In 30 years, importers will not be a problem. By that time there will be so much habitat destruction and overexpoitation that very few countries will be exporting ANYTHING.

As far as the captive bred market goes.... you better start investing in corn snakes. The large boas and pythons will be illegal in most cities. The places that DO allow them will have strict guidelines on what and who does the breeding. Guess I'll finally have a good reason to turn to a life of crime...lol.

How's that for gloom and doom??? Man I need more coffee...

The rise and fall of the snake market doesn't really concern me. I raise them because I enjoy it. I'm a terrible business man. It would take Devine Intervention for me to be able to make this my living. I love raising kenyans, which is a terrible business move. The market is so glutted with them that you can barely break even. I'm sitting on most of a litter of anery's now because its not worth advertising them, or getting a table at the local herp show. I have 4 holdback females that will be breedable in a year. That will more than triple the amount I can produce in a year. Its hard for me to sell what I produce now. I think I'll just slow it all down and take a year or two off with them. Since I'm not counting on the money I can afford to do that at least.

I have a pair of DH for snow columbians that will be breedable in about 2 years. The male is breeding now. I hope the market bounces back by then. If not I hope I'm able to work out trades for other snakes...lol. I think it will bounce back to a degree. Everyone got hit pretty hard with the recession. Its hard to think about snakes when you need a job. I might be wrong, but it seems that a lot of the hard core snake people are in my age group. Late 20's - Early 30's. People who were impressionable when snakes became the craze in the 90's I think that as more and more of us settle down and can afford homes that it may pick back up. Its kinda hard to get a big collection in an apartment.

Sorry about the rambling... I went from gloom and doom to a sugar high. Amazing what 4 cups of coffee can do.

-----
Travis Rose
Lazy S Snake Ranch
(859) 582-7310
0.2 Normal Columbian
1.1 100% DH for Snow Columbians
0.2 66% DH for Snow Columbians
2.7 Kenyans (1.3 Anerys, 0.1 het for anery, 0.3 Possible hets, 1.0 normal)
0.3 Ball Pythons
0.0.2 Blue Tounged Skinks
0.3 Dogs (1 Full Pitbull, 1 Pit/Husky, & 1 Bernese Mt. Dog cross)
0.3 Cats (1 fat, 1 old, and 1 insane)
1.0 Ferret
0.1 Very understanding wife

[ Show Entire Thread ]