... the most popular topic was venomoids then, too. What's with you people? LOL.
Doesn't anyone talk about venomous snakes anymore? Has anything changed around here since I've been gone?
Look. There will always be a small portion of the hobby associated with venomoids as a more controversial, ethically alienated, and somewhat shunned faction. It is inevidable considering the popularity of venomous species in the private sector, and the diversity of the interested parties. Ethically acceptable or not, it's here, and the private ownership of all venomous snakes will be at risk before venomoids will be for two reasons.
#1, in the private sector within the general population, most non herpers do not value our current privilage of keeping venomous snakes in our homes. However, if you told them that your snakes were surgically altered, and that they are 'incapable' of delivering venom, a non-herper will undoubtably have less of a problem with it. They don't care about the snakes. They care about the risk factor, based on an uneducated opinion. Any other assumption to the contrary would be, I believe, entirely idealistic.
#2, All snakes in captivity are dead snakes to nature. The mere fact that we keep them in cages indicates a selfish desire to entertain ourselves with the 'natural' behavior of these species within a confined, controlled environment. We hold this privilage of ours at a higher regard than what the actual purpose of these snakes calls for. We do not 'deserve' to keep snakes in cages, nor is that where they belong. So naturally speaking, how are unaltered captive snakes any ethically or naturally more acceptable than captive snakes that have their glands removed, ducts stapled, or tails cropped? This is, of course, an example of the possible perspective of a relative outsider, which I am not. I have my own position as a keeper my self, and I often grapple a bit with the importance I place on my ability to keep snakes in cages as opposed to the clean enjoyment I get from observing species in their natural environment.
I just find it petty at this point to dedicate this much Venomous Forum space to this subject... probably because I wasted so much of it on the same subject three years ago. My perspective evolved in some ways during that period, as I learned more about things and allowed my position to form. So maybe that's what y'all need. Fine... I won't be too hard on ya.
But don't forget what's really important, and what the hobby is really about... the two of which are not necessarily related. The biggest crime against the venomous species of the world is not venomoid makers. It's destruction of habitat and the commercialization of snakes as pets (not commercial collecting)-- both of which far devaluize these species before the venomoiders ever get to them. In my opinion, by the time those glands are removed, it's a moot point.
What happens within this hobby is also natural, within our own species. A far higher percentage of folks involved with this hobby of keeping venomous snakes will shun the idea of venomoids for obvious reasons. I'm certainly comfortable with that. However, I will suggest we let the chips fall where they may, because if you spend enough time fighting for laws which prohibit the creation and sale of venomoids, not only will your enjoyment of your own version of the hobby suffer because your passion becomes displaced, but you just might have succeeded in loosing your privilage of owning unaltered charges as well. Just watch.
Jaffo
