Corn Snakes

[sydneygoldsales.com]

Hey everyone.

I know a guy who knows a guy, who knows a guy who has albino corn snakes in Australia which are obviously not on his licennce.

I was wondering what peoples opinions on this were? and why? I have seen photos and they look F#%$!*G AWESOME.

Being new to the whole reptile thing I don't know of all the cons that everyone will probably list, but I don't see why it is a bad thing, so long as they are kept in captivity only, by responsible people that ONLY keep them in cages and don't let them into the wild.

Opinions?

 

[BROWNS]

Not everyone is responsible,they are exotic and also raise the question of disease.They're prolific breeders that would be right at home in our environment if enough escaped or were released.This then brings up endless environmental and wildlife damage questions.

We have plenty of our own natives that are awesome animals.

Cheers.....

 

[sxereturn]

Yep, look at Cane Toads here, or even better, Brown Tree Snakes in Guam. Hell, there has been reports of Burmese Pythons in the Daintree. Look at the Red Eared Sliders in Sydney and Brisbane...we don't need any more exotic reptiles in Australia.

 

[Tommo]

never heard of burms in daintree...

i heard of a lady in the paper in melbourne with a exotic permit who was illegaly breeding corn snakes.

 

[sxereturn]

Yeah it was in the paper a while ago, somebody (herp-related) said there was Burms up there. Normally I'd call bullshit, but if there was going to be rogue Burms, that is where they would be. You could easily get them up there through PNG, and it's perfect habitat.

 

[Tommo]

well png was connected to australia not long ago in the planets time so mabey nature wouldnt consider it a threat

 

[sydneygoldsales.com]

I agree with what you have all said.

I guess my question was assuming that the owner actually was 150% responsible. ie, there actually was no chance of the snake ever getting anywhere near the wild.

eg, although you guys would not have one, I am sure due to your concern there is simply no way you would ever release one into the wild, or allow it to happen in any way shape or form. You would also have it checked out by a vet to make sure there are NO diseases, or nasties. With the snake being in the custody of someone that IS that responsible, I think it would be ok. But thats just my opinion.

 

[Splitmore]

Bondisnakes,
You certainly don't have to go through the six degrees of seperation to find people who keeps corns in this country, there would be close to as many corns bred each season as there are childrens pythons.
The laws regarding keeping of exotic reptiles in this country is a complete debarcle. You have some states that legalised keeping exotics to a select few who declared them in amnesties and other states that outlaw it completely. You can currently keep exotic fish and birds, which are far more likely to escape and produce feral populations, so why shouldn't we be allowed to keep exotic reptiles?
The argument that they will escape and form feral populations is extremely weak. There are already thousands of exotics kept here yet how many feral populations exist?None, with the exception of sliders which have been here for well over 20 years when they were imported legally. The chance of corns or burmese or anything else escaping and forming feral populations in Australia is virtually nil. How long do you think a baby corn snake would last in the bush?There are millions of reptiles kept as pets all over the world and when you compare that to the odd feral population that pops up from time to time you don't really have an argument. How many people here keep native reptiles but live outside the animals natural range? Why aren't you petrified they are going to escape and displace the local wildlife? There must be hundreds of childrens pythons that escape from keepers each year in Sydney yet how many feral populations of them exist? Studies have been done on wild snakes that have been captured and relocated some distance away but into similar habitat and the majority of them died. I know of one study in the US on rattlesnakes and the mortality rate was well over 90%.
Exotics are well and truly here in this country and here to stay no matter what objections certain people have to them it's time that the government recognised the issue rather than continually pushing it aside.

 

[NoOne]

Well said Splitmore, theres probably just as many exotics being kept as there is natives, i know of several people who have all kinds of wierd and wonderful exotic reptiles as well as natives.
The other arguement that gets put forward alot is that exotics carry diseases but that is crap as well. Most people keeping exotics are good repitle keepers with disease free collections just like us and in fact we would not have to import many repitles as most are already here and in good numbers.

I'm not really to fussed if it's legal or not if i wanted to keep exotics bad enough i would but it is about time they did something.
It will be legal one day it can't be ignored.

 

[ackie]

i dought that there are as many exotics being kept as natives. I also know a few people who keep corns and just about anything else ya can think of (including chemeleons). Although i like the look of many exotics i am happy with the natives as they look better.

 

[NoOne]

You would be surprised how many exotics are being kept and bred in OZ you really would.

 

[NoOne]

....

 

[NCHERPS]

Splitmore, I agree 100% with you.
Alot of people have been brainwashed with the escape and disease theories, there has been many studies of these types of things in other countries including the UK and US and it's just not a big problem.

I have no interest personally in keeping exotics, as I have kept them in the UK for the past 19yrs.
Once I came out here, I just want to keep the Australian species, some of which were expensive in the UK and alot cheaper here, some obviously the reverse(GTP's as a example!, although from what I have been told 95% of them are exotic locality animals from Indonesia or PNG)

I feel that if what people are saying is true, then exotics should be licensed legally across the states and then at least it can be monitored to some extent.

Just my 10 cents worth.

Neil

 

[Tommo]

the lady who was breeding the corn snakes also had leopard geckos and a green iguana.

 

[Greebo]

Unless the government can find a way to make money out of it, they are not going to do anything.

 

[womas4me]

I have been told that relocating a snake more than 2 kilometers from its home range is equivalent to a death sentance. Any one know more on this.

 

[Adam]

I used to keep albino corns before I got my license a few years ago and I think they are great!!!! I would still have them if it wasn't for the fear of an inspection just like iluvs..... just had and losing my whole collection!!The whole load of crap about escape and disease is all just hype IMO. Hurry up and license it so we can all keep 'em. And there really is more exotics out there than you might think,just like there is a lot more smokers out there than you think!!

 

[cwarren72]

Well as nice as they are and regardless of my opinion on the subject I like having my licence and I love the herps I have and would rather spend my money on my house then spending it to pay off fines for keeping illegal stuff. Those who want to keep them I say good luck to them and the ones who get caught I say stiff bickies to them.

 

[Fuscus]

Do you really think after the cane toad and now the red-slider that they are going to loosen the law?

 

[NCHERPS]

Probably not Fuscus, but they were species introduced in a time when they hadn't really thought about what enviromental impact there would be on the native populations.
Every potential legalised exotic would have to be considered on it's merits, but I still think that it's better that the Goverment know who has exotics and what they have by legalising them, they way they have a little control, and a little is better than none!