Slow worms

[SiUK]

im confused (easily confused) Pollywog said that the parents of the snake must also be captive bred surely that would make the legal offspring at least 2nd generation?

[Matt Harris]

Perhaps see what Pollywog thinks of my reasoning - I am happy to stand corrected.

[pollywog]

It's been a couple of years since I really looked into the legislation but Natural England the people that provide the licenses for keeping & selling native Reptiles & Amphibians stated that a license is not required if the animal being sold/kept were born in captivity and bred from animals who themselves were born in captivity.

[pollywog]

Another thing to remember is that there have been imports of WC Slow Worms over the last couple of years which have been cleared by DEFRA so stock originating from these would be legal so long as they can be traced back to the importer.

[sean k]

when i asked kent wildlife trust they said sloworms are not allowed to be sold at all.

[Young_Gun]

Originally Posted by sean k

when i asked kent wildlife trust they said sloworms are not allowed to be sold at all.

Thats wrong.

If you can prove they are CB, Fragilis can be sold from F1, the parents could be collected gravid an hour, week or month prior to giving birth and the babies would be legal to sell as long as they had been born in captivity.

[ian14]

This issue has been discussed before. The Wildlife and Countryside Act makes NO mention about 1st, 2nd, or any other generation. It simply refers to animals in a wild state prior to capture. This means that providing what you are selling was born in captivity then it is perfectly legal to sell. It is only illegal if you go and capture a slow worm, or any other native species, then try to flog it. I have spoken to DEFRA about this to get a definitive answer, which is the explanation I have given. Providing it was born in captivity, it can be sold.
Of course, proving this could be problematic, but in terms of the legislation, the parents do not need to be captive bred, all that is required is that the animal offered for sale was born in captivity.

[welshgaz]

Proving its CB is hard yes but then proving its WC would be as well...

[Matt Harris]

Animals for sale would be assumed to be wild, unless it could be proven otherwise. The burden of proof would be with the defendant.