Hi folks

I've been on this forum now for a few weeks and I need to vent my concern about the number of animals advertised for sale every week.

Now I appreciate that there are many genuine reasons for selling animals, especially if you are a breeder (I hope to sell some animals myself one day) or a change in circumstances meaning that you can no longer afford to look after them any more, but what worries me is the trend in 'throw away pets'.

A number of times I've read things like 'I'm getting rid of this snake 'cos I want such and such a lizard' or 'I've thought long and hard and need to get rid - but would swap for...'. Often some of these animals have only been in the persons possesion for a few months.

Snakes and lizards are long lived animals and I really believe that they should only be bought if you are prepared to look after them until the day they die, even if thats 35-30 years, NOT UNTIL YOU GET BORED. There is a particularly large number of burms on the classifieds, but rather than a lot of 'I have made an honest mistake and can no longer care for this animal, can anyone help' or 'due to a change in circumstances I can not look after it anymore', the adverts instead say 'burm for sale, will swap for large lizard' or 'burm for sale would consider other morphs'.

I can not think of any circumstances that I would sell any of my animals except those that I could no longer look after any of them (financial/family etc) but I certainly would never swap them.

Rant over

Cheers

Andy

p.s. I know some guys selling animals have genuine reasons for doing so and I have no problem with that. I am talking about those that have got bored with the animals they have (you know who you are) and just want something else, how long before they get bored with the next thing?

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I do agree with you, there are a fair few about, I myself only sell my own captive bred offspring, unless otherwise stated.

I haven't had the need to sell any of my personal collection as of yet, as income and space isn't an issue.

If I were to sell any of my own personal collection, it would be because I have come into extreme financial ruin, or I am leaving the hobby.

I still have my first snake from 10 years ago.

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I agree with your sentiments. But like you say, reptiles are long lived and people often move forward with their collections and simply don't have the space to keep everything until the day it dies. Better to sell a reptile to a new owner who'll show it the same enthusism you once did rather than keep it, become bored with it, and then probably let your husbandry slip as a result.

Fortunately reptiles don't develop the same emotional bonds as cats and dogs etc so as long as they aren't being overly stressed by moving vivs all the time I personally don't see an issue with a reptile having several owners during its life time.

Cheers

Stuart

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I keep Green Tree Pythons, Emerald Tree Boas, Black-Head Pythons, Woma Pythons, Irian Jaya Pythons, Royal Pythons, Leopard Geckos and dart frogs.

I agree also, some people treat keeping reptiles like its some kind of game, they pick and choose what thay want at the time. I think people need to think more about the well being of there animals. I would never even think of swaping an animal. I totaly agree with you.

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SNAKES
0.0.1 Cali King (Trix) - 2006
1.0.0 Western Hognose - 2007
0.1.0 Jungle carpet Python (Flax) - 2007
0.1.0 Durango Mountain King Snake - 1998
FROGS
1.0.0 American green tree frog - 2007

Sorry but why shouldn't people pick what they want at the time and then sell/swap it when they want to move on?? You seem to be suggesting that this kind of behaviour automatically means that the animal is being mistreated in some way. That is not necessarily the case at all.

Just because you dont keep an animal for its entire life does not mean that that animal suffers in any way. We are talking about reptiles here, not pets like dogs that develop strong emotional bonds with their owners. The whole concept of "a pet is for life" doesn't really apply to reptiles in the way that it does with dogs etc.

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I keep Green Tree Pythons, Emerald Tree Boas, Black-Head Pythons, Woma Pythons, Irian Jaya Pythons, Royal Pythons, Leopard Geckos and dart frogs.

Sorry, i didnt mean it like it was wrong to want new snakes and need to get rid of old ones, i meant it like bothrops said, i just didnt want to repeat him, and sorry if my reply was badly worded. Apollogies

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SNAKES
0.0.1 Cali King (Trix) - 2006
1.0.0 Western Hognose - 2007
0.1.0 Jungle carpet Python (Flax) - 2007
0.1.0 Durango Mountain King Snake - 1998
FROGS
1.0.0 American green tree frog - 2007

All my guys have been purchased with full intention of keeping them for good.
Hence why I am glad, althought I do like them, I skipped the Corns and went directly into animals I am more interested in.
Hence why now, after I've got the ones I know I am happy to keep purely as pets with no care towards breeding or not, I am putting alot of thought into what comes next, will I want to breed it one day, will I wanna breed for a certain morph, will housing it interfear with OTHER snakes I know I want in future, etc etc.
I don't intend to give up anything I take on.

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"It's Howdey Doodey Time Kiddies, The Bad Man Is Here"

My Beasts1.0 - Kenyan Sand Boa0.1 - Reticulated Python0.1 - Paraguayan Rainbow Boa0.1 - Boa Constrictor Imperator1.0 - Coastal Carpet Python1.0 - Burmese Python

i personaly feel i have to many pets and reps but id still never dream of swapping or gettin rid of them it jut wouldn't feel right

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SAY GOODBYE TO VIVS BUILD A TORTOISE TABLE

This post is bob on ,though i think the multi coloured swap shop brigade irritate most of us.

Some people do seem to have a very fast turnover and its always do to 'personal reasons' or 'circumstances' but if so why advertise for other snakes at the same time?

i guess there are some who like the idea of a snake but not the reality, some who are just trying to make a few quid every few months and the 'impulse buyers' who get bored or regret very quickly.

Nothing anyone can do about it though. Noone can stop them so its still going to go on. Ah Well.

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