Has Tanzania reopened for export?

I want more pygmies really bad. :( Had I known they weren't going to be available I would have stocked up while I had the chance! I seriously wanted a huge tank (like 100 gallon or something) with like 30+ pygs just roaming around it in one day. I really hope they start coming back in eventually. :(
 
I agree with the Pygmy thing. I wanted to get a couple pygmy's because they are just so adorable and then when I searched to get some I find there are none. Really stinks. :(
 
Many (most) young chameleons die in the mouth of another animal in the wild. Few wild animals live to "old" age. One of the most beautiful things about nature is that it is self-renewing. Predator/prey relationships benefit both species involved. Genetically speaking, we are mostly consumers of chameleons in the same way that the mamba and the shrike are. In the modern world, species and habitats that have value in their "natural" state will be preserved. Controls need to be "enculturated" to avoid the "tragedy of the commons." The modern story of alligators in Florida is an example of win-win in my opinion.

For Chameleons: Adult female chameleons should never be taken from the wild - this makes no sense biologically or economically - they generally perish. Left in the wild, these savvy survivor females will renew stocks of young. Young adult chameleons could be harvested according to a slot limit, and probably seasonally depending on the species - no small juveniles, and no trophy adults can be harvested, only young adults. Our local river systems in Idaho have been heavily fished year round for the past 100 years and yet are teaming with beautiful, wild fish because of slot-limits. Slot limits respect nature's law's of renewal.

Eco/collecting-tourism: African countries that have controlled big game hunting and reasonable permitting systems have the healthiest populations of game animals. Their animals are the most valuable when there are always more of them available to hunt.
 
Yes I agree with the point above. One problem might be the education of collectors. When young it can be hard to differentiate many Tanzanian chameleons.
 
Monzon said:
Many (most) young chameleons die in the mouth of another animal in the wild. Few wild animals live to "old" age. One of the most beautiful things about nature is that it is self-renewing. Predator/prey relationships benefit both species involved. Genetically speaking, we are mostly consumers of chameleons in the same way that the mamba and the shrike are. In the modern world, species and habitats that have value in their "natural" state will be preserved. Controls need to be "enculturated" to avoid the "tragedy of the commons." The modern story of alligators in Florida is an example of win-win in my opinion.

For Chameleons: Adult female chameleons should never be taken from the wild - this makes no sense biologically or economically - they generally perish. Left in the wild, these savvy survivor females will renew stocks of young. Young adult chameleons could be harvested according to a slot limit, and probably seasonally depending on the species - no small juveniles, and no trophy adults can be harvested, only young adults. Our local river systems in Idaho have been heavily fished year round for the past 100 years and yet are teaming with beautiful, wild fish because of slot-limits. Slot limits respect nature's law's of renewal.

Eco/collecting-tourism: African countries that have controlled big game hunting and reasonable permitting systems have the healthiest populations of game animals. Their animals are the most valuable when there are always more of them available to hunt.
Click to expand...

I concur with most of what your saying. Adult breeder species should be left in the wild. One exception could occur when businesses (reptile farms) in Madagascar or Tanzania are farming or ranching chameleons they have got to have a supply of brood stock chameleons (I have worked with fisheries as well and there are absolutely similarities that could be applied to chameleon conservation). As well once established, occasional wild brood stock is required to promote genetics and breeding vigor in their breeders. This would be ideal for Farming chameleons or captive breeding them in a farm situation.

While ranching is a concept that is similar. The idea is instead of breeding them in captivity to collect a conservative/quota amount of gravid females allow them to lay their eggs. Then after the eggs have been collected rehydrate and allow the females to recuperate then return them to the wild. Which is a technique that is being done in similar fashion with crocodile farming in Australia. The great idea behind that is the higher the percentage per land area of breeding females Calumma parsonii, Kinyongia matschiei or Trioceros deremensis means more productive ranching for the Chameleon rancher and greater conservation for the species.

All of this would greatly be improved if we non third world nation would more aggressively educate all natives involved with conservation of these species and forests involve. However both of these techniques keep mature wild animals in the forest they are from and allow CH juveniles that are more suited to captivity to be exported for research, study and the chameleon hobby.

Jeremy
 
I really would prefer some WC blood to refresh my gang. The few Kinyongia Matschiei alive in captivity under my roof would love some new company!!

I really wonder who is working with K. Matschiei in Europe beyond the one gentleman I know in Holland...:confused:
 
Yeah, same here. I was clicking away from Kingsnake when I went, "wait, what was that "rare" thing?" I think it looked too much like the same old Big Apple and Underground ads we're used to seeing and blended in. :rolleyes:
 
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