Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I am considering making a road trip to CA, going deep into a state park, and releasing my full grown adult CA Kingsnake. Are captive bred and raised snakes able to live in the wild? One pet store owner told me they would have no problem and their instincts would kick in, but I wonder. Any opinions?

I'm pretty sure what you want to do is against the law in California. There's a number of reasons why captive snakes shouldn't be released in the wild. Not only is it harmful to the snake being released, but it could also be harmful to the wild population.

Part of pet ownership is taking on the responsibility to care for an animal for its entire life - not dumping it when you no longer want it.

Tim

I agree with Tim, you need to find someone who will care for the snake, a friend, or donate it to a school, it is probably illegal to release it into the wild, you should think this thing through. Even if you aren't caught, it is potentially hazardous to the population, plus it will probably become food quickly for a watching hawk. I would rather see it in a pickle jar than your option.
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Todd Hughes

This topic is controversial and without a lot of data to support some strong opinions. However, IT IS unlawful, nobody should risk a wild population by introducing an unidentified/asymptomatic disease...dramatic examples exists with the desert tortoise, frogs and toads (chytrid fungus) and trout/salmon stocks.
Evidence and studies of many snakes show poor survival when released into the wild, they are disoriented, and seek a "territory", i.e. your enclosure. Your cal king may well be the product of 40 years of captive breeding/nurturing, and not well adapted for the wild. It would probably be quickly eliminated by a predator or accident...or fail to find a suitable hibernaculum... Releasing it is not a good alternative, try hard to place it with a responsible keeper, and it it isn't you, maybe contact a regional herp club with an adoption committee. Vic H. p.s. if you only had it a few days it may be a different story.

Wow. Cool off everyone. The only reason I was thinking about releasing him is because I've realized it's cruel to keep a four and a half foot snake in a five foot tank its whole life. How would you like it if someone locked you in a bedroom for your whole life and gave you dishes of food three times a day?

Snakes have a fairly primitive brain. If they're well fed, have proper temperatures and a clean environment, they're happy. They're not dwelling on the fact that they can't climb a tree, etc... they're probably glad not to be all bitten up from eating alligator lizards... well they would be if they knew what that was like, as most wild cal kings do.

The best thing you can do for that snake is like I said above, feed it well and keep it warm and clean. You could always build a snake pen so it can stretch out sometimes, but a 5' cage is already larger than a 32 qt. sweater box. You have no reason to feel guilty in regards to the snake.

for real.
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Todd Hughes

Personally, I'd be stoked, I could be on the 'puter 24/7, never need to cook or clean dishes, hmmmm, sweet deal! Seriously, the snake is a captive born snake and should spend the rest of its' days in captivity, this isn't a free Willy type deal here. It knows no other home other than what it has known. What would be cruel is if that snake carried some kind of cooty and you let it loose on its' outside kin. How would you like it if they let some sick person into your house and they infected your whole family with an incurable disease? That might be a little out there but this is a probable scenario...you release the snake, it wanders until it dies because the food and water guy didn't come make the rounds, or it wanders to be snatched up by a predator it doesn't know how to deal with or worse, gets smashed by a car.
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Todd Hughes

" How would you like it if someone locked you in a bedroom for your whole life and gave you dishes of food three times a day? "

Well, as long as I had these things:

1. DVR
2. Cable TV
3. The dishes of food being my faves, which are BBQ, fried chicken, and Chinese. Pair that with coffee, tea, beer, and bottled water, and I am set!!!
4. My treadmill.

If I have all of that, I will never leave my bedroom!!!

HA HA!!

In all seriousness, I do hear ya and respect what you are saying, but if you are providing your snake with all it needs, like food, clean water, cage as spacious as you can provide, and shelter in the cage, and he is thriving, he is living a great life!!! You have already accomplished what every pet owner should aim for.

This idea of " cruelty " while being in captivity, can not be applied to your situation, if this is all indeed true. Everyone here has made great points that should be pondered.

If you just simply want to get rid of him, find him a good home. Let a kingsnake hobbyist take him for you.

Take care!

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Genesis 1:1

You brought it up and asked for a discussion. Now you don't want to hear the truth? It is illegal and irresponsible to do what you proposed, period.
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Diego

SWCHR

The only reason I was thinking about releasing him is because I've realized it's cruel to keep a four and a half foot snake in a five foot tank its whole life. How would you like it if someone locked you in a bedroom for your whole life and gave you dishes of food three times a day?

Snakes are mosly fossorial.

Would you rather live in a hole in the growund 11 months out of the year or set up in a posh condo? Oh and you don't have to worry about predators or finding your next meal.

Yeah I will crawl back into my hole now.
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www.Bluerosy.com

Please find a local herp club. They can help you take in or adopt out the animal. Aside from the legality issue, that snake has a very slim chance of adapting to a random, unknown environment and surviving.
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Diego

SWCHR

Yeah, not cool. The snake has two disadvantages in the wild... it's never had to hunt prey, and it's never been hunted. In my opinion this would be downright cruel to the snake.

send it to me.
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www.Bluerosy.com

Releasing it to the wild would be the lamest thing you could do for the animal. It will not survive. It will hurt the ecosystem. It is illegal. I cannot tell you how many times I find dogs starving and beyond that have been released into the wild. JUST LAME!! Use your head, I am sure you can find a much better and more suitable solution. Send it to bluerosy...

Your snake is ecologically dead.

What kind of parasites and or genetics that are different from the locality that you plan to release it in are present to affect wild populations?

This is not a good idea.

Way to get the conversation stimulated. I hope you weren't really considering releasing a captive born snake.

Incredibly bad idea. Illegal, etc. If you don't want to keep it, send a message to any of us on here and we'll gladly take it. It's very probable that someone on the forums lives near you and could come pick it up. Heck, I'd even pay for the shipping.

And don't take advice from that particular pet store guy anymore. He'd probably tell you it was okay to release albino bunnies into the cottontail population too. Sheesh.
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Holly

1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Fire Skink (Peter Dinsdale)
1.0 Vietnamese Golden Gecko (George Chapman)
0.0.1 Blue Day Gecko (Joe Ball)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)