Licence issues

[glacey]

If posts on this site recently are any indication of the calibre of people being granted keeping licences......then I think there should be real concerns for the animals that they are buying.

We seem to be getting either ridiculiously simple questions or completely incoherant ones...........which are fine, except when in most cases, these people already have animals in their care.

Is it just me...............or does anyone else think there needs to be more of an understanding of reptiles before licences are issued?

 

[junglepython2]

what posts/questions are you referring to glacey??

 

[snakes4me2]

You can only unerstand reptiles or any animal in fact so much in theory and the rest comes from experience IMO

 

[MrBredli]

I think (initial) license fees should be $20 extra, and a copy of Weigel's book should be sent out with every new license

 

[glacey]

Sorry not going to individually pick people out for a bagging .........but there are plenty of them about imcomplete sheds, when's my snake going to crap, my snake hasn't eaten for a week etc - it just seems that there are some extremely simple questions that should be understood before a licence is issued.

 

[junglepython2]

True but at least there paying attention to there reptile and trying to find the answers, it would be difficult to try and access someone's knowledge before allowing them to get a license. Maybe the breeders and petshops have some more responsibility to educate any potential buyers before selling. By observing threads on this site about past purchases it would seem that this is at least occuring with most breeders

 

[Gunnie101]

No Offence - I simply do not agree

There is no such thing as a stupid question - period. The whole reason for aussiepythons to exist is so that herp keepers can help others, so at the end of the day is someone can answer a simple question that seems obvious to the rest of us that ends up keeping a herp alive then it must be a good thing

Jason

 

[elapid68]

Just because you thing some of the questions are stupid, Others don't. For some people it may be their first reptile and the only way to find out is to ask. Not every one has as much expertise and you. It's like kids, years ago I had no idea on how to be a dad, I asked a lot of questions, and some people might have thought they were dumb, I certainly didn't. My daughters grew up well adjusted young women and one is now a mother herself asking the same "dumb" questions I asked, but she's getting there. There are no dumb questions just dumb answers.

 

[glacey]

Re: RE: Licence issues

True but at least there paying attention to there reptile and trying to find the answers, it would be difficult to try and access someone's knowledge before allowing them to get a license. Maybe the breeders and petshops have some more responsibility to educate any potential buyers before selling. By observing threads on this site about past purchases it would seem that this is at least occuring with most breeders

Agreed - but how many inexperienced people are owning reptiles and not using forum like this to help answer these questions??

As I said, not trying to bag people..........but the level of some questions are a concern, if this is an indication of the level of understanding of people gaining licences.

And yes the onus does probably fall more towards petshops etc.....breeders in my experience are pretty good at passing on info.

 

[snakehunter]

Point taken Glacey but surely you can understand how worried a newbie can get when a snake won't feed. However the current 'hand over the money here is your licence' setup could be improved, possibly by a once-off day course run monthly or something for new applicants

 

[Monitor_Man]

I agree with you glacey! There really are some dumb questions asked here about basic things that should be understood before owning a reptile. Poor animals is all I can say.

 

[glacey]

No Offence - I simply do not agree

There is no such thing as a stupid question - period. The whole reason for aussiepythons to exist is so that herp keepers can help others, so at the end of the day is someone can answer a simple question that seems obvious to the rest of us that ends up keeping a herp alive then it must be a good thing

Jason

I never said 'stupid questions' - but simple questions. I don't blame the people asking them, but question why they need to use a forum like this to do it.

Shouldn't they be aware of these things 'prior' to gaining a licence - for the animals sake if nothing else.

 

[Davo66]

I can see the point glacey is making, and yes this is a place people with herps can come and ask questions, but the point that I got out of glaceys comments is, not every herp owner comes into this site. How many people are out there who do not know this place exist and there are wondering why their snakes eyes are cloudy and what temp should I have and whats a temp gradient, or how do you sex a snake. How many people have these questions but never get the correct answer resulting in a herp suffering. I believe there should be a compulsory herp course which helps prepare owners prior to owning the herp or at the very least a knowledge test covering the basics of the respective herp the person is interested in. Or as glacey mentioned the price of the licence includes a quality reference book on Herps.
This website address should be in bold letters at the top and bottom of the Reptile Keepers Application form!!


Cheers, Davo

 

[Davo66]

Correction to my last, Mr Bredli mentioned the extra $20.00 for the book! sorry!

 

[dee4]

It's probably not that they are dumb questions, it's proably more to the point of what they have been told prior by someone that gives them the wrong info. Then they question what they have been told when it doesn't go exactly the way they have been told..........

 

[NRE-808]

glacey - I am about the least experienced on here and the questions i am asking are for the benefit of the animal ie-enclosure types, size, substrate worth using etc, QLD breeders etc etc etc. I havnt had many of those questions answered, some of them can only be answered from and by people experience, the information isnt in books. Care of Australian Reptiles In Captivity and Keeping Carpet Pythons are on my "to buy" list and are going to be bought, read and understood well before i get a snake of my own.

In regards to people being new to Hepetology and not knowing of this website, i informed a person tonight of this website, gave him some hints to a few matters he wasnt sure of as best as i knew, if i didnt know the answer, i said so. He will soon be joining this website and doing his upmost to look after his MDs as best as he can. I got to hold his 5ft female tonight and she is a lovely snake and confirms everything everyone has said to me about MDs.

In short - at least they are asking questions and not just guessing what to do... sorry we dont kow as much as you... i, at least, am trying to learn.

Ian

 

[JandC_Reptiles]

What is BC? 8)

 

[snakes4me2]

It's probably not that they are dumb questions, it's proably more to the point of what they have been told prior by someone that gives them the wrong info. Then they question what they have been told when it doesn't go exactly the way they have been told..........

Couldn't agree more, One question I find interesting or atleast the answer is HOW OFTEN SHOULD I FEED MY SNAKE. I have heard so many different answers to this question for the same snake.....every 5 days, every 7, every10, once a fortnight. you get my point

 

[glacey]

In short - at least they are asking questions and not just guessing what to do... sorry we dont kow as much as you... i, at least, am trying to learn.

Ian

You miss my point - I never said anything about my level of knowledge........just that if this forum is any indication, then there must be many owners out there with 'simple' questions that have no idea of the answers because they have been given a licence for paying a fee and haven't had to demonstrate any understanding.

It's great for those lucky enough to know about a site like this to ask questions......but scary that it comes to that, as what about those who don't have this avenue???

 

[peterjohnson64]

I totally agree with the Weigal Book idea. I know I bought it in about 1990 and have used it as my first point of reference ever since. It is funny that a pet shop will upsell an unnecessary heat mate/hide/whatever but fail to upsell Weigal's book.

But even with the book you could read it cover to cover and then have a question on say, milky eyes. the book talks about the opaque stage of shedding but you would still be concerened about the milky eyes - or even tha fact that they were milky, now they're not and he still hasn't shed.

The book talks about snakes being able to not eat for ages but I totally understand someone being concerned if their snake isn't eating. Imagine if it was stress related rather than just the season. The pet shop may have sold them a 4 foot tank for their baby coastal.

Personally, I am much happier that these people are on here asking these questions rather than asking the cat expert at the pet shop. These people are showing a genuine interest in their new pet and I believe will end up great keepers by staying here (along with joining a herp society). I think that the people you are really commenting on are the ones we don't see here who leave their hatchie in the 4 foot tank feeding them live rats.

It's a good point you make though Glacey. Interestingly, it is part of the reason the NPWS doesn't allow the sale of herps in pet shops. Of course, it appears that is about to change. The book idea just loooks even batter now.