This is one
of our students that is taking care of our snakes. In this case its an
Australian python, Morelia spilota. We
don’t know which subspecies. These snakes are breed regularly in Sweden.
Actually, all animals kept by private persons in Sweden must be born I captivity,
or else they are considered illegal. I don’t know how it is in Australia but in
other parts of Europe wild-caught animals are legal. But I like that law I must
say.
Hello Fredrik
ReplyDeleteHow do you know if an animal is borne in captivity or in the wild?
I wouldn't buy a dog without documentation. But should we also require documentation when buying frogs and reptiles?
You can never be 100 % Shure. But if you buy from someone you know and trust, and also get proper documentation, you can be fairly safe. With some reptiles the trade is very restricted and you must have documentation from the Swedish authorities, but others you don’t need anything. But you should always ask for a birth certificate.
DeleteHello! Fredrik!
ReplyDeleteHow often do you clean and feed the snakes?
That depends of the age and size of the snake. A newborn snake we feed maybe twice a week. A grown up snake over two meters maybe twice a mounth. We clean the cages every day. They are not that messy but still, we have that routine.
DeleteIs it common that people import wild illegal snakes? How many a year?
ReplyDeleteActually, its more common then you might think. But the big number of imported snakes and other reptiles is completely legal. The rules for importing snakes are not that hard, at least not harder than other animals. I think that is good, snakes are no more dangerous than any other animal.
DeleteThe illegal importation of above all dogs is a much bigger problem for Sweden since dogs can bring lots of diseases that can be fatal to humans.