Baby wild bluey

[Kimberlyann]

So serious question, is it possible to keep wild caught reptiles?

Story is my step mother rang me up screaming that there is this huge *** blue tongue in her garden (they where chopping down trees and bushes and stuff) so i went over and had a look and found this little baby bluey not even 30cms long and i was like oh just leave it, he will be fine, he'll eat all your snails and she was freaking out telling me to take it away, so i took it thinking ok well i can just let it go out in the bush down the road but then i thought arent they territorial?? Not sure if they are or not so i didnt want to put it some where were some big male will come along and eat it or something haha, i dont know if its legal to keep them but i remember reading in "keeping australian pythons and reptiles" (cant remember who by but it has a diamond on the front) that if u go out herping and catch something to keep all records and tail sizes and all this jazz, if its not legal i can take him into the reptile park when i work next...

Please dont go off at me for being a noob lol thanks guys

Oh and this is him/her sorry not the best camera haha

 

[-Peter]

Of course its possible, its not legal though. In the end you will do what you think is right.

 

[Chicken]

Look out some people may go over the top, but no you are not allowed to keep wild caught reptiles in captivity, the best thing to do would be to take to a wildlife reserve, out in the bush somewhere away from people and release it. As much as you may want to keep it, its the right thing to do.

 

[souldoubt]

I dont think releasing him will be a problem as long as he isnt underweight, sick or injured which it doesnt look like. They do have to avoid all the issues of predation and large blue tongues not wanting newcomers moving into the homes etc. from the time they are born. I release blue tongues that I have in care of any age
I know in QLD you can apply to DERM to keep them, but approval is uncommon and requires the animal to not be suffering but unreleasable for one reason or another. I would release him but if you have any doubts about him for whatever reason you could take him to the reptile park and get them to have a look at him first.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Maybe run it by DEC, just ring them and ask them what to do.

 

[Kimberlyann]

Thanks guys glad i didnt get my head chopped off ill take him to the bush area just at the end of the street near my parents place

sorry whats DEC? and how would i get in contact with them?

Ohh and he looks perfectly healthy, nice and plump

 

[Bluetongue1]

It’s best chance of survival is probably letting it go somewhere nearby to where you collected it, but well away from the road and houses, if possible. Although they do establish home ranges, these can over lap. Just keep it well away from any other reptiles to eliminate the possibility of disease being transmitted in either direction.

Releasing it mid morning, when it is warm enough to move around, should allow it to locate its own shelter. Alternatively, if it is later in the day, see if you can locate shelter for it - like a pile of old corrugated iron or building rubble, a ‘loose’ rock heap with lots of hollows, a burrow, a cavity under a boulder or slab, a hollow log etc - and release it into that so it has protection from predators like foxes or cats, until it can find its own digs during the daytime.

The main reason DEC don’t allow people to keep such animals is to stop individuals going out and collecting what they want and then claiming it’s a relocation. I will leave it to you to estimate what chance you have of succeeding at that option.

Blue

 

[Kimberlyann]

Thanks guy, i let him go out in the bush just at the end of the road from my parents yesterday arvo, just hope he does well down there with no dramas

 

[Bluetongue1]

My apologies Kimberlyann. I neglected to answer your question about DEC.

The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) was formerly known as the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) or simply referred to as DEC. National Parks and Wildlife Services are one of the bodies that this office manages. They also manage or more correctly, act under the name of Environmental Protection authority (EPA). Confused? I think that is the general idea. Makes it hard to determine just who exactly is responsible for what.

Well done with the bluey. A shame your mum doesn’t like them because they are great to have around in the yard.

Blue

 

[Kimberlyann]

I think i might understand a little bit, lol, I told her their good to have around i would of let it go in my back yeard but i have 4 dogs and i wouldnt want to risk the poor little thing getting eaten by them