# What would you do!??



## Trouble (Aug 25, 2008)

Hey guys

What would you do?: 
I was talking to a 'friend'* the other day, and she said she 'caught' a jackie dragon, and is keeping it. She doesn't have a licence, and is keeping it in a glass tank with sand, a heat light and only feeds it crickets.
I'm not sure what wattage the light is. I'm only going on what she's told me.
Should I tell the EPA??
Would the EPA do anything??

Also, I've never seen jackie dragons around my area, but she's insisting it's a jackie dragon.

I'd like everyones two cents worth.
Thanks for reading

Trouble


*(not anymore)


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## Jewly (Aug 25, 2008)

I would approach her and explain why she shouldn't keep it, and then maybe say to her that if she's not prepared to release it, then you will have no other option but to report it.


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## Darren86 (Aug 25, 2008)

maybe before you go straight to the EPA you should try talking to your friend and telling them that waht they are doing is illegal. try to persuade them to let it go. if that doesn't work maybe then u can talk to higher authorities. if it is a jacky dragon i believe they only eat insects anyway so the crickets will be fine. one issue will be UV tho


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## Trouble (Aug 25, 2008)

I tried talking to her that day about how it's illegal to keep them without a licence, but she wouldn't listen.
There're other reasons (which I can't discuss on here) why we can't go near her.
I don't think she has UV in the set up. 
I will try and talk to the son to see if they still have it, if they do, I will ring the EPA this week :?


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## ClareB (Aug 25, 2008)

I think people will say dob her in, but if she is a mate then that may not be the best thing to do I would go around and check out the encloser and make sure it is ok, then I would tell her to do some research on keeping them. She will probably get sick of it in a month or so and let it go. I used to keep lizards all the time when I was little with no license. But if she refuses to take proper care of it then dob her in and if she intends on keeping it for a long time then I would strongly suggest to her that she get a license release it and then obtain one through the proper means. Just an opinion I know you cant keep wild caught animals but thats my 2 cents worth.


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## Jewly (Aug 25, 2008)

In that case, I would go straight to the EPA.


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## gonff (Aug 25, 2008)

i would do what jewly said at first. tell her that u cant keep them without a liscence and stuff


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## daniel1234 (Aug 25, 2008)

Yeh I would not go running to the authorities just yet. Especially as she is a friend. Education is proberbly the first line of attack, not only the legal side but also that there is more to keeping reptiles than just sticking them in a box covered with glad wrap and a few holes in it (or even what your friend has done). Dont want to kill the thrill of herping for her if you can help it. A tough call if it gets to complecated. I wonder if it is illgal to contain them in an outdoor pit? I used to do that with common bluey's when I was your age. Kept them in a big tractor tyre then let them go at summers end (school holiday stuff). Again I don't know the legalities of it then or really now. I am of the semi informed impression that I can keep some local lizards without a permit but I am still looking into that one.


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## antaresia_boy (Aug 25, 2008)

im with clare on this one. as long as the jacky is ok, if it's not going to be a long-term thing just let them have their fun and get bored. if she likes it then convince her to buy one legally. they are pretty cheap.


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## Trouble (Aug 25, 2008)

I would let them have their 'fun', but this lady is like 30yrs old... You think she would know better. And the two kids she has are learning these bad habbits off of her.
I will see if they still have it before I do anything


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## No-two (Aug 25, 2008)

This kind of thing happens a lot more often than I think you realise. There's really not too much you can do, besides having a talk to her about it or dobbing her in, but I agree with ClareB, friends don't dob friends in and she probably will get sick of it very soon so may end up releasing it. If she's taking care of it well then the only real issue is the legal one.
Better a Jackie dragon than an exotic anyway...


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## dragon lady (Aug 25, 2008)

As far as i know if you don't inform the authorities even anonymously...you are a accessory
then you could ave more concerns


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## Daniel_Penrith (Aug 25, 2008)

tell her if she has money to buy food for it she has money to get a lisence!!
if no lisence just tell her ur gonna dob her in.....or if you ever go over there take it and jus let it go yourself!


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## notechistiger (Aug 25, 2008)

Call the EPA. If she doesn't care about it, and hasn't researched it, then she won't know how to look after it. If the dragon gets MBD, how will she diagnose it and treat it without knowing what it looks like?


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## Splitmore (Aug 25, 2008)

great to see the do-gooders at it again. Why not just mind your own business? If this is the worst crime you ever see committed then I envy you. The woman in question is obviously making a decent attempt to look after the animal, why the worry? Technically yes it's illegal to pick up a lizard and take it home but really, who cares????????


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## Snake Catcher Victoria (Aug 25, 2008)

It's the end of the world, dont you know Splittie.


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## Trouble (Aug 25, 2008)

Splitmore said:


> great to see the do-gooders at it again. Why not just mind your own business? If this is the worst crime you ever see committed then I envy you. The woman in question is obviously making a decent attempt to look after the animal, why the worry? Technically yes it's illegal to pick up a lizard and take it home but really, who cares????????


 
Umm, most of us on here care... Reptiles are a protected species, and it is illegal to catch and take them home without a licence.
Now I kno most of us did it as kids, but this is a *30yr old woman that should kno better!*
I will be ringing the EPA this week to report her as she is not a friend anymore, as she's done things I can not release on here


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## Ramsayi (Aug 25, 2008)

Splitmore said:


> great to see the do-gooders at it again. Why not just mind your own business? If this is the worst crime you ever see committed then I envy you. The woman in question is obviously making a decent attempt to look after the animal, why the worry? Technically yes it's illegal to pick up a lizard and take it home but really, who cares????????



Agree 100%.......Growing up pre licensing we all used to catch stuff and take it home.We learnt things from trial and error and we are now at the point where information on husbandry is easily accessible as a direct result of that trial and error.

Ok shes 30yo and knows the legalities etc.Would everyone feel the same if the person was a 10yo kid that picked up a bluey or whatever and kept it as a pet?


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## notechistiger (Aug 25, 2008)

> Ok shes 30yo and knows the legalities etc.Would everyone feel the same if the person was a 10yo kid that picked up a bluey or whatever and kept it as a pet?


 
Yes, I would still feel the same if it was a ten year old kid. However, a ten year old can be taught, and MOST ten year olds will realise that it's wrong and let it go, and BEG their parents to get a licence and buy a lizard the legal way. A thirty year old should obviously know better, and yet she still doesn't do the right thing.


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## Jewly (Aug 25, 2008)

Splitmore said:


> great to see the do-gooders at it again. Why not just mind your own business? If this is the worst crime you ever see committed then I envy you. The woman in question is obviously making a decent attempt to look after the animal, why the worry? Technically yes it's illegal to pick up a lizard and take it home but really, who cares????????


 
I would say most people on this site would care.

It may not be the worst crime ever committed but she is still doing the wrong thing and god help us all if we had your attitude. If the woman can't even provide the animal with a uv lamp then she is hardly making a decent attempt, as you call it, to care for it. It's incredibly easy to get information on how to care for reptiles so there is no excuse.


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## Luke1 (Aug 25, 2008)

hey,
if she can afford the food and wants one then she should get a licence (as stated) and look through these:
http://jackydragon.blogspot.com/ 
http://lukesaussiereptiles.blogspot.com/ 

if shes not bothered dob her in! i did that with a guy who cought the blue tounge that ran around our yard...he lost all his licenced reptiles ....i felt kinda bad but i told him i would and what would most likely happen!!!!

Cheers

Luke


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## Khagan (Aug 25, 2008)

Splitmore said:


> great to see the do-gooders at it again. Why not just mind your own business? If this is the worst crime you ever see committed then I envy you. The woman in question is obviously making a decent attempt to look after the animal, why the worry? Technically yes it's illegal to pick up a lizard and take it home but really, who cares????????



Gotta kinda agree with you here  while i think people should do it the legal way, theres a lot worse that is done to our native animals than someone just taking home a lizard and looking after it.


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## cracksinthepitch (Aug 25, 2008)

Just tell her that its poisonous and could kill her if it bites and that you will help her release it. Problem solvered boss.


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## notechistiger (Aug 25, 2008)

> taking home a lizard and looking after it.


 
Problem is, she's not really looking after it. She doesn't particularly care about the lizard, and obviously won't be inspecting it to closely for injuries or illnesses. Also, she has no UV lighting. This, in addition to the semi-neglect, is basically a death sentence for it.


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## caustichumor (Aug 25, 2008)

Put a horses head in her bed, guaranteed to get your point across.....
But on a serious note I strongly disapprove of the practice, If everyone who wanted to just took 1 lizard, frog, snake ect home then it wouldn't seem like such a harmless practice. you might as well take a shovel to it, it is no longer in a position to procreate in the wild, and people who take any animals on a whim would be unlikely to have the housing and requirements to keep it adequately, They take it for their own enjoyment and the animals wellbeing comes in second, (Christmas Puppies anyone?) And in the likely event the animal takes a turn for the worse it's treatment will probably consist of getting released and good luck buddy.
at the end of the day all you can do is explain it to your freind, and at the very least ensure she knows about all the animals requirements diet, U.V ect


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## Renagade (Aug 25, 2008)

educate her, buy her a uv light and some supliments, voice your opions and just be honest. Dobbers wear nappies.


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## Boney (Aug 25, 2008)

before you be a dobber you got to make sure she hasnt got anything on you . its always the goody goddy that looks bad in the end . so if your growing dope dont dob her in :lol:


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## notechistiger (Aug 25, 2008)

> before you be a dobber you got to make sure she hasnt got anything on you . Its always the goody goddy that looks bad in the end . So if your growing dope dont dob her in :lol:


 
lol!


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## Khagan (Aug 25, 2008)

notechistiger said:


> Problem is, she's not really looking after it. She doesn't particularly care about the lizard, and obviously won't be inspecting it to closely for injuries or illnesses. Also, she has no UV lighting. This, in addition to the semi-neglect, is basically a death sentence for it.



Wow i wish i was psychic too, being able to tell all this about someone i don't even know because of a post on the internet would be cool.

All that has been said is it doesn't have a UV light, it's been stated has access to heat and fed crickets. 2/3 isn't that bad, but oh no it's total neglect.


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## notechistiger (Aug 25, 2008)

Whoops, my bad. Being close friends with the original postee gives me privy to information that you're not.

But yes, I completely agree, I DO wish I was a psychic (sometimes).


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## Khagan (Aug 25, 2008)

notechistiger said:


> Whoops, my bad. Being close friends with the original postee gives me privy to information that you're not.
> 
> But yes, I completely agree, I DO wish I was a psychic (sometimes).



Well enlighten us, oh wise one, what is the unspeakable neglect that is happening?


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## notechistiger (Aug 25, 2008)

Lol! I'm sleep-deprived, so I don't know what your excuse is. If you want more information, then you'll have to talk to Trouble.


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## Dipcdame (Aug 28, 2008)

Splitmore;1230171Technically yes it's illegal to pick up a lizard and take it home but really said:


> Well, for one, I would say the lizard does!!!!!!
> Its not a matter of "do-gooders", its more that if everyone turned a blind eye to this sort of thing, then any wildlife out there is in danger of being taken, yeah, who cares? Everyone will when species become endangered as too many get taken from the wild.
> 
> If I had no ethics, I would find it far cheaper to just go out and grab myself a couple of whatever I wanted / could find and take them home, but after being used to roaming free, how fair is it to enclose the poor things in cages?
> ...


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## spilota_variegata (Aug 28, 2008)

I'd turn a blind eye and keep a friend. I personally think a friendship is far more than ANY reptile.

Just my humble opinion.


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## Trouble (Aug 28, 2008)

Trouble said:


> Hey guys
> 
> What would you do?:
> I was talking to a *'friend'** the other day, and she said she 'caught' a jackie dragon,
> ...


 
Ok, I've said it in the first post *'friend'* *(not anymore)!*
She has done some unforgivable things (which I cannot mention on here) and *IS NOT *my friend anymore!
Ok, now away from that... the kids love this lizard, and I don't want to break their hearts... but I want to do what's right.
Again, what would you do in my situation.?


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## Rocky (Aug 28, 2008)

If she isn't a friend, report her. But if she was your friend (which she isn't) then don't. If my mate had illegal animals, I wouldn't report them, Unless they really ticked me off. My life is FILLED with many many many people who do illegal things, but i wouldn't report them (due to being stabbed, beheaded, ect). But as you said, she has done unforgivable things, get some revenge!


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## BT (Aug 28, 2008)

alot more reptiles die of road kill than "illegal" wild caught herps being collected,heck 5-6 years ago i had WC jackies, around 5 juvies, within 7 months they were all released around my house,now there are hundreds here, you have to be careful driving down the road in summer as you will see several run across the road infront of the car, it is really not that big of a deal keeping one jacky lizard, just think how many jackies are killed by cats every year,no where near the number of WC's kept.its not that serious and no need getting all pissed off over it.
Blake


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## warren63 (Aug 28, 2008)

Seriously if it doesnt affect you, then dont worry, move on


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