HERALD SUN (Melbourne, Australia) 29 October 07 Deadly snakes seized on property

(AAP) Victorian Government officers have seized three deadly snakes that were illegally kept on a property in Melbourne's northwest.

A death adder, an olive python and a boa constrictor were found on the Dalahey property about 8am (AEDT) today.

Department of Sustainability and Environment senior investigator Drew Wilson said all three snakes would be put down because the boa constrictor, native to South America, had a contagious disease.

The boa constrictor has inclusion body disease (IBD).

"As a precaution against the spread of disease, we now have to euthanise two native Australian snakes," Mr Wilson said.

"They cannot be released back into their natural habitats because this disease would have devastating effects on the wild populations."

The death adder is regarded as the ninth deadliest snake in the world.

Olive pythons are found in Australia's tropics and boa constrictors are banned in Australia.

A 19-year-old woman will be charged on summons for keeping native snakes without a permit and for illegally possessing a boa constrictor.

The woman faces fines of up to $110,000, two years' jail, or both, for keeping the boa constrictor.

She also faces fines of up to $24,000, a jail sentence of up to two years, or both, over holding the native snakes without a permit.
Deadly snakes seized on property

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