Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have never owned a wild caught reptile,at least not one that i knew was wild caught.i never considered one either but recently i have become interested in a reptile that is only available as wild caught,well at least the color morph that is now available is not being offered anywhere captive bred.can someone please detail exactly what i should do in regards to treatment and quarentine,so as to protect the rest of my collection??.if i am buying this animal from say bushmaster,or ben seigal or any other big importer,exactly what is done in regards to treatments prior to the animal being sold usually?its not usually plucked from the tree and sold,is it?? there are usually medications given by the importer,right??like anti-mite and dewormings??anyway,thanks and i appreciate the help because if i buy this animal,it will be because i intend to breed her morph and she will be coming into close contact with other,captive animals in my collection.

Quarantine is quarantine, the same basic procedures need to be followed no matter if the animal is wild caught or not. I will say this though, I've kept many wild caught animals from common-rare and I've rarely had to treat any. This stems from buying from reputable importers, who keep their facilities clean and orderly; Yes, reputable importers are out there, you just have to do your homework to find them. When you first receive your animal look it over. See if it has any thing that is obvious ( Mites, ticks, URI's, etc. ). You usually see mites/ticks when dealing with a unreputable importer ( I've never seen a WC animal come in with mites, only ticks ). If you hear any wheezing/gurgling get the animal to a vet and get a culture done and treat accordingly. Once you've looked the animal over and know what its condition is, set it up and leave it alone. Give it a large water bowl, mist if needed. Hydration is one of the biggest factors in acclimating a animal. After you've had it for 2 or 3 weeks, check it every now and then and see if its hunting, or show signs of wanting to eat. If it is hunting, attempt to feed it. I usually start adult animals off on large Rat Pups. They move enough to attract the animal, but arent big enough to do any harm. 9 times out of 10 they start feeding and you take it from their. Sometimes you get a picky feeder that you may have to work with. Some animals acclimate fairly quick, others may take longer. It differs with each animal. I wouldn't shotgun them with different de-wormers; you may end up shocking the animals system and potentially killing it. Have a couple fecals ran. After the 2nd or 3rd you should know if you have a problem or not. If the count is high, go ahead and de-worm it, but take it in steps. Identify the parasite and worm according to its cycle. That will make you de-wormer more effective. If you parasite count is low; don't worry about de-worming. The parasites will eventually cycle themselves out in captivity. This has worked from me for years, so take it for what you think its worth

thanks eric,the only thing im curious about now is,how long do you think the snake should be kept out of contact/breeding with a captive bred snake??thanks

That is up to your discretion. I go with the usual 3 months, maybe more if the animal is questionable. It also depends on how acclimated the animal is. Males may breed right out of the Jungle, Females may take longer to acclimate to the season change in the Northern Hemisphere

>>thanks eric,the only thing im curious about now is,how long do you think the snake should be kept out of contact/breeding with a captive bred snake??thanks

Great post Eric. Putting a CB and a WC together shouldn't be done till the new animal has been quarantined for a while. Some Quarantine for 3 months some 6 months and others for a year. And some would never buy a WC much less put it with one of their animals. IMO if you do a fecal and treat if necessary and believe the animal is healthy then 3 to 6 months should work. Many animals take a year or more before they are interested in breeding and some never breed. Is this your CB animal your looking to breed Randy

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I don't care if the glass is half full or half empty !
I just want the full glass I paid for !

What is it that you are looking for that you can not find captive bred?

a tanimbar python
i have seen only a handfull of captives,but i recently have come across an amazing bright yellow one,that i would love to get my hands on.hate to risk my collection with a wild caught animal(never owned one)but i would really love this animal.