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CLEARFIELD, Utah (AP) -- A Utah man convicted of importing snakes without a permit says authorities let 62 of his rubber boas die in state custody. Only three others survived.
Ryan Hoyer is suing the Division of Wildlife Resources for failing to take care of his snakes. He says they are picky eaters, sensitive to temperature changes and need to bath constantly in water.
"If these snakes had simply been provided water and shelter for a year, the vast majority would have been fine. Instead, within eight or nine months, half were dead," Hoyer said. "It is easy to overheat reptiles."
The wildlife division referred all questions to Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's office, which says citizens can't sue government for ordinary negligence.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Bates confirmed Sunday that about 60 of the snakes died in state captivity over the years. He said they were difficult to care for.
Bates wanted millions of dollars for the research value of the dead snakes, rejecting the state's offer of paying street value, Bates said.
The state eventually got the lawsuit dismissed, but Bates is appealing to the Utah Supreme Court.
Hoyer's criminal and civil lawyer, Stephen Spencer, says he's trying to hold Utah accountable for destroying valuable evidence that could be jewelry, cash, rare paintings, family heirlooms -- or snakes.
Hoyer paid almost $1,400 after his 2007 trial conviction for importing some of the snakes from California and Oregon without a permit or veterinarian's inspection, Bates said. Other snakes were captured in Utah or bred in captivity.
The Utah Court of Appeals upheld that conviction on Thursday.
Hoyer says he was helping his father, amateur herpetologist Richard Hoyer, research the reproductive habits of the non-venomous snakes. They tried to argue the state's import rules typically apply to livestock, not snakes.
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Information from: Standard-Examiner
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
