Can you catch a snake like a garter and keep it, aside from laws ect.. Or do they not eat and do poorly? My friend want to try and catch a snake for a pet. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Or is it fine?
It can be done but you may have a hard time getting say a garter snake for instance to eat mice for you alot of times wild snakes eat only lizards, toads, fish and it can be hard to get them to eat. Not to mention they will be loaded with parasites that could be passed on to your other snakes and alot of times they do not calm down.
Wild caught snakes are always much harder to get established in a captive environment than a captive bred snake. You may get them to eat and adapt over time or you will just kill them. Field collecting should only be done by experienced herpers who know how to properly ease the transition, know how to properly treat mites, ticks, internal parasites (wild caught WILL have those things), any injuries they may have, diseases they may carry and be able to differentiate between a healthy and sick specimen. There is a lot more involved when getting wild caught animals. If your friend does not know what he is doing, encourage him to just go buy a Garter. They cost all of $10.
actually ihave a nest of garder snakes in my back yard, a few years ago i cuaght one and it lived for about 2 years, before i forgot to feed it for a good period of time.... yeah i know its mean.. but yeah im thinking aobut going out and grabbing one of those squirmy things for an addition
Josh... just go and buy one. Its incredibly cruel to take a snake out of its natural enviroment where it s obviously thriving, to be put in a viv. Chances are it wont feed, it will bite, and be stressed. Not fair in my opinion
I agree with kavinos. An animal that has lived to adulthood in the wild should be left alone. This animal has proven that it is able to survive and should be allowed to pass on it's genes uninterrupted so that the next generations have as good a chance at surviving as the parents did. Leave them in the wild. There are plenty that are available in the pet trade.
There are exceptions--captive bred specimens are not available for all species. If you're an experienced herper looking to establish and CB a species that isn't usually available CB in the trade, then there are reasons to do field collecting. It can also be argued that adding fresh genes from wildcaught animals to a CB population which was started from relatively few animals is a good idea. If you want a pet, however, then purchase a captive bred juvenile from a reputeable breeder. Wild-caught animals seldom make good pets. The cost of establishing a wild-caught animal can often (and usually does) exceed the cost of purchasing a CB animal. How difficult it is depends on the species, and on the individual animal--some adapt quickly, some never adapt. There's just no way to know ahead of time.
After I got abducted by aliens and spent some time aboard their space ship I began to look at field collecting A LOT differently
kavinos, No offence but the first snakes that where tamed...where once wild too...your snakes and my snakes could verywell have been wild..if not for the snakes that where tamed. It is possible, easy...I've done it...and not cruel if they are young...preferably hatchlings.
