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

[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.

[Bradyloach]

Wow wayne! Couldn't have said it better myself

[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?

[theapexgerman]

Damm wayne your on it today lol

[infernalis]

Google Varanus Leather...

Gator boots, snakeskin belts.

Not everyone loves reptiles the same way we do.

Some states have really messed up laws, it's OK to run down a snake with your lawn mower, but "illegal" to keep one as a pet.

the world is a messed up place.

[jaleely]

i disagree with having imports, and all that jazz. the reality is though i keep exotic pets. i don't like the idea of a bunch of people going off and catching some in the wild, bagging them up, and shipping them in horrible conditions. I don't really like the idea of local or even large retail people keeping 100s of snakes in small racks and using them only for breeding, either. But...here i am, keeping exotic animals in cages.
Taking them from the wild can disturb the ecosystem if done in excess, but also taking into a home environment a silly couple of snakes that don't know to be afraid, or are sitting out sunning themselves and protecting them from the elements and wild other creatures (as long as you -are-doing that and providing them proper care) in reality, the snake won't know the difference and will eventually become comfortable in it's new home.
so, mixed opinion. I don't like it. I seem to encourage it however.

[red ink]

Can people not find these animals in captivity?

If they can... then there is no reason to take from the wild. That is effectively poaching whether it is legal to take or not. You have taken an animal from it's natural environment where it has it's own place in. Sorry that is something that I can not condone. Since when did our love of keeping reptile mean we destroy and take them from the wild. I understand that there are a lot of WC imports over there, but seriously that is something you guys over there need to make a concentrated effort to combat, breed them and push the harvesters out of the market - that can only be done by supporting CBB.

[red ink]

Originally Posted by theapexgerman

Its illegal to buy or own native species and since AZ mountain king is native only one way of getting one took me a month to find one

Nice... so you went ahead and broke native animal laws just cause you wanted one. POACHING... that's what that act is called just in case you didn't know. Nice work bud.

[Bradyloach]

That is true! Hmm I'm going to change my opinion: i think if you want the animal and you do believe you can give it a better home: example; a turtle that's injured then it would be a rescue And give it a better home with food and safety. But taking a thriving animal like a savannah monitor and putting it in the pet trade or making a belt out of it that is not right. If the monitor was injured and you can give it a better home untill it's all healed up well go for it, but shipping it across the ocean is going to make the health a lot worse

[theapexgerman]

Yea I. Poach atleast with me has an better chance at living

[red ink]

Originally Posted by theapexgerman

Yea I. Poach atleast with me has an better chance at living

Hmmm... better chance at living in a box vs what it was intended to do in the wild. Live or die out there it has it's place, if you can't understand that...

There's a reason people with half a brain preserve their native habitat in an effort to save an animal rather than just POACHING them out of the wild you know cause they'll be better off with them and all that.

I wonder if people can use that same justifications for San Fran garters.... They are obviously not doing to well in the wild, wait there's laws against it... Nah who care's they'll be better of with me. Can we organise a reptile meet on this forum to go to Cali and we can all look for one and keep them, just don't tell the federales...

[theapexgerman]

There ain't no laws in other states bout owning AZ mountain king I just can't buy one in arizona so I went out to catch one

[Kingsnakechris]

Oh here come the poaching preachers..... It's no different then catching any other wild snake. Id prefer CB but to say someone is poaching by catching one species but not poaching by catching another? Makes no sense...

[red ink]

Originally Posted by theapexgerman

There ain't no laws in other states bout owning AZ mountain king I just can't buy one in arizona so I went out to catch one

LOL... Obviously AZ are trying to preserve them in their endemic range... What's already out there in other states is of no concern to them as they are not wild and already in captivity. Hence the laws only apply against keeping and POACHING in that state.

WAIT... maybe that isn't so obvious after all huh?

[Kingsnakechris]

It isn't keeping AND poaching. The only law being broke is possessing a native snake.