What is HR 669?
H.R. 669 stands for House Resolution 669 and is titled "The Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act". It is a bill currently before Congress that if passed will change the way that the US Government classifies animal species that are not native to the United States. H.R. 669 will make it illegal to breed and sell many animals that are very common in the pet trade.

Why should you care about HR 669?
Anyone with pet fish, birds, reptiles, or small mammals will be affected by this bill. Any company selling product or services for pet fish, birds, reptiles or small mammals will be affected by this bill. Would you be impacted by "The Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act"?

• Virtually all fish in an aquarium are not native to the United States
• Most pet birds are species not native to the US
• Most reptiles kept as pets are not native to the US
• Hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and ferrets are not native to the US

What can you do to stop HR 669?
Pet owners support the concept of a risk based approach to non-native imports, unfortunately H.R. 669 as drafted does not provide a constructive way forward.

You can help by standing up and making your voice heard. Let your Representative know that you oppose H.R. 669 as drafted and the financial and/or emotional effect it will have on you, or your friends, or your family members if it passes. The link below will allow you to send an email to your Representative in Congress and even give you the option to follow up with a phone call.

Click Here To Say NO To H.R. 669!

The season of spring, weather seems to sing!

Well, the weather is singing for our reptiles. With the temperatures hitting mid-80's, many are enjoying a bit of natural sunshine. Although we use artificial UV producing light bulbs in our lizard enclosures, nothing compares to the real thing. So they get treated to an hour or two of natural sunlight whenever possible. Vitamin D3 is essential for proper calcium metabolism in reptiles, just as in people. Improper lighting or a deficient diet can lead to calcium deficiency and Metabolic Bone Disease. An independent group ran various tests on a multitude of lights and posted the results here: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/ An excellent resource for reptile enthusiasts!

Don't forget about your own Vitamin D needs! For fear of skin cancer or busy lifestyles, people are avoiding the sun and using sunscreen when they do venture outdoors. Doctors are finding folks deficient in Vitamin D and recommend 1,000 IU taken daily as a supplement.