--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL, US of A
>From: Jeffrey Fullerton <tcmajorr_at_westol.com>
>Reply-To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
>To: "nanfa_at_aquaria.net" <nanfa at aquaria.net>
>Subject: Re: NANFA-- Bluenose shiner news
>Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 16:11:20 -0400
>
> > Bruce, your arguments don4t stress mine rather than support my point of
> > view. How many F. julisiae do you want? 100, 200, 500? No problem. We
>over
> > here have some very stable "populations" in ponds and the maintainers
>have
> > to feed the offspring as they get too much and the target groups all
>have
> > them.
> >
>Sounds alot like what I've heard about the captive population of the
>federally endangered San Francisco Garter Snake in Europe. It's one of
>the most beautiful snakes in the world and being essentially an extreme
>localized population of the common garter snake that ranges over most of
>North America I'm sure it's as easy to maintain in captivity as the
>other less colorful subspecies.
>
>But the Fish & Wildlife Service has gone out on a limb to keep this
>snake out of private hands. I was told by the reptile keeper from the
>Philadelphia zoo that the Feds allow them to keep males of that
>subspecies - obviously out of fear that offspring from this prolific
>live bearing snake (no references handy at this time but from personal
>observation I know garters often have huge litters!) would trickle into
>the private sector and become prevelant in the trade.
>
>I'm sure it's the same for endangered topminnows, pupfishes, Watercress
>& Rush Darters- creatures even more prolific than reptiles- again I'm
>too lazy to look it up but fish typically produce oodles of eggs.
>
>I've argued too in favor of rebuilding habitats for endangered fishes
>and other small critters that lack the ability to get around as well a
>birds and mammals do. And I've often gotten this lecture about how wrong
>it is to tamper with nature or even a hostile tongue lashing from the
>"Let Them Go Extinct With Dignity" crowd. I agree with Steffen that the
>resident critters and plants don't care if a wetland was naturally
>formed or deliberately impounded and they got there on their own or were
>artificially introduced. Only humans care and that's a matter of
>individual asthetic preference of group consensus.
>
>Between these and countless other incidents that fly similarly in the
>face of common sense- I've come to the conclusion that conserving the
>protected status of a species is more important than the species itself.
>
>Now you know why us terrible old carmudgeons are so cynical.
>
>Jeff
>
>"I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other
>animal, and that she has no eye-lids. She may therefore be esteemed an
>emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged,
>ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true
>courage. As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with
>her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in
>the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her,
>she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons
>are shown and extended for her defense, they appear weak and
>contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal.
>Conscious of this, she never wounds 'till she has generously given
>notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of
>treading on her".
>
>Benjamin Franklin : The Rattle Snake as the Symbol of America
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