By Byron Lee

So what’s my issue? Well right now, as I’m talking, someone deep in the Amazon has his finger on the trigger of a gun pointed towards a reptile. Right now someone is brutally skinning a reptile alive in the name of fashion. That’s what my problem is about. Too many snakes and reptiles are being hunted for their skins or meat, many unique species that once thrived are now on the verge of extinction.

Why do people even bother with hunting reptiles? Many reasons, crocs have beautiful armoured skin that is a major craving on runways. Turtles and alligators are currently being served in restaurants. Alligator oil, teeth charms, lizard and snake skins, these are the reasons why.

Not only does it hurt reptiles, it hurts people too!Many people who makemoney by killing snakesare usually poor, they don’t have the money for theantidotes if they are bitten. Most results are ugly

and often end with death and pain. Others get maimed for life and can never walk again, some need to sell their homes so they can use the money to amputate a limb.

90% of all snake merchandise are made from wild snakes and between 2000 and 2005, it is estimated that 3.4million lizards, 2.9million crocodile and 3.4milllion snakes were brought to EU. "We are seeing smaller and smaller snakes caught and hunters having to travel across wider areas; classic signs of a species in decline,“ says an environmentalist. More than 10000 tons of turtle are being eaten every year

After finding them, the trapped snakes have hose pipes forced into their mouths, and are blown up with water — while they are still alive — to loosen the skin.

 The skin shed by snakes is too thin for bags, so snakes must die for their skins. Larger captured snakes are often first starved to loosen their skin. Snakes are routinely nailed to a tree and skinned alive, their bodies thrown on to heaps where they can take two days to die.

Exotic skins are cruelty on the catwalks and snakeskin bags are achingly fashionable. Celebrities all over the world own reptile skins and that encourages people.

The EU, led by Italy, is the world's biggest importer of reptile skins, buying €100m worth in 2005. Fashion houses claim they use "farmed" skins and work within the international convention that restricts trade in endangered animals. Most of these fashion houses lie.

So what if they die? Some of you might say. Let’s go back to grade 2-3 about the food chain. Reptiles eat a lot of small mammals and birds, if the reptile go extinct, then mammals and birds will reproduce like crazy and not get eaten. The result? A very unbalanced eco-system. Snake poison plays

a role in antidotes for other poisons. So without snakes, the world would change.

Many other methods include farming Crocs and Turtles, even though these are better methods, these creatures still need to die excruciating deaths. Some people have been cross-breeding crocodiles so they grow up faster, however, cross breeding can change the wildlife and eco-system.

Is there any hope left for our scaly friends? Can they survive or is death for certain? Many people are worrying and saving these cold blooded creatures right now. People who hunt reptiles and people from fashion houses are now gradually realizing the problems with hunting reptiles.

What can we do to help? Simple, we need to tell people about this problem. Right now, I am spreading the message to you. Support animal rights groups and try to tell your family and friends to stop buying reptile skins. Let’s start now and the future will be better

for them. We can stop this!

Google.com Telegraph.co.uk Guardian.co.uk The American Alligator Changing the Future for Endangered

Wildlife Alligators and Crocodile Rescue Changing the Future for Endangered

Wildlife turtle Rescue And the awesome libarian Shannon who

helped a lot.