Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sometime between 8am and noon today someone broke into my snake building in Mt Olive, NC and stole the following snakes:

2.2 CB03 Eastern Indigos 28" with rose coloring on lower jaws
1.1 adult western hognosed - male is reddish in color and possible het for albino
1.1 adult graybanded kings - male is an awesome Blairs with very bright orange saddles, female is a darker alterna

Any information you may have would be greatly appreciated. The Carolina Reptile Expo is in Raleigh this weekend so please be watching if you attend along with the internet.

Thank you so much in advance for anything you can do for me.
Rick Sladick
919-635-3717

Hi there Rick. So sorry to hear that your snakes were stolen. I know EXACTLY what your little ones look like. I still have that one I bought from you last year. I AM going to the reptile show in Raleigh this weekend (Saturday), and I WILL be on the lookout for them. Once again, sorry and I hope the piece of crap that stole them gets caught. If anyone sells any Indigos in Fayetteville in the near future I WILL let you know. I usually check the newspaper everyday.

Zee

I am truly sorry to hear about this. I hope that you find your snakes and that the person or peson(s) responsible are penalized for their actions. Contact everyone in your immediate area that is involved in snakes to put feelers out to find them. Also neighborhood kids. Post pics of them on this forum. Best of luck getting your animals back.

Take care,

Fred Albury

This is probably about what they look like. This is one of the siblings of the stolen ones. He was 24" in this pic. (He is now 37" long.) Hope everyone that lives in NC. will keep an eye open for someone selling Indigos. As far as I know, Rick is the only Eastern Indigo breeder in NC.
Good luck. . . Hope we catch that piece of CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zee

8 am till 12 noon? that seems like poor timing to me........kids? or maybe someone who knows your schedule? good luck rick, that really, really sucks..........

I will keep my ears open! Hope we nail these b's!
-----
A.C.

www.gradeareptiles.com

First of all, let me say you have my deepest sympathy!!! And heart felt empathy!!! I have been ripped off also, not snakes, but I know exactly how you feel!!! The thoughts of anger and revenge will eat you up if you don't let it go. Focus on getting them back, and on preventing this from ever happening again.

I most definately agree, that you know this dirt bag. In fact , it is probably someone closer than you would like to believe. They definately know your rutine. 4 hours is a very narrow window. Much too narrow for a stranger! You know this person, think about it. This is either someone who just wants what you have, or needs the money. I'm sure if you think about it, the answere will come. Just don't do anything stupid!

Now for the future,... ask Bob Clark about his experience with this. I'm sure he can be helpful. He's on the breeder list at home page of kingsnake.com .

Now it's time to think about who you realy can trust enough to let into your inner circle. My dad was an old sailor, and he used to say "freindship is a poor ship to sail on". There are few people out there who you can realy trust!

Next... get a watch dog!

Next,...take all new specimens to the vet and get them implanted with microchips for identifacation. These chips can be scanned with a little pocket scanner, so you can go to any show or breeders house and whip out the scanner to see if any of the snakes there are chipped. Each chip transmits a numbered code which shows up on the scanner. You will know right away, and for sure if any of them are yours! Trust me it works! Then post the premisses with signs that tell would be thieves that the snakes are chiped.

Then get some cameras rigged to motion sensors to record anyone who comes in when you are out. Personaly I am getting cameras which hook to my computer so I can check on my collection whenever I want from a remote computer, and will record any movement when I am not in. And put up signs for that too.

There are ways to prevent this kind of crap. I know it realy hurts, but hind sight is most definately 20-20! I personaly refuse to be a victim again! I will not tell you every system I have in place, but let it be known, that if anyone out there who reads here is thinking about targeting my stuff,...You would be well advised to look elsewhere,...because I gotta trick fu ya!!! It is a damn shame that we have to do all this stuff to keep our stuff, but IF we want to keep our stuff, we have to do something. Because there is always some sorry ********* who will try and take it away!!! Good luck, and keep us posted,
Tony.

(Masked profanity removed)

Edited on April 30, 2004 at 23:01:19 by PHGinger.

Thanks for the good info!!! Being a victim myself - A supposedly "Good Friend" of mine stole my prized errebennus about 10 years ago - I have also taken similar measures (motion detectors that alert ME in my bed whenever someone is sneaking around. It HAS worked - caught teenagers stealing my sons bike TWICE in the last 6 months. AND I LIVE IN A PEACEFUL NEIGHBORHOOD, or so I thought!

Zee

Two questions:

1. Did you get your erebennus back?

2. Is he (your "friend" still capable of walking under his own power and feeding himself?

Well, I NEVER did get my errebennus back and the sorry bum moved out of state. His own mother doesn't even know where he is. . . .One day though. . . . . You can't hide forever!!!

Zee

Yep. What you do in life catches up with you. As they say..."What goes around comes around".

As far as I'm concerned, there just no place in this world for a damned thief. I've had a few things stolen from me over the years, too. In January someone stole a $4,500.00 ATV out of my driveway. If I ever find out who it was.....well, let's just say they will never ride another one, let alone steal another one.

It would be worse if they ever took one of my Indigos. Then you are worried about the welfare of the snake more than anything else.

I see they replaced my post after I complained to the site coordinator! I'd just like to say thanks to them for that and,...

If you had your ssnakes chipped, it would be real easy to I.D. them as yours once you found them.

Question: Since these snakes are federaly protected animals, dosen't this fall under federal jurisdiction? And Isn't this a federal crime?
Tony.

Tony

Yes, once a federal law has be broken.

Right now the only laws broken were burglary and theft. A person who breaks and enters the building or structure of another person, with intent to commit a felony.

To sep over the line from city, county, or state law the perpetrator would have to execute/violate one of the federal laws governing the protection act placed on this endangered animal.

DNR has total power across all these boundaries. But local jurisdictions / laws are observed until federal law has been violated.

OH, hit on it in the post below.

Dann…

Rick,

Sorry about your loss. Here are some ideas.

Post a reward in the local newspaper. Describe the snakes and time frame in detail.

Get a local police/Sheriff case report on your loss. Also check with DNR the Indigos are protected you might be able to file a report with them. (Federally Protected) Contact our girl in Georgia DNR see what (Info) she can supply about filing a report. Call the Sheriff’s Department and talk to a detective. Have him open a case and get a case number.

Please if you find out who it is call the police (Having pictures of the exact snakes would help, also a copy of the police report) you’re a good guy Rick wouldn’t want you in trouble for taking matter in your own hands.

It is someone close to you. He knows you well. He knew exactly what he wanted.

Call the sponsors of the up coming Reptile Show explain your situation and see if they will give you a list of names of the vendors. Take that to the Detective and see if he will run them for priors (thief). Also see if the administrator will let you post your reward at the show.

This is the lowest form of human on the planet. To steal another mans Indigos is just short of kidnapping. This is also a wake up call to all of us who have this beautiful reptile. Watch your 6.

This is the only way I can help you from here Rick.

Side Note: I still have that beautiful Black Tail I got from you 3 years ago. He is a monster.

Good Luck. Dann…

I hope you find the culprits. Low lifes that don't want to work to get what they want.Buddy.

Have somebody you know & Trust that is NOT in any way connected to the Local Herp scene go to the show & not even be seen near you & inquire at a couple tables about Indigos....... if he waves around a bit of money & makes a comment like 'I KNOW what their worth.... I'll pay top dollar' surely to God in a place like that somebody will know something. I was at the Columbia Show in SC 2 years ago & saw a couple Cribos at a table & asked about Indigos within a half an hour I was over playing with a bunch of baby Coati Mundis & some chap comes over & says "Hey Bud, I hear your lookin for an Indigo, wanna step outside with me" so I bought him a coffee we went outside sat down, he told me he had a friend with 1 BUT said 'friend' lived in southern Alabama & I was driving back to Canada it would have been totally out of my way & I would not have bought it thing anyway. I asked was it WC he claimed he didn't know but his buddy had it for years. This guy didn't look like a dirtbag either, well dressed very knowledgeable on stuff..... so the point I'm making if you have someone go & verbally soliciting to buy one you never know when someone could just show up outta the woodwork.

Terribly sorry about your snakes being stolen & I HOPE you get them back..... as for the crook he should be (edited) .... at least with my guys anyone trys to steal them they have to climb over 3 sets of Belgian Shepherd teeth to get at mine

Best of luck to you

Dean

Edited on May 1, 2004 at 12:45:42 by PHGinger.

I know your heart is in the right place but a maneuver like this could throw a well-devised plan to recover those snakes into a Sting Operation.

To state your intentions of buying anything outside the legal standards to someone you do not know at one of these shows, in the past, has proven disastrous. Even with the best of intentions.

Because these snakes are federally protected it would be very hard to talk your way out of this well intended deception with DNR.

Your plan has merit but I would ask DNR to execute it.

Just advise D. G. and not meant to criticism your plan to recover the snakes.

Dann……

I don't think there's any problem with Eastern Indigos in North Carolina as long as they were captive born in North Carolina. If they were brought in from another state and certainly if they are wild-caught there could be Lacy Act issues or ESA issues.

The one the guyw as talking about in South Alabama would almost certainly be a problem.

However, you are correct that asking around too much at a venue like this could raise suspicions unless you are careful to specify "legal" and "captive born in N.C." at every breath....and then it still might cause problems. Eyes and ears are everywhere at these shows.....

well thats the part that shocked me I only asked some gal with a Cribo at 1 particular table about Indigos & next thing i know some guy's offering me 1....... like I said it was just a suggestion as to how to try to find out who stole the Indigos.... was putting myself in that situation & I seriously doubt that most guys would think rational if the crowning jewels got taken from your collection.

As for waiting for DNR to do something I certainly wouldn't hold my breath waiting for results there.

I just hope they get recovered safely.... have a good one

Dean

As a matter of fact I DID ASK several vendors today if they had a baby Indigo or knew of someone that did. NO luck though. . . I didn't even see a single cribo of any kind today either. I was there from the moment the doors opened, then left a few hours later (after buying a 6'2" Blotched King - got a pic of the monster on the Kingsnake forum).
Sorry, but I'll keep checking the local papers - who knows. . . . Hope they turn up soon. . .

Zee

where they may crop up especially something as valuable.... nice Goini BTW..... WC??? Currently raising up some Blaze Phases....

Cheers
Dean

No, I don't think the goini is WC. It appears to be captive raised all the way. I was also told by the seller that he got it from Mark Bell. There are NO scars whatsoever on this beautiful animal! From a few steps away he looks almost like a large Pine Snake lol! Thanks,

Zee