>>What snakes are you aware of that have been extirpated by the pet trade?



I don't mean extirpated at the entire-species level, more at the locality level (which should answer your second question). Notwithstanding, I know of at least a couple of snake species that have been overcollected for the pet trade, meaning that they have become critically endangered for those reasons. Certainly, some localities of those snakes have been extirpated or nearly so.



These snakes would be the Broad-headed Snake (Hoplocephalus bungaroides) and the Hungarian Meadow Viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis).



For references, see the following (I'm certain you know who "R. Shine" is):



*Webb J.K, Brook B.W, Shine R. 2002. Reptile collectors endanger Australia's most threatened snake, the broad-headed snake Hoplocephalus bungaroides. Oryx. 36 2002b 170–181.



*Ujvari, B. , Korss, Z. and Pechy, T. (2000) Life history, population characteristics and conservation of the Hungarian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis). Amphibia-Reptilia 21 , pp. 267-278.



*Ujvari, B. , Madsen, T. , Kotenko, T. , Olsson, M. , Shine, R. and Wittzell, H. (2002) Low genetic diversity threatens imminent extinction for the Hungarian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis). Biol. Conserv. 105 , pp. 127-130.



Also see page 164 of...Weatherhead, P.J. and T. Madsen. 2009. Linking behavioral ecology to conservation objectives. Pages 149-171. In: Snakes: Ecology and Conservation (S.J. Mullin and R.A. Seigel, eds.), Cornell University Press.



>>

>>Lastly what does "overcollected" mean, as defined by the authors(Halliday's and Adler's Encyclopedia of Reptiles) you cited?



They don't say, but you could e-mail them to find out.



Dusty

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