Reptile & Amphibian Forums

THE STANDARD (Warrnambool, Australia) 16 April 08 Fangs for nothing - illegal reptile a real menace (Alex Johnson)
A 24-year-Old Warrnambool woman was being questioned last night after investigators seized an exotic illegal snake from her Kerr Street home.
A Department of Sustain- ability and Environment officer said the fast-breeding snake was known as "the rabbit of the reptile world".
Police, DSE and DPI officers launched the raid yesterday afternoon and were surprised to find the snake, which is native to North America, in regional Victoria.
Corn snakes are not venomous but are docile and popular as pets in the USA.
DSE senior investigator (exotic wildlife) Keith Larner said the consequences of corn snakes escaping could be serious.
"These snakes breed like rabbits and they thrive in most conditions," Mr Larner said.
"Corn snakes could establish viable breeding populations in Victoria if they were to escape from captivity or were intentionally released into the wild."
The snakes could also carry incurable exotic diseases, he said.
"It's quite significant because it's not often that we get seizures of exotic snakes in regional parts of Victoria."
The woman could face fines of up to $110,000 and/or two years' jail for possessing the one-metre corn snake, he said.
Mr Larner said the orange snake had been bred specifically for its distinctive colour.
It could sell for up to $1000 on the black market but he said smaller ones were often worth more because owners liked to watch them grow.
"There's always a demand for these type of things."
DSE investigators had not yet determined the woman's motive for owning the snake but Australia has a number of illegal breeders.
Those found to have smuggled them into Australia face fines of up to $110,000 and/or 10 years' jail.
Mr Larner would not divulge how investigators learnt about the snake in Warrnambool.
He appealed to anyone with information about illegal exotic reptiles to contact the DSE on 136186.
Fangs for nothing

thats insanity
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Jake Barney and Brandon O'Dell
eight02exotics

current (small) collection
1.1.1 ball pythons
0.2 corns
1.0 cal king
0.0.1 wc garter

Thats an interesting article. When is the last time we thought of cornsnakes as an exotic species? It just goes to show that people dont think of the long term consequences as much as they should. Those Aussie DNR guys are exactly right. Cornsnakes are good breeders, and escapees very likely could establish themselves in the wild...with all the consequences that invasive species can bring. Just goes to show, everything really is relative.
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God Bless Evolution.

I certainly don't condone non-indigenous species be released in places they don't belong, but this issue about the cornsnake is being grossly exaggerated here. Sure they would be competing for the same food supply that many other native snakes are eating there, but I don't see mice and rat's going extinct over there. If they had a very specific prey item menu, such as the Brown Snake in Guam with birds, I could see a major concern, but the cornsnake thing is trivial compared to OTHER issues. The government is just basically saying "zero" tollerance to ANY non-native species, so the people don't try to get the idea that they can make exceptions, and REALLY cause problems down the line.............you must remember, ANYTHING to do with a snake of ANY kind is going to be sensationalized to a large degree, that's just the general public's mentality,........no matter where you live in the world.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

$1000? For a corn snake? I'm going to become a black market breeder!
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"What are you afraid of? What ever it is, it's here. That and things your little irrational mind couldn't even dream of."

SOME corns go for more than $1000 right here in the states! Priced a pied-sided bloodred lately?
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

Austrailia has had many problems with non native species. I believe at one time it was rabbits that wreaked total havoc. Now they have a much larger feral cat problem than we do.

Funny to think about it though, they are worried about non native corn snakes being release, and look at the Keys here with the large pythons.
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1.2 Ghost Corns, Beetlejuice, Casper and Spooky
1.1 Charcoal het pewter, Smokey and Flame
1.1 Hypo het lavender, Rosy and Rocko
1.0 Anery, Goku
0.1 Amel, Sunny
2.0 Tabby Cats, Daddycat and his son Brat
0.1 Australian Shepherd, Angel

Gypsy

While I'm glad non US herps are available to me, I can certainly understand Australia's position.

Look at what the cane toads have done. Look at what rabbits have done. Look at what feral cats have done.

They have had some particular bad experiences with introduced animals, keeping exotics (exotic to Aus anyway) out may not be popular amongst the herp hobbyists but long term it may be worth it ecologically.

If I lived there, I would lobby for corns etc. to be legal - but I can sympathize with the decision for them not to be.
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I decided my old sig was too big.