Please think about it - gravid snakes

[Athravan]

I have had a rather heartbreaking conversation with someone who recently purchased at a show a "heavily gravid" corn snake, who unfortunately died on the 5 hour return journey. I have also spoken to someone else who bought a gravid animal, and seen at least one post in the forums when glancing at "who bought what" threads saying they bought a gravid animal.

I am placing no blame with any names and I am not posting this to make any one feel bad or have a go at anyone in specific. But if you are a seller and you are thinking about selling a gravid animal, or you are a buyer and thinking about buying one, please consider the risks. I don't have a go at people after the fact, but I do want to try and help / educate people to avoid it happening again or at least give people something to think about.

Any animal whilst in pregnancy - especially towards the end - could be more sensitive to stress, light, movement, noise and of course, temperature. Stress is a killer of animals at the best of times, an animal who's body is already working overtime to protect it's young could be in a higher risk factor - just like a pregnant woman is.

If you're pregnant, the doctor recommends you don't stress, you eat healthy, you avoid certain types of exercise, long trips in confined spaces, plane trips, etc.

The snake that died, was clearly heavily gravid and marketted as so, with the buyer thinking it was a "bargain" because of the offspring he would receive. It was packaged as "normal" for carrying a snake - which I have nothing against, but this is a small tupperware tub with paper towel in it. Not a moss box, not a temperature controlled environment, some snakes will want to stretch out and exercise before they give birth, and should not be confined to a small space. The seller had travelled 3 hours to sell the animal, the animal was then in this small container for 4 hours at the show, following a 5 hour return journey.

There is no PM yet to say that the animal was healthy or that it being heavily gravid was a factor, but I consider it to be a risk.

In this case, I genuinely believe both the buyer and the seller, knowing them both, did not consider the risk factor out of ignorance, not out of any malicious intent. Therefore, considering the two other confirmed sales recently I know of at shows of gravid animals - I just wanted to write this - and say, if you are considering at the next show selling a gravid animal, please reconsider!

If you are going to sell a gravid animal transport it yourself directly to the buyer in an appropriate container, at least provide the substrate such as moss that the animal can feel it's in it's moss box and could lay if stress brought on an early labour. Don't leave it in a box on a table at a show after a long drive, there's just no need and I cannot see it being good for the animals health.

I know there will be plenty of responses saying "Well I've transported a gravid snake and it was fine.." "I bought one and it's fine.." that's not the point. A doctor tells you it's not as safe to do something during pregnancy, you can still do it, and you may be fine 99% of the time - but that doesn't mean the 1% can't happen and captive snakes cannot have their own say in their welfare and their offspring, you have to take that responsibility.

So, RIP to the corn snake and her future offspring.

[bluerain]

I actually agree with you 100% If you were intrested in a snake from a buyer and she was suspected gravid, he would hold that snake for you until after she had laid!!
If you are getting a gravid snake from somebody you know, then thats going to be different, as it would not involve long times cooped up in a small container with flactuations in temperature. But buying at shows you have travelled for hours to get too, then transporting them home is another matter indeed.
I also think there is a certain amount of selfishness in purchasing a gravid snake, as it means you are usually considering the fact that you could soon have eggs, and babies...Before the actual well being of the animal. Great post Anthraven, shows how much you care!!

[LEXCORN]

I too agree that this is an enlightening post.

It has never crossed my mind to sell a gravid corn, or indeed any reptile that is gravid.

The worrying point here is why breed a female if you do not intend to keep either her or the progeny?

Obviously the practice of selling gravid females is far more common than I could ever imagine, judging from the info. by the O.P.

Lex

[Athravan]

I am bumping this up for 2010. Today alone whilst browsing I saw three adverts in the classified section advertising gravid or possible gravid snakes, and show season is almost upon us.

I posted this topic last year, but the information is still 100% relevant.

If you are taking the risk of buying or selling gravid snakes please make sure you do transport them in appropriate laying boxes in case of early induced labour, and don't leave them out for hours at shows at unregulated temperatures.

[SexyBear77]

Fantastic post, it must be very stressful for gravid animal to have to go through that at a time of already increased stress and rampaging hormones!!

Hopefully with this post you might save a few lives.

[sender]

really good post! if i ever bred my snakes i would be nervous about moving them to a new viv let alone transporting them great distances to be sold and karted around for gods knows how long.


i hope more people reconsider selling or purchasing gravid reptiles afer reading this thread

[martynandkirsty]

I agree with this gravid snakes shouldnt even be moved out of there vivs for cleaning nevermind spending hours in transit

[wildlifewarrior]

Originally Posted by Athravan

I am bumping this up for 2010. Today alone whilst browsing I saw three adverts in the classified section advertising gravid or possible gravid snakes, and show season is almost upon us.

I posted this topic last year, but the information is still 100% relevant.

If you are taking the risk of buying or selling gravid snakes please make sure you do transport them in appropriate laying boxes in case of early induced labour, and don't leave them out for hours at shows at unregulated temperatures.

ive said this god knows how many times on this and other forums...along with "please dont send reptile eggs in the post so others can practice incubating them"...and the only replies you get are...."well ive done it and never had any problems"

Sadly with importing wc animals there are times when females are gravid on arrival...but you arent aware of it prior....but i just dont personally see the point of selling gravid snakes....as i keep banging on about new snakes that have not settled in suffer from stress levels...these stress levels turn into NRA(non-regenative aneimia) and the last thing you want with a gravid snake is it to eb suffering from anemia

[tick]

Originally Posted by Athravan

I am bumping this up for 2010. Today alone whilst browsing I saw three adverts in the classified section advertising gravid or possible gravid snakes, and show season is almost upon us.

I posted this topic last year, but the information is still 100% relevant.

If you are taking the risk of buying or selling gravid snakes please make sure you do transport them in appropriate laying boxes in case of early induced labour, and don't leave them out for hours at shows at unregulated temperatures.

Hi Athravan sorry to say this but the worst offenders for buying gravid animals are shops as they are the most experienced at spotting a gravid animal and will snap the sellers arm of at the idea of getting free babies of which ever species they buy. I v seen it more than a few times happening around this area.

[cervantes]

Good thread Athravan