Why are so many people opposed to keeping wild snakes as pets?

[RandomStranger]

I caught two juvenile Black Rat Snakes two months ago, and I stormed the internet googling the proper ways to take care of them, and they are both doing fine and will let me hold them about half the time and if they start to try to escape my hold on them, I don't force them to let me hold them. I let them go about their business, and I only feed them other things I catch. I want to know why almost every source of information I find on the internet says things like "Omg, don't take in wild snakes, they will definitely get parasites and mites, and infections, and die for sure!" Both snakes are healthy, and if I notice any drop in their health that I can't fix, I plan on returning them to the wild. Note that both are juveniles, so I'm not affecting the native population because they won't be breeding this year anyway, and under my care they are protected from predators that could easily make a meal out of snakes this small.

Why is it so wrong to keep wild snakes as pets?

[infernalis]

I'm sure there will be assorted answers on this one.

[Trollbie]

I don't know much on this topic, but I personally prefer captive bred and born because I don't have to feel bad taking the snake's freedom away. If other people want to keep wild snakes though, that's their business as long as the snakes are not endangered or anything.

[youngster]

Rat snakes are cannibalistic, one day you might find a snake with a full belly and the other nowhere to be seen.

If they are in separate enclosures there isn't THAT much wrong with it.

(in my opinion )

[RandomStranger]

Originally Posted by youngster

Rat snakes are cannibalistic, one day you might find a snake with a full belly and the other nowhere to be seen.

If they are in separate enclosures there isn't THAT much wrong with it.

(in my opinion )

I didn't think they were cannibalistic but both are in separate containers and both containers are probably big enough for 4 foot snakes. One of them is significantly smaller than the other one so I decided not to risk it.

[Bradyloach]

Yah as long as there in separate enclosures. How do you think people started breeding snakes and keeping them as pets

[Kingsnakechris]

Its just like saying a person sentenced to life in prison isn't that bad... He gets three meals a day, access to drs and dentists and hes even allowed out in the yard every now and then, it's not that bad... Right?

[infernalis]

They are all wild animals, do you all really think a captive bred animal knows any different than a wild animal?

To shed light on this, many of the "dealers" who sell you snakes are selling wild caught animals.

the ball pythons for sale at petco are all "African Imports" gee, I wonder who is breeding them there??

So stop and think things through for a minute, because if you keep any reptiles at all, you are keeping wild animals as "pets"

I go through this all the time with people, oh my Savannah Monitor is "captive farmed" ....

They grab up pregnant females, hold them until she lays her eggs, then send mom off to the leather plant to make watch bands and wallets.

That's what "farmed" means.

My steak was "farmed" too.

[Trollbie]

Originally Posted by infernalis

They are all wild animals, do you all really think a captive bred animal knows any different than a wild animal?

To shed light on this, many of the "dealers" who sell you snakes are selling wild caught animals.

the ball pythons for sale at petco are all "African Imports" gee, I wonder who is breeding them there??

So stop and think things through for a minute, because if you keep any reptiles at all, you are keeping wild animals as "pets"

I go through this all the time with people, oh my Savannah Monitor is "captive farmed" ....

They grab up pregnant females, hold them until she lays her eggs, then send mom off to the leather plant to make watch bands and wallets.

That's what "farmed" means.

My steak was "farmed" too.

OMG... Really? Why do people want to wear animal skin so much now that there are alternatives?

[RandomStranger]

Originally Posted by Kingsnakechris

Its just like saying a person sentenced to life in prison isn't that bad... He gets three meals a day, access to drs and dentists and hes even allowed out in the yard every now and then, it's not that bad... Right?

I think you're anthropomorphizing snakes a little bit too much... I love snakes but I also understand that they are nothing like people. If they can live out a normal life, they are satisfied. Snakes can not be happy or sad, they can be healthy and unhealthy and that's about it. I don't feel bad about, as some people would call it, "imprisoning" my snake. I don't see the difference between keeping wild snakes and keeping captive bred snakes if they are healthy. Just because the captive bred snakes might be "Used to living in captivity so they don't mind" I really don't think snakes are capable of caring the way some people think they are.

[Bradyloach]

That's not even the same? Animals taken in get cared for and actually looked after. Prison is just not a fair argument

[Trollbie]

Originally Posted by Bradyloach

That's not even the same? Animals taken in get cared for and actually looked after. Prison is just not a fair argument

I kind of disagree... You can get a degree in prison, you can watch TV and read books all day long, or work out, or whatever. I'm not saying it's fun because you can't go anywhere, but I don't exactly think it's all treacherous...

[theapexgerman]

As long as the snakes are cared for I don't see any reason why not keeping wild ones I got 2 wild caught snakes and they do just fine

[Trollbie]

Originally Posted by theapexgerman

As long as the snakes are cared for I don't see any reason why not keeping wild ones I got 2 wild caught snakes and they do just fine

Your coral and?

[theapexgerman]

Arizona mountain king laws forced me to go out an look for one