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

[zaroba]

Originally Posted by 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?

1. Typically wild animals of all types have parasites just due to living in the wild. Just like if we go out in the woods, we can come back with ticks and mosquito bites. Being captured and brought into captivity can cause severe stress which reduces the effectiveness of the snakes immune system thus allowing any parasites to become worse, possibly to the point of death of the snake.

2. You say your not effecting the population because they wont be breeding this year, well, they wont be breeding in the wild next year either since you have them so yes, you are affecting the population in the long run.

3. In many/most states, it is actually illegal to take native reptiles out of the wild or there are limits (you'd have to check with your states Fish & Game department). Mostly because they are endangered DUE to people taking them out of the wild like you did.

4. In many/most states, it is also illegal to RETURN reptiles to the wild after they have been in captivity for more then a few months due to the possibility of introducing new parasites/diseases/illness to wild populations which may pose to be harmful or even detrimental to the survival of the wild population if they have no natural immune defense to it. for example, you releasing it due to it getting sick, you may introduce a new illness to the wild population.


The only time that wild animals should be kept are for short term purposes:
1. Rehabilitation. A while back one of my cats kept catching baby garter snakes, so I took them in so their injuries could heal and then returned them to nature, away from the house and cat.
2. Relocation. I've found Box turtles in places where housing developments were going up, moved them to a large park. Same with snakes from my neighborhood due to kids that insist on killing them.
3. Education/Research. Take in a tadpole, watch it morph into a frog, release it. Catch a snake, weigh it, measure it, study it, release it.

The only time a wild animal should be kept in captivity forever is if it is no longer able to survive in the wild due to injury. A local zoo here has some animals that are injured, like an eagle with one wing. It was either shot or hit by a vehicle and as such can no longer survive in the wild and actually requires human care for survival.