Where Can I Buy A Snake In Bangkok (as A Pet)?

[phetaroi]

not sure how it is in the states or anywhere else. just here. therefore i still do my best to advise against keeping 'exotics' unless u have the time, money, know how and patience. the same btw, i say to dog/cat/large animal owners.

bina

israel

Not that different. They are having a horrible time in the Everglades right now with SNAKES that are non-native and are beginning to threaten the ecosystem. Not to mention scaring the heck out of people that are already worried about water moccasins and coral snakes! Burmese pythons have become a real problem...all apparently released by pet owners. There are reports of cobras, as well, but not verified.

[Okidoki]

Most countries have problems with non-native species coming out to the wild. However, it has been discussed several times in WWF for example, if that is a problem from the pet industry. It is not as with the alaskan crab, or mud clams or some fish species that follows the tankers or actually lives in the tankers water ballast tanks. Thiere are European communities of Raccons, wild pigs, etc. No one can state it is a real problem but state,as with the crabs, that they take over the role of native species. The alaskan crabs are always used as an example.

Russia has just released new wolfs and leopards to reintroduce the species and new bloods. All of this has actually had the result that the importance of DNA is very questionable. You can´t today in a good way separate Cheeta´s or Rhino´s with DNA sample since it has been, what the scientists think, inbreed for so long. But that is breeding questions.

Today, with internet and due to the cost there is a common knowledge, far better then ever before about tropical animals. Even small monkey´s, insects, lizards, Turtles and reps, most saltwater fishes, corals, etc have their own forums on internet and are today breeded and it is quite fun to see leaf-eating ants breed and work, in the right enclosure.

Today, according to me, Holland, Switzerland Germany, the Nordics, Czech republic, and Russia are outstanding in breeding everything. UK is good on the way. This has actually totally ruined the sale of Pet industry wild caught livestock. Without any doubt. And even the IATA airindustry has forbidden transport totally or in some excemptions, without proper documents. Documents that are not approved in the receiving countries due to that they are questioned if they are real. To import from Africa or Sri Lanka is close to impossible today. If they have the correct documents, it is restricted how to pack the animals, which means the cost of transport is about the minimum same cost as for the animals. Most often three times the cost. It is huge, huge money involved! But not anymore for the animal handlers who earn close to nothing, the money comes to the breeders since they provide the market!

The best way to keep that up is to encourage people who are interested to take contact with breeders. Most people loose their fear of snakes when they have handled a few ones. That save the animals as well. Just 10 years ago, most people would have killed a snake that showed up in your garden. Today, there are services to call or they remove them themselves. No big deal. Compare it!

However, what you state about reptiles, cats, etc, the same should go for children. There are many impropriate parents. They need positive support and knowledge. If you tell anyone, they are not allowed to do a thing, then you have lost. (Ihave two teenage daughters...) Encourage, explain positive and direct. That helps 50% of the time.... ;-)

My experience with large constrictors, is that their bad temper is based on if they nests or are hungry, then you have to look up. But it is only the size that makes it complicated. Your Giant tortoises mostly likely was exposed for stress, got a virus which spread to the others and due to their condition it evolved to pneumonia. An unexperienced keeper wouldn´t notice that and at the same time, it tells me that there are no routines for daily checkup f eks and the keepers were unexperienced. Blame the management. Educate and encourage!

Kings eat lizards as well as their partner in the cage. Very common way for them to die. If you handle snakes, you will be bitten and Kings actually has a chewing way of biting. They don´t strike and release as most others, They strike, hold on and chew which might be upsetting for a child or their parents. ;-) Showing kids snakes, the snakes must be held in a proper way to avoid accidents. I once was in a TV-show when the reporter got bitten on national TV. Good marketing but actually due to how we handled it, it came out very well with good laughs. :-)

My point is, the way to go is not to tell anyone don´t. Encourage them to seek information and go ahead!

Then I need to comment on this one. "I have to stick up for Bina on this one. I should say in advance that I hate snakes, but I also feel sorry for most "pet" snakes because they are kept in AQUARIUMS (yes, we all know they are called terrariums if they are land-based, but the companies that manufacture what most "pet" snakes live in manufacture the enclosures as aquariums). And, most "pet" snake owners are not any more modern than such collectors were 20 years ago. When I have visited snake collectors, there are the animals just laying in an aquarium, usually 24/7. Or, do you take them out and walk them? Let them slither freely around your bedroom?" No, and I don´t bring my guppies to the bathtub either. I have never been to a breeder that takes the animals out as you describe it or keeps them as they did for 20 years ago. That is not the correct way to handle these animals. Most snakes except Elapids, live on a very, very small space their whole life and are not in the need of extensive exercise. They have only one functioning lung and are not comparable to birds in that sense. You do not let them out in the house, living freely, due to stress, wind draft (same as with Parrots), bacteria and parazites as well as for the wellness of your neighbourghs or family. Twenty years ago alot of skinheads or youth bought snakes to act tough. Today, when snakes are common, these guys have gone over keeping amstaff, pits, etc even if that are in decline. Due to the national federation for amstaff who has encouraged people to get to know amstaffs. I would say that they have done a magnificent job! The same as with reptiles!

There are big differences in aquariums and terrariums, even in Thailand. Yes, they sell aquariums to snakes but snakes need ventilation and for the keeper to be able to back off from the Terrarium. Encourage people where to find information on how to keep them, not forbid them to. I would say that in the pet industry today, most people know the difference. They manufacture terrariums, which they also earn more money on.

Don´t push personal opinions. If you don´t know, try to find out or direct to where to find more information.

If I remember correctly, Macaw´s has a moving span of about 40 acers a day. Have you provided a big enough cage or bird enclosure for your birds? Having parrots living freely with you in the house would be a health sanitation problem... As would leave a few remarks on the furniture, floor, etc.... It is much harder to keep a parrot then a snake as in the wild. The International Zoo organisation actually promots bigger and bigger bird aviaries but when it comes to breeding facilities, they are kept smaller due to the extended need of supervision.

Refering to slavery, plague, murder I don´t follow... However, I wish you a pleasant night of good sleep! :-)

[snakerescue]

Hello, does anyone know where I can buy a snake in Bangkok as a pet (or turtles)? Are there any pet shops or markets where I can find reptiles? I went to the Chatachuk market but only saw dogs and cats.

that's because the chatuchak market has been raided numerous times for supplying illegal wildlife, catching,killing and keeping Thai native wildlife is illegal please don't do it ! if you want a pet get a dog or a cat.

[DLock]

I wonder if some 10,000 years ago, if someone caught a pet horse, or wolf or cat, that people would say "...that's so cruel...it should be in the wild to run free".

People accept that it's ok to keep a dog or a pet, fish or parrot as a pet....but not a snake, monkey or a squirrel....even if they have been bred by breeders over many generations and not taken out of the wild.

Why is that?

[bina]

not cruel if they are captive bred and kept properly; but that is the discussion that went off topic from the OP here; people also keep dogs and cats improperly (and no, my dogs are not my children they are pets that i love; when we have bomb scares and have to go to bomb shelters they do not come with us. this scenario was a cause of many bitter arguements among neighbors for instance during our various wars here, : those that brought their animals into the crowded stuffy bomb shelters or those that left pets with water/food and in a more or less safe room, so that people had more room to move i the bomb shelters. ) also, we had also the large amount of pets from birds to horses that got abandonded and traumatized during same wars but again this is all off topic . oh, and home kept mnkeys can be very problematic but again u can always restate your question as a new topic if u so wish...

the OP's questions i think were answered more or less so lets get it back on topic again: keeping a snake to help wife over come snake fear....

thanx

bina

israel

[dscasler]

I never thought that my post would bring such controversy. It is nice to see the point mentioned about being responsible with pets. My last 2 pets were Chinese Water Dragons. They are big, green lizards that look like iguanas but eat meat and swim a lot. I kept them uncaged in the house and they had a heated tub to swim in. My wife was scared of them at first but was feeding them beetles with chopsticks later. She liked them. So, an update... I went to the market today and found 3 snakes. Two ball pythons and 1 tiny corn snake. They wanted too much money so I will wait to find a cheaper one later. I will likely only keep it a month or two and then free it. Maybe I can rent a snake. If anyone in Bangkok has a snake for rent please let me know. \ (*o*) / Thanks for your replies... David

[bina]

the corn snake -if u decide to buy one- shouldnt be freed; it is not native to thailand, that was the whole point i made about snakes in israel and pet keepers freeing them. true, it might not survive, and it probably wont find a mate to procreate, but still, i think then that a petting zoo or snake farm might be a better idea...

not sure in theory about ball pythons viability in the thai urban jungles either...

but thanx from all for coming back to 'do closure' for us )

arent there guys in bangkok that 'rent' snakes for a day for birthdays and things? they are big in israel, they come with the animals, allow u to handle them, also do some educational stuff, and they usually have several types ... i cant believe these businesses wouldnt be around int thailand. here , a birthday w/o benny the snake man or 'R. the jungle boy' ( a notorious snake smuggler since been caught that actually had a good show) is just not a birthday (or bar mitzva, and some weddings!)

let us know if it works... with pics

bina

israel

[DLock]

not cruel if they are captive bred and kept properly; but that is the discussion that went off topic from the OP here; people also keep dogs and cats improperly (and no, my dogs are not my children they are pets that i love; when we have bomb scares and have to go to bomb shelters they do not come with us. this scenario was a cause of many bitter arguements among neighbors for instance during our various wars here, : those that brought their animals into the crowded stuffy bomb shelters or those that left pets with water/food and in a more or less safe room, so that people had more room to move i the bomb shelters. ) also, we had also the large amount of pets from birds to horses that got abandonded and traumatized during same wars but again this is all off topic . oh, and home kept mnkeys can be very problematic but again u can always restate your question as a new topic if u so wish...

the OP's questions i think were answered more or less so lets get it back on topic again: keeping a snake to help wife over come snake fear....

thanx

bina

israel

Isn't this post titled "Where Can I Buy A Snake In Bangkok (as A Pet)?" and arent many of the posts about the opinion of obtaining snakes as pets?

Given that your posts are some of the longest posts that are "off topic" I take offense at the suggestion that somehow my opinion is less valid than yours and not welcome on this thread.

[bina]

sorry u took it that way; i was tongue in cheek since my post was totally off topic and i am completely aware that i am verbose at times, which is why i put up the off topic icon... it ws for my own post.

and i was wanting to put the topic back on thread for the OP's sake; and we all seemed to agree that keeping captive bred snakes was the way to go, if u want to get a snake. and he has come back to let us know what he is doing- whether i agree or disagree, its my opinion, only. ..

so i suggested to you that u re start your statements about domestic animals as a new topic which could be very interesting. thats all. no need to be touchy... and there u can discuss all u want to about various pets and pet keeping... you can keep discussing in this thread but but generally speaking, when a OP comes back to 'closure', the thread tends to die off... so if u start a new thread people will respond accordingly.

bina

israel