illegal corn snake

[Jason]

the potentail for disease's etc to b introduced into australia is to high to even consider bringing more in. to think that allowing them would reduce inport is crazy it would probably increase 10 fold cause they would be legal once they get them in and on some exotic liscence, just like GTP im sure that these are still been smuggled in constantly cause once they are here they can be kept (unless cought at the border etc).
look at OPMV where did that come from? ( i THINK its introduced but i dont know if they know) either way viruses (especially satilite viruses) can be latent in may organism not showing any symptoms in that species but potentailly lethal to others (such as our natives), therefor an animal of seemingle healthy and normal appearance can easily be a vector of a devistating viral partical. this happens more then people realise.

[maddowse]

we have a wide veriety of snakes here why cant people just be happy with what australia has to offer.

in my opinion people who source these exotic snakes and other animals out dont realy care for or about them
they just want them just so say they have one (for the brag factor.)
were i work one of the older guys there had his son put in jail for owning two boas. aparently he didnt have them in an encloser and didnt even know how to look after a python, he just got the two because he heard someone say how great it would be to have one.

he just payed one of the crew members on a container ship to bring them over.
i think these people should be band for owning any pet. because the pets best interest isnt in mind when the seek these exotic animals out

[Kirby]

i got offered an iguana for $500.... corns dont cost $1000

it sickens me how common these things are...

if ig's were legal, i'd already have one. but for the sake of our ecosystem and our animals. i said 'no' very strongely..

we dont need these things breeding like crazy, just think the cain toad/

[junglepython2]

You will struggle to give an iguana away o/s and most corns sell for next to nothing, I can't understand why people here go to such lengths to keep them.

[COOP]

Iguanas cost 8 australian dollars in china, they have buckets full of them which they sell off the street > am i allowed to say that? As stated, there will always be a market for exotics, because thats what they are, exotic

[COOP]

Thanks for that Sebii, i'll remember to slam the door in their face if they don't have a search warrant, which they won't. The fact that i know a few people with exotics, and who MIGHT sell exotics does not incriminate myself in any way. In your reasoning, most people on here should be expecting a knock on their door > Get real

[Recharge]

Originally Posted by Reptile_Boy

i was offered an albino corn for 300. they are to commen. they need to get them all confiscated and put in zoo's or evan make a certian license for them.

well, you could start that process by informing on said person.
way WAY too many people in the herp world hold their tongues on such issues..

[Miss_Croft]

Jason - I have read at least one reference the snakes with OPMV (Two strains) originated from two legal imported cobra

The issue is that there are exotics are in Australia (Some more worrying than others – Sliders for example). For what some one this board have stated – in many cases there is a breeding population. The question is where from here? Banning has NOT stopped their import – I have suggested do what they did with the bird keepers – rule a line in the sand and say no more from here and allow the existing ones. This would do a few things:
Make them available on the open market – reduce the need to import because they are been bred locally. If you can buy it openly do you need to risk the years in jail to import it? It will also encourage people to take their exotic pets to the vet when they are sick – instead of dumping them in bush land (Like the recent chameleon incident). This would reduce the current risk of smuggled exotics in Australia.

Sick exotic in the bush = danger to local wildlife.

[Recharge]

Originally Posted by COOP

Thanks for that Sebii, i'll remember to slam the door in their face if they don't have a search warrant, which they won't. The fact that i know a few people with exotics, and who MIGHT sell exotics does not incriminate myself in any way. In your reasoning, most people on here should be expecting a knock on their door > Get real

knowledge of an ongoing crime does in fact leave you open to possible prosecution.
the fact you don't report these "friends" speak volumes about you and what you think of our native species. *shakes finger*

[Hix]

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

Banning has NOT stopped their import – I have suggested do what they did with the bird keepers – rule a line in the sand and say no more from here and allow the existing ones. This would do a few things:
Make them available on the open market – reduce the need to import because they are been bred locally. If you can buy it openly do you need to risk the years in jail to import it?

A couple of points: anecdotal evidence in the bird clubs suggests there are still birds being smuggled into Australia.

Secondly, many of the exotics are currently being bred and sold locally (albeit illegally). Those who have them aren't risking jail, because no-one convicted of has gone to jail.

Snakes are being smuggled in because they are new morphs, species unavailable here, or - as we saw last week with the arrerst in Victoria - they're smuggling in GTPs because they are cheap overseas and expensive here.



Hix

[Chimera]

Originally Posted by Miss_Croft

Jason - I have read at least one reference the snakes with OPMV (Two strains) originated from two legal imported cobra

Which ones are they, I have read a reasonable amount of the lit available on OPMV in Australia and have not come across this fact.

[Miss_Croft]

Sebii – I doubt AQIS came to visit you – their jurisdiction starts and stops at the boarders. They do not actively investigate past breaches of boarder security. That is left up to the police (State and Federal) as well as your local wildlife authority. However they are often called upon to assist the police (Both state and federal) and your local wild life authority (May be at a pinch RSPCA).

However you are right that having demonstrated knowledge of a crime (been in the same place of a crime or talking about a crime) probably will be grounds for a search warrant. Also I think the local wild life authority may be able to search your premise (House included) without a warrant if they suspect you keeping exotic animals.

300+ organizations in Australia have a right to enter and search your house/property without a search warrant. (Source Today Tonight Channel 7)

[Chimera]

No sources then? Should we attach this to all the other hearsay on OPMV.

Not sure whether this is the case in the US but here in Aus we suffer an over-abundance of BS on this topic and not enough FACT.

[nikay11]

I am suprised people would pay a thousand for those snakes, here you can get them for $50 everyone has one...

[peterjohnson64]

Here's a new slant. ASian House Geckoes are actually on the list of species that can be kept in NSW. From what I understand (and I accep tthat this could be totally wrong) Asian House Geckoes are an introduced species.

So.......... is it possible that at some time in the future Corn Snakes and Red Eared Sliders will also be considered along similar lines to the Asian House Geckoe and being seen as a local introduced species that can actually be kept????

Just a thought.