THE AUSTRALIAN (Sydney, Australia) 15 March 06 Man fined $4000 for illegal snakes
A Victorian man who kept four exotic North American snakes which could have had "catastrophic environmental consequences" if they escaped, has been fined $4000.
Peter Bauden-Distel, 36, of Churchill, near Warrnambool, appeared in Moe Magistrates Court yesterday charged with possessing a corn snake and three king snakes.
Bauden-Distel pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of an illegal imported specimen under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
It is illegal to keep exotic reptiles, with licences required to keep native reptiles.
The charges followed a year-long Department of Sustainability and Environment investigation code-named Operation Husky.
DSE wildlife officer Anthony Ball said outside court that corn snakes were prolific breeders.
"Corn snakes could establish viable breeding populations in Victoria if they were to escape from captivity, or to be intentionally released into the wild," he said.
If established in the wild, they could prey on ground-dwelling Australia marsupials and small birds.
"Such predation would not only adversely impact upon the marsupials and birds they eat, but it would also provide direct competition for food to Australia's native reptiles."
King snakes were voracious predators with the ability to kill and eat other snakes, even highly venomous ones, he said.
But king snakes could also introduce and spread exotic disease to both wild native snakes and legitimate captive collections, Mr Ball said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18472193%5E29277,00.html

AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COPORATION 14 August 06 Man fined over exotic snakes
A Gippsland man has been fined for the possession of illegal, exotic snakes.
In Moe Magistrates Court, Peter Bowden Distel, 36, pleaded guilty to the possession of a north american corn snake and three king snakes.
The court heard Bowden Distel met two men outside the Morwell KFC in October 2004.
One of the men was an undercover policeman known as Paul. Bowden Distel sold the snakes to the men for $1,400.
The snakes were hidden in an esky in his car.
The court heard the snakes carried a disease called IVD, which is fatal to native snakes.
Bowden Distel has been fined $4,000.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1591233.htm