petition to give herps wings

[Jen]

Found this on another site www.petitiononline.com/herpsfly/petition.html

[IguanaKing]

Thanks for that jfogle, but there are actually very few airlines that will permit even mammals in the cabin for ANY length of flight, let alone the long distances that are actually being inferred in the statistic. The main reason that most airlines balk against transporting personal reptiles is the very fact of the exothermic nature of reptiles. Many reptile shelters/dealers/shippers/etc., compensate for this fact by including FAA-approved heat packs in their shipments to keep the critters warm on their long journey. But, realistically, even the pressurized baggage area in an airliner cannot, practically, be kept at a temperature to sustain the life of a reptile for extended periods of time. The cabin CERTAINLY can't be maintained at that temperature, and our reptiles, as much as we love them, are not domesticated animals like cats or dogs. Even our igs, very intelligent species, are very particular about who they deal with. If your ig got loose in the cabin, with that mouth full of razor-sharp teeth...are you willing to bet he/she might not bite somebody and cause serious harm? Its not about prejudice, its about what we can and can't do on airliners.

[prism_wolf]

Thanks IK...I was wondering how to respond to this one. Cats and dogs have not been allowed for quite some time in the cabin. A couple of years, maybe? In a perfect world it would be ideal to bring our pets with us, but with the safety factors...and yes...serious and enabling phobias by many people...this just isn't practical.

[IguanaKing]

NP, V. High-altitude flight was chosen, especially for jet aircraft, due to the HUGE difference it makes in fuel efficiency. Man-kind has come up with a solution to dealing with the lack of oxygen, which can benefit both mammals and reptiles. But, they have never really focused on the heat situation. A human or other mammal can easily survive several hours in the low 60's, especially with a blanket, due to our homeothermic nature...so, since humans are mammals, airline life support never really considered any other extremes. Now, if the airlines could just run off of 126V 400Hz AC for pure IR heaters...wait...that may be my ticket to financial independence. ;D Heh...not really...sure it won't hurt, but again, its not a big enough market for anyone to even make a living off of. Its a nice thought, but we still have to recognize the money and human comfort levels involved.