The holding of Exotic Reptiles and Amphibians in Private Collections

Peter Harlow, Taronga Zoo, Sydney

Australia has had a long history of private ownership of exotic birds and fish, however exotic reptiles, amphibians and mammals have to a large extent not been readily available to private keepers. The importation of exotic reptiles and amphibians present two major risks to Australian ecosystems: the introduction of exotic diseases and/or parasites (eg the snake mite Ophionyssus natricis), and the possibility of feral populations becoming established (eg cane toads). Australia has one of the most spectacular and diverse assemblages of reptiles and amphibians of any continent, yet even common native species are legally unobtainable in many states. The penalties for illegally possessing a native species are often greater than for smuggling or keeping an exotic species. The absurd situation has even arisen where native Australian reptiles are now being smuggled back into Australia, as they are unobtainable or rare in Australian collections (eg green tree pythons).

This situation is exacerbated by the policies of some of the state-controlled wildlife departments around Australia, who have aggressively tried to stop the private keeping of all native vertebrates, while being powerless to halt major habitat destruction (eg land clearing and draining wetlands). We advocate that the ban on exotic species in private collections be maintained and enforced at a federal level, but that state wildlife departments allow limited collecting from the wild under tightly controlled and supervised guidelines. This approach has met some success with reptiles in the Northern Territory and birds in Western Australia.