Just slightly curious

[Unforgiven]

Becuase of where I live I am constantly exposed to various indigenous snakes, more commonly puff adders, night adders, boom slangs and some slender green snake(its almost a blue green.) Also there are garters, mole snakes and brown house snakes..

I see these regularly come into my yard and their "yard" is literally down the street from me.

When I see these guys in my yard I normally just catch them and put them back where they belong,but I was just a bit curious. Would anybody be interested in any of them? Just so that I know whether I should actually cath them or continue putting them back.

Not out to make loads of cash either, I just know some people might want them..? (they are wild, but then again are venomous, so holding them wouldnt really be much of an option )

[Westley Price]

It is illegal to catch wild snakes in your province, and there is a HEFTY fine if you try to sell illegal wild caught snakes.

I understand if you want to remove a problem snake for relocation and you don't have a permit (even this is illegal), but selling wild caught snakes is not on.

[Unforgiven]

Cool thanks for clearing it up, would it be illegal even to give them away?(you say its illegal to remove a problem snake without a permit so I just want to clear things up)

Like I said, not wanting to make money out of it, just gets a bit tiring relocating them back lol, its like they like my house..must be all the mice and rats I have for breeding

[Fooble]

Unforgiven , it's illegal to catch them have them in your possession for any length of time then giving them to someone else is simply transferring the problem.

There is no better place for a wild snake then being just that in the wild.

[Westley Price]

It would be illegal to give them away too,but ethically okay I guess.

Having snakes around you place is just one of the results of having a rat breeding set-up.

I would be quite chuffed to have Puffies coming into my yard.

[Unforgiven]

I am chuffed to have them come around, but its such a regular occurance that it doesnt phase me, the reason it bothers me is that I am worried about my other animals(although my cat has taken out a good few snakes... - I changed his name from socks to rambo )

Now that I know its illegal now so I wont do it, but out of curiosity then for the last time. How do you get cage bred snakes? I mean sure you can breed and breed but at some point in time the snakes had to have been caught in the wild? So on that, if you breed 2 wild caught snakes illegally, what do the offspring become? Also if they breed on your premises and lay their eggs on your premises and you come into their possession is it then still illegal?

I really dont know the laws or where to find them hence the curiosity. Also I do not have interest in keeping venomous snakes(it justn isnt for me as beautiful as they are)

[Westley Price]

Of course at some stage they had to be WC. But you can say the same about domestic cats or dogs.

Even if they breed on your premises, it would be illegal to take the eggs or babies.

If you breed two illegal snakes together, the babies are CB, but they are still illegal without permits. And natcon won't issue you permits for babies if you don't have the parents on permit or the import/transport permit showing you got the snakes from someone who had a permit.

There are loopholes in this system, but I'd rather not advertise them publicly.

[Unforgiven]

Haha okay I see thanks for the info, my last question then.You said if both parents are wild caught the offspring are still illegal, what then if the one was legal and one wasnt and you let go of all the offspring but one bred it back to the legal parent? With my reasoning it would still be illegal although natcon may be willing to legalise them?

I think the only loophole I know of is if you are a proven nature conservationist type of person saying you want to study the snake or whatever and if you are a zoo keeping the animals, i may be wrong as this is just speculation , but as a loophole it would be more effort than just buying a legal snake than trying to forge the docs required

[Westley Price]

If you have a legal female, you can say that you had a male on a breeding loan from a friend.

But if natcon want to be difficult, they can ask for the transport permit for the male from your friend, haha.

...it would be more effort than just buying a legal snake.

Exactly! You might pay a bit more, but you will get a snake that is healthy, without parasites and feeding, plus the ever-important paperwork.

[Bushviper]

All the legal snakes came from zoos or from provinces where the capture and trade in reptiles is legal.

Many years ago in Gauteng we were allowed to apply for permits for problem snakes we had removed. This caused a glut in certain species and now nobody really worries to try and keep wild caught snakes because they are so readily available on permit.