Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I have found myself in a pickle. I thought I should downsize my small collection so I posted a few animals in the classifieds. Well once people started replying I felt overwhelming guilt about selling them. They are my pets so I began to worry about what type of homes they would wind up in or if they would live in a rubber made container as breeding stock(nothing against breeders). So I guess my questions is for those of you that consider your captives pets, how do you deal with the guilt(if any)you may feel selling them when the time arrives?

Thanks for reading,
Guilty aka Miller
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1.1 Black Pine
1.2 Still Water Hypos
0.1 Possibly stillwater x Red Bull
1.2 N. Pinesnake
1.1 Eastern Kings
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Chow Chow(2003 Papi)
0.1 Cat(Shug)

I'm going thru the same thing as you. I have to give up a several large snakes. I know a person that belongs to a herp society that will take them for the time being and eventually turn them over to a rescue where hopefully they will all go to a good home. I'm just so guilt ridden because I want them to go to a loving home. I've asked myself the same type of questions that you're asking. What type of home will they go to? What will their living spaces be like? You're not alone my friend. Don't sell them if you feel the person will not care for them correctly. Good luck.
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1.2 Chihuahua's
0.1 Cockatiel
1.1 Normal BCI Colombian Boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Woma Python
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake
1.1 Hypo Everglades Rat Snake
0.1 Mexican Black King snake
1.0 Sunglow Corn Snake
1.0 Sunglow Motley Corn Snake
1.0 Coral Snow Corn Snake
1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink
0.2 Leopard Gecko's
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula
0.0.2 Emporer Scorpion
0.0.1 Ghost Knife
Assorted Tropical Fish

I can only assume the person would provide them a good home but who knows. I decided to keep them, maybe in a year or two I will have the whatevers to sell the but for now they are still my pets.

Thanks for the reply.

>>I'm going thru the same thing as you. I have to give up a several large snakes. I know a person that belongs to a herp society that will take them for the time being and eventually turn them over to a rescue where hopefully they will all go to a good home. I'm just so guilt ridden because I want them to go to a loving home. I've asked myself the same type of questions that you're asking. What type of home will they go to? What will their living spaces be like? You're not alone my friend. Don't sell them if you feel the person will not care for them correctly. Good luck.
>>-----
>>1.2 Chihuahua's
>>0.1 Cockatiel
>>1.1 Normal BCI Colombian Boa
>>1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
>>1.0 Woma Python
>>1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
>>0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat Snake
>>1.1 Hypo Everglades Rat Snake
>>0.1 Mexican Black King snake
>>1.0 Sunglow Corn Snake
>>1.0 Sunglow Motley Corn Snake
>>1.0 Coral Snow Corn Snake
>>1.0 Bearded Dragon
>>1.0 Blue Tongue Skink
>>0.2 Leopard Gecko's
>>0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula
>>0.0.2 Emporer Scorpion
>>0.0.1 Ghost Knife
>>Assorted Tropical Fish
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1.1 Black Pine
1.2 Still Water Hypos
0.1 Possibly stillwater x Red Bull
1.2 N. Pinesnake
1.1 Eastern Kings
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Chow Chow(2003 Papi)
0.1 Cat(Shug)

I struggle with this all the time. About a year ago I desided to liquidate my collection but for much of it I was only getting offers from brokers. I didn't feel right not selling them that way so I still have them.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

WWW.TDSNAKES.BLOGSPOT.COM

I did the same thing and decided to keep them. Now I just need to not purchase anymore!!!! Thanks for the reply, it is nice to know that I am not the only one that struggled with that.

Miller

>>I struggle with this all the time. About a year ago I desided to liquidate my collection but for much of it I was only getting offers from brokers. I didn't feel right not selling them that way so I still have them.
>>-----
>>�Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.� Emmerson
>>
>>WWW.TDSNAKES.BLOGSPOT.COM
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1.1 Black Pine
1.2 Still Water Hypos
0.1 Possibly stillwater x Red Bull
1.2 N. Pinesnake
1.1 Eastern Kings
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Chow Chow(2003 Papi)
0.1 Cat(Shug)

In finding new homes for snakes I am not wanting to keep I have been fortunate to be able to release three wild caught gopher snakes into a perfect refuge, my friend's gopher infested backyard in a rural location. When I found these snakes they were in danger of being eaten by cats or chopped up by weed whackers, so being relocated down a gopher tunnel was a good option for them. My friend has no cats.

For captive bred snakes, such as a nice big Honduran mix and some other captive breds, I have been able to sell those to my friends who are good keepers.

I have a rule of no new snakes until old ones are rehomed. My limit is 21, although that is going to be put to the test if my breeding plans are fruitful! LOL! I don't think I could sell them to complete strangers who would possibly not care for them in accordance with my standards. At least I have no plans to buy any more snakes, just do trades.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

I am down to 13 from somewhere around 21. My previous snakes were given to friends when I live in Chicago, now that I am back home in Houston, I don't know many snake people here. So I think i will manage my 13 and try to avoid any reptile shows! lol

>>In finding new homes for snakes I am not wanting to keep I have been fortunate to be able to release three wild caught gopher snakes into a perfect refuge, my friend's gopher infested backyard in a rural location. When I found these snakes they were in danger of being eaten by cats or chopped up by weed whackers, so being relocated down a gopher tunnel was a good option for them. My friend has no cats.
>>
>>For captive bred snakes, such as a nice big Honduran mix and some other captive breds, I have been able to sell those to my friends who are good keepers.
>>
>>I have a rule of no new snakes until old ones are rehomed. My limit is 21, although that is going to be put to the test if my breeding plans are fruitful! LOL! I don't think I could sell them to complete strangers who would possibly not care for them in accordance with my standards. At least I have no plans to buy any more snakes, just do trades.
>>-----
>>Bob
>>Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
>>Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.
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1.1 Black Pine
1.2 Still Water Hypos
0.1 Possibly stillwater x Red Bull
1.2 N. Pinesnake
1.1 Eastern Kings
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Chow Chow(2003 Papi)
0.1 Cat(Shug)

Im a collector thats beleive it or not, not in it for the money, I collect scarlet kings and coachwhips to sell to those eager to obtain species rarely seen in the pet trade, but I will turn down a sale if I feel the buyer is too young or inexpereinced or thinks hes going to keep a WC SK in glass aquarium and on news paper. I spend hours every week emailing my customers tips, even typed up my own husbandry sheet to send along with the snake. I never sell to kids or anyone that even names their snakes, and will never understand why someone would obtain more snakes than they can easily maintane, yet see it all the time, snakes crawling around in their own maggot covered feces,empty water bowls, moldy bedding... those breeder bins are for wholesellers that sell the snakes after a day or week in the bin, bins and racks are not for pets or breeders, and aquariums are for fish! people need to put themselves in their pets position and see if they would be happy. have more than 20 snakes? hire help! snakes dont deserve to be held in-prisond anymore then you do. most snakes kept in this manor will never see or feel the sun or taste the fresh air that they know and love as much as we do. I know what you meen by guilt though, I always wonder if the snake I just sold will starve in it new home, considering I took it out of the woods, but remember not for money but to asssure that these species are still around in 20 years. JB

snakes dont deserve to be held in-prisond anymore then you do. most snakes kept in this manor will never see or feel the sun or taste the fresh air that they know and love as much as we do.

I agree totally. I am interested in how you provide opportunities for your snakes to sunbathe and have fresh air. My pits have big screen cages I can put on the front porch in the summer. My pyros have a view of the sun through the east window in the morning. They have big glass terrariums. Nobody is in a tiny little shoe box or other dark coffin like enclosure. They like to see what is happening in the room.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

I you asked how I let my snakes bask?...I just take them outside and put them down on the ground, sometimes they crawl around tasting every leaf or rock and sometimes they just sit in a sunny spot and turn their heads to the left and right towards motion. They'll even come back inside the house when their ready on their own. If you let em out often they seem lose the notion to take off. I get as much satisfaction as they do just knowing what the sun feels like on their skin and I imagine their thinking "Oh the air tastes good" I think pet snakes should be happier in confinment than they were or would have been in the woods, most of us assume all snakes rub their noses in confinment, none of my pines kings or coachwhips rub, ever! all my snakes have nice shiny rostlals and I'm certain are perfectly content in their cages.

That's a beautiful animal! I never get tired of seeing that southern pine when you post it. Kevin

I used to live in Houston for 25 years and there is a whole lot of really great snake keepers there. Try going to the ETHS meetings. Kevin

It has been on my list of things to do since I have been back. My job is 95% travel so I have not gotten around to it yet. I am going to make the next meeting. I was a member of the Chicago Herp Society. Thanks for the recommendation

>>I used to live in Houston for 25 years and there is a whole lot of really great snake keepers there. Try going to the ETHS meetings. Kevin
>>
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1.1 Black Pine
1.2 Still Water Hypos
0.1 Possibly stillwater x Red Bull
1.2 N. Pinesnake
1.1 Eastern Kings
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Chow Chow(2003 Papi)
0.1 Cat(Shug)