so called teachers looking for free snakes

[kat_kies]

Is it just me or is it really stupid for a teacher to post on forums such as this trying to score free snakes of which they claim are to be used for pets in the classroom. Or are they just random people using the whold teachig edge to get free snakes because beig a mother myself i would not want my childs teacher getting some 7 ft snake that she had never even seen or handled for a class pet that my children would be around. It would be dangerous even though someone says the snake is gental and docile that doesn't mean that it will be around 30 screaming children a child could get hurt and here i thought these were supposed to be educted people. Growing up our class room pets were bought as babies and raised around the kids so is it just me or is someone pulling some crap. Thanks

[DaemoNox]

Its hard to tell how legitimate it is, but I think most people out there know to be cautious; at least I hope. If it was a teacher I'd hope too that the snake would be examined before getting too.

[HeavenlyHerps]

Ive seen it go both ways. Doing reptile rescue you see all these cases and more. A local middle school teacher called me one morning and had asked if I would be wiling to take two snakes she just got from an older student who said they would make great classroom pets. Well it was a 5 foot Carpet Python which you couldnt get near the tank with out it striking and hitting the glass of the tank and a 11 foot female Burmese Python. While the Burmese was calm and tolerated handling I didnt find it fair to the snake to be shoved in a 4 foot tank with only a water dish, no heat what so ever. So I desided to take both snakes along with a Gold Tegu she had 'Adopted' from a friend. Shortly after taking all three animals I saw an add in the paper about a Science teacher looking to adopt reptiles for her class. I called the add because I had a California King snake which I was looking to rehome and would be intrested in rehomeing it with a person who would use it for educational work. Found out, it was the same teacher who I just removed the three reptiles from. After talking with the Science teacher and then talking to the Principal of the school I made a verbal agreement saying I would help the Science department along with the AG department in aquiring temperment tested animals, both reptiles and mammals. Its been a couple of years and all the animals are doing great, they even have there Leopard geckos breeding which they sell the hatchlings whole sale to a local Petco. (I know, Pecto..ick)

While in other cases its people trying to make a quick buck by saying the reptiles will be for a school or going to a reptile rescue. Lots of times you'll see the adds saying "Wanted: unwanted reptiles, willing to take all and any" most the time these people will either turn around and sell the reptle or use them in there breeding projects or other things. So to answer your question, yes, most the time its people trying to pull the wool over your eyes or infact they might be teachers looking to score a reptile, not taking into consideration that this reptile might be a danger to there students.

[redtails]

Teachers I know around here are willing to buy their reptile, even at normal prices. I brought my burm to a local high school to return a rattlesnake bucket to a lady teaching summer school and when I went past the biology room everyone came running out and the teacher wanted to know if she could buy it or one like it for her normal class the following year from me. I should've done it as I got kicked out of my house soon after and had to sell anyways, but oh well.

[kat_kies]

I'm happy to hear that you were willing to help educate the school on proper care,housing,and overall good decision making.