytime i see them. I cought a baby blue tongue from my partners front step in fear of the dogs getting it (was tiny!) kept feeding it things that i found in the yard, and made him hunt for them (i didnt get him too house trained) got a hold of a friend who worked in animal management. He said, the native animals have rite of way over domestic pets, so legally, he should be released back into my partners yard. he said they cant re home him somewhere else as if there is already a bluetongue in the area the dominance will come out and one of them will be injured or killed. its a hard subject releasing animals back into the wild.


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## GeckPhotographer (May 18, 2011)

As far as I am aware if some facility that did have Australian Standard importation quarantine facilities expressed interest in the animals whether they be natives seized like this or exotics coming into the country, then DEC would allow them to take the animal. However rarely if ever is something interesting enough seized that this actually happens.


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## Waterrat (May 18, 2011)

Daynemh said:


> yea it is quite important that they are released from where they came. Snakes are very territorial.



No mate, snakes are not territorial. Don't confuse territoriality with home ranges.


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## Pythoninfinite (May 18, 2011)

The Pygmy Python will no doubt be passed on to a facility licensed to keep them, the Stimson's will be put up for tender and sold to a dealer, so DEC will get some profit from this person's misfortune. All this publicity (propaganda) for species which are killed in their hundreds every day on north-west roads... The fines imposed are absurd...

Jamie


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## longqi (May 18, 2011)

If they were waiting for him to arrive as appears likely from the story this is probably only the tip of the iceberg

They dont go to airports just on the off chance they might find something
He will have been investigated and this was the first chance they had to get him with reptiles
Maybe only second time hes done it
Maybe the 100th time??
Good on them for fining him


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## splat868 (Jun 5, 2011)

I actually stumbled across this photo, and news story.

Japanese man accused of smuggling WA's rare reptiles

I found this interesting, because as it turns out, I bought some of these very lizards from a dealer in perth who had bought them from DECC.

I was able to match up the exact markings from photos of mine compared to these in the news photo.

They were about to fly to Japan, but ended up flying to me in Adelaide after I purchased them online.

I assume that those in this story would hopefully follow a similar path rather than euthanasia.


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## Elapidae1 (Jun 5, 2011)

Didn't by chance get the Rotto ones?


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## splat868 (Jun 5, 2011)

steve1 said:


> Didn't by chance get the Rotto ones?


 
Haha, 

I wish sooooo much. I have always wanted some, but it will never happen.

From what I have been told by licenced herpers in WA and DECC, nobody can legally own Rottnest island, or Shark bay shinglebacks.
Mind you, WA is the only state that classifys subspecies of Tiliqua Rugosa in licencing.

If they are in collections, they wouldnt have left WA legally originally.

I believe the Rottos were released back into the wild, or went to a reptile park.


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