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Snowman
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Published: 1-27-2009
Source: The West Australian (Newspaper)
Author: FLIP PRIOR
Snakes charm suburban owners
28th July 2009, 6:00 WST
He may not be cute and cuddly but to Craig Maher, Galadriel the black-headed python is a beloved pet.
Mr Maher is one of just 13 people in WA licensed by the Department of Environment and Conservation to keep poisonous snakes as pets and though he has several safely locked away, Galadriel’s hiss is worse than his bite because it’s not venomous.
The popularity of keeping reptiles and native amphibians as pets continues to soar, with new figures from the DEC revealing a 550 per cent increase in the number of people holding licences since they were first issued in 2003.
At June 30, 2009, 3439 people in WA held licences, including 620 new ones issued in the past 12 months — a 20 per cent increase on last year — with the most popular species including the Stimson’s python, oblong tortoise, western bearded dragon and blue-tongue and bobtail lizards.
In Mr Maher’s back shed in Alexander Heights, about 40 snakes — including Stimson, south-west carpet, woma, black-headed and olive pythons, along with highly venomous southern and Pilbara death adders — slither and curl inside thermostatically controlled vivariums.
A category five licence holder and vice-president of the WA Herpetological Society, Mr Maher said he had been enthralled with the reptiles from childhood and had kept them since the law allowed it.
“They’re very clean and fascinating to watch — they’re very therapeutic, you could say,” he said.
Mr Maher said though keeping snakes was a long-term commitment of up to 20 years, they made ideal pets because they were noiseless and ate about once a month.
He said the society had recently put a proposal to the DEC to upgrade the allowed species list because of the animals’ growing popularity.
“We want to try to conserve what’s in the bush . . . there’s enough keepers now to be able to sustain the pet industry with captive bred animals,” Mr Maher said.
Read More...
Source: The West Australian (Newspaper)
Author: FLIP PRIOR
Snakes charm suburban owners
28th July 2009, 6:00 WST
He may not be cute and cuddly but to Craig Maher, Galadriel the black-headed python is a beloved pet.
Mr Maher is one of just 13 people in WA licensed by the Department of Environment and Conservation to keep poisonous snakes as pets and though he has several safely locked away, Galadriel’s hiss is worse than his bite because it’s not venomous.
The popularity of keeping reptiles and native amphibians as pets continues to soar, with new figures from the DEC revealing a 550 per cent increase in the number of people holding licences since they were first issued in 2003.
At June 30, 2009, 3439 people in WA held licences, including 620 new ones issued in the past 12 months — a 20 per cent increase on last year — with the most popular species including the Stimson’s python, oblong tortoise, western bearded dragon and blue-tongue and bobtail lizards.
In Mr Maher’s back shed in Alexander Heights, about 40 snakes — including Stimson, south-west carpet, woma, black-headed and olive pythons, along with highly venomous southern and Pilbara death adders — slither and curl inside thermostatically controlled vivariums.
A category five licence holder and vice-president of the WA Herpetological Society, Mr Maher said he had been enthralled with the reptiles from childhood and had kept them since the law allowed it.
“They’re very clean and fascinating to watch — they’re very therapeutic, you could say,” he said.
Mr Maher said though keeping snakes was a long-term commitment of up to 20 years, they made ideal pets because they were noiseless and ate about once a month.
He said the society had recently put a proposal to the DEC to upgrade the allowed species list because of the animals’ growing popularity.
“We want to try to conserve what’s in the bush . . . there’s enough keepers now to be able to sustain the pet industry with captive bred animals,” Mr Maher said.
Read More...
