Reptile & Amphibian Forums

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (California) 13 March 06 Exotic snakes stolen during shipping (Suzanne Herel)
Santa Cruz: Five snakes valued at a total of $10,000 were stolen en route from a reptile dealer to customers in other states, Santa Cruz County sheriff's officials said today.
One snake, a super pastel ball python valued at $7,000, was headed to a customer in Kansas who instead received an empty box. Four female pythons valued at a total of $3,000 were shipped to a customer in Georgia but never arrived, Sgt. Fred Plageman said.
The thefts occurred over the past two months.
The snakes were bought from Santa Cruz Reptiles, which advertises a specialty in ball python morphs, rosy boas and albino bull snakes.
The store owner could not be reached for comment this morning.
Plageman said the owner had established a long history of trouble-free shipping through the United Parcel Service directly, but recently, he tried sending the snakes through a shipping store that services UPS and other vendors.
"We'll be looking into how they were shipped and by whom," Plageman said. "I think this is somewhat unusual. But anything that has value is going to be stolen by thieves."
Exotic snakes stolen during shipping

Seems like I hear this same story about them a couple of months ago.

Wonder if the press is just that slow at getting wind of it - or if this is a repeated problem for these guys.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

Is this from the Thompson deal?? I remember reading something about it on the BOI!!!
Interested in seeing the outcome! Isn't shipping with UPS still "illegal"??

I would assume that this is the same deal? Really odd if it isn't.

It is not illegal to ship through UPS it is illegal to ship through USPS. UPS just doesn't ship live animals - it's against their policy - but not illegal. Since the USPS is a federal agency their "policy" is law - hense making it illegal.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

UPS will ship live animals if you have the proper type of account. They won't ship live for just anyone, but if you get an account and ship regularly they will ship live animals.
Mike

I called UPS yesterday about shipping a redfoot tortoise, and they said it was not a problem. I do not have an account and they said it did not matter.
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1.2 Het Pied
1.1 Het Lavender Albino
1.1 Het Albino
0.7 Normals
1.0 50% Het lav albino

Maybe they object more to snakes. I don't have an account, but that is what I heard from the dealers in Fl. One of the large dealers wanted snakes from me and arranged for UPS to pick them up here. He had an account with them and they still wouldn't take the snakes from here, even with calling their boss. They said his account allowed pick up from him only.
Mike

Rumors were circulating around the beginning of the year that UPS would start accepting animals. I contacted UPS twice at that time by email and phone hoping to set up an account - I told them I was a small pet shop and would routinely be shipping small harmless reptiles - mostly small lizards like geckos (steering away from the whole "snake phobia" and was told both times that UPS unequivocally does not knowingly ship live animals, during my phone call I even asked to speak to a superior and received the same response. Maybe they do - but 95% (or more) of everyone that calls will be told they don't knowingly ship live animals (unless this has changed in the past couple of months). So I guess I'll just stick to shipping Fedex.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

They won't do snakes, but the rep. read me a list of types of reptiles they will accept. Frogs, toads, lizards, turtles, and torts were all on the list.
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1.2 Het Pied
1.1 Het Lavender Albino
1.1 Het Albino
0.7 Normals
1.0 50% Het lav albino