As one who was at the council meeting last night I think that this post really shows what the beginning of the meeting was like Good job John but the best is yet to come.

But as always I did want to get the whole story so I did some research on Iguanas. They are one of the most popular lizards to be kept as a pet and though they do get semi-large in length they only get on average 11 pounds and if they have been cared for just like any other animal they will be a good loyal pet not a scary monster as they were portrayed at the meeting last night.

Portsmouth Pride

This blog post could have been titled "the night of the iguana" if someone else had not already used it, how unfortunate.

ggump

Is this the same one having to do with inadvertent or purposefully allowing peanuts on the ground for squirrels, bird seeds for non-migratory birds, corn husks landing in a neighbor's yard who will be subject to $250-500 fine in violation of the ordinance, corn stalks in the backyard being consumed by crows, falcons attacking mice due to mice on the ground trying to reach bird feed, rats in the neighborhood during harvest season attracting coyotes visible from the road, is that the one?
Who in the world is pushing this to the level of a town council and why are they unable to "just say no"? Say no because the TC is way too busy solving Portsmouth's problems. How about the litter on the road every morning with remnants of McDonald French fries and Dunkin sweet doughnuts? Will we hire extra staff to write the ordinance and police to inspect the community for violators, and that way bring in added revenue?
What did one Canadian customs agent say about the "Gestapo"? Am I overreacting? Yes, I admit, but I react to bureaucratic nonsense when common sense can prevail. I'm sure our TC has common sense, but who are they fearing? Where is the threat coming from, homeland security alert, some ethnic extremists, environmental terrorists?

Again, what is the value added, can someone explain please?

Thanks,
Werrnerlll

As the daughter of a herpetologist, and as somebody who just found out she was allergic to dogs, and whose allergist suggested snake or fish as pets, I have to say I dislike animal restriction ordinances that dump broad families of the animal kingdom. An entire blanket ban on snakes? Ridiculous. (Most states have reasonable lists of which species can co-exist with humans safely and which can be sold in pet stores.)

My dad had to fight to get the term "constrictor" removed from local snake restrictions because almost all non-poisonous snakes ARE constrictors. Many small, non-endangered snakes make great pets for households that can not take cat, dog, rodent, or birds for allergic reasons. Many rat snakes and kingsnakes and the small pythons (ball pythons) would be perfectly safe inside the community. (As beautiful as the large boas are, they can grow to a size that does make them hard for a single adult to deal with on their own, and probably should be restricted to zoos, schools, and other animal conservation organisations.)

Iguanas are a little tricky, because they can grow to large sizes, given their cage area. (They are kinda like goldfish that way, although many will sorta halt growth around 4-5 feet. But they can and will get bigger and it's cruel to keep their cage size down to keep them smaller.) They are vegetarian so I don't know why lady was so freaked out by the idea of them. (Well, maybe the salmonella issue. Is a problem for snakes too. But it's not a problem any worse than, say, handling cat feces via litter.) I would still allow iguanas because unlike the large boas and pythons, there's not a feeding instinct, or anything that will turn on you. Having an iguana is about as dangerous as keeping a parrot. Which is to say that if you mishandle it, it can claw you or scratch you or accidentally bite you, but it's probably not going to accidentally or purposefully endanger your life. (Anybody who thinks a parrot is a perfectly safe animal needs to watch out for their thumbs. Parrot jaws can bite with a pressure of 300 pounds per square inch, or some horrifying statistic like that.)

Thing is, a lot of reptiles get the shaft as pets, because they aren't "furry" or "cute" or whatever. They are as dangerous as any other household pet, but you just have to know what the issues are. All living creatures under our care should be taken care of and properly fed and housed and respected. It just irks me to see blanket bans on species when other species have just as much diversity and relative danger, but are considered "cute".

...she sings from somewhere you can't see...