Here is the problem with banning anything. If they live in an area naturally, there is nothing stopping people from getting them anyway. Instead of banning things, educate people. I'm a reptile breeder and educator. And, here in NY, half the snakes and lizards I want I can't have, because instead of educating people on their proper care, the government just bans them. Which is not fair to those of us who would love to keep them. I do not get any joy out of dogs and cats. I get the same joy people get from dogs and cats from reptiles, arachnids, and insects. But, I've spent my entire life studying and learning about the animals I want, and how to keep them, how to work with them, and how to care for them. That is the problem. Things like Iguanas, which are beautiful lizards, and cheap to buy when they are 10 inches long, grow up to be massive 8 foot long lizards and need a very expensive set up to house them. I have a few of those that are currently around 3 feet long. But, the pet stores that sell them do not keep them in proper enclosures, and give improper information to those not educated on their set up to cover their [censored] for not keeping them properly. They only care about money. Exotic animals should be limited to private breeders, who actually care about the animals, their wellbeing, and the future of the animal once it leaves their hands. I breed scorpions, which NY hasn't put any bans on yet. I've got scorpions that could kill you, and ones that are harmless. And, before I sell ANY animal, from simple leopard geckos and bearded dragons, to venomous scorpions and spiders, I sit down with the potential new owner and go over every detail of that animal. And, once I get out of NY, I will get venomous snakes, which are still legal in most states except NY and California and now Florida. Because instead of education, they just ban. So, then people who really want them move, looking for a place where they can still keep them, but, the problem still remains, they are uneducated. Because it is the uneducated that screw up the hobby for everyone else. And then only exhibition centers now get to have the privilege's and enjoyment of working with the really exotic. And that is not fair to those of us that do all the research prior to owning the animal and want to own it, but are not allowed to because the state we are living in decided to ban it instead of educate people. Hundreds of billions of dollars of money is being funneled into some of the dumbest, most insignificant useless crap on the planet. Why are people not demanding that some of that money stop going to the useless crap, and go to educating those who have an interest but no information? That is why I agree with permits for "dangerous animals". But, ONLY if that permit comes with a discussion about proper care and husbandry, and an inspection to verify the animal is giving more then the bare minimum and the knowledge of that animal is sufficient for the person to keep the animal correctly. Same goes to ants. Even my native species of ants I keep in environments that as closely match their wild environments to the best of my ability, and I verify that the enclosures and formicariums and outworlds are completely escape proof. If it costs a few extra dollars to do so, that is worth it, especially since I have queens that I caught in Florida and brought back to NY. If any of these ants were to escape, and find a home here in NY, if they survive, then I would be causing a problem not just for the ecosystem, but for the hobby of ant keeping as a whole. So, I verify in every way possible, to make sure that these enclosures, the formicariums, and the outworlds that IU build are 100% escape proof. Because I love this hobby. And I don't want to see this hobby damaged as it already is by black market smuggling, a practice that has very negatively affected the reptile trade as well. So, why is the answer to everything "Ban ban ban" instead of "Education education education"? I've seen videos were people have ants set up in some very basic set ups, with no escape proofing. This is simply because the person hasn't been educated on the proper care needed. If we all came together, and together did something that publicly educated people on the proper care and husbandry of the animals and insects WE were interested in, not only could we change the hobby for the better, but we could help the ecosystem as well. Then no one would ever have to feel that depressing and angering feeling of wanting to work with a specific species or kind of animal, and not being able to because uneducated people in the past have screwed it up for everyone. If someone has a genuine interest in an animal, they will gladly absorb information and use it in their care of the animal. That is what I am trying to do. And, I wish everyone else would join in on this endeavor, instead of just trying to ban those that are more difficult. Because, not for nothing, even dogs and cats are not taken care of properly because even the simplest of animals need care that many people don't give. That is why I like Pennsylvania. I can get a cobra there, verifying that I have the knowledge to keep said animal properly, safely, and respectfully, but you need a license to get a Dog, because most people get dogs, and don't do anything but give it food and water every day, and that is it. Which is NOT taking care of the dog, that is abusing it. Yet, in NY, more then 50% of the dogs and cats are not taken care of properly, and do not get the proper exercise, attention, or food to keep them healthy, but almost everyone has a dog, because there is no one checking in to see how they are doing. My landlord is one of those people. He has a BEAUTIFUL husky, who is abused, and neglected, and we have called animal control at least 5 times, and they've done nothing. Never even showed up. Because it is a dog. But when people hear me watching a Documentary on rattlesnakes, and hear the rattle, I get SPCA detectives at my door because people think I have a rattlesnake. Which I've had to deal with 3 times. The world is backwards. And we REALLY need to focus on education, instead of banning. Because the people who want certain things are going to get them, no matter what. Whether they get them illegally, or they move to a place where it is legal, they will get them. And when they do, they will screw it up for the rest of us even more, because they will STILL be uneducated. But, if we educate them, and we give them the proper information and stop letting petco and other chain stores that don't care about their animals give improper information, then they can get those animals with the proper information and it won't cost US our hobby. Something to think about everyone.
, C. maritimus, Formica argentea, M. mexicanus 
