Keeping Wild Caughts?

Derek1 · 10-02-14, 07:09 PM

Over the last couple years I've caught some nice looking baby racers, green, ribbon and rats. Some adults of the same too. I've always let them go. But next year I'm thinking of getting some extra tanks and gearing up to handle some wild caught.

Question is, is there some special treatment they need, best way to make them unstressed? Ect...

jpsteele80 · 10-02-14, 07:14 PM

Best way to keep wild caught snakes is to not keep them, never know what kind of parasites they might have and that might possibly infect you other snakes. I wouldn't personally do it i think wild animals should stay in the wild. just my 2 cents.

drumcrush · 10-02-14, 07:18 PM

I know of some people that keep wild caught animals. If you have CB animals, i wouldn't try keeping them because you risk spreading parasites. I catch and keep for two weeks max and then release. I kept a garter over winter once. while I enjoyed having him, I'm Sure he didn't enjoy staying with me lol.

SSSSnakes · 10-02-14, 07:33 PM

First you need to make sure it is legal in your state to keep wild caught from your state. I have a license to keep them in my state. I keep Black Racers, Black Rats, Water Snakes and Garters that are wild caught for my educational shows. I have found that they adapt to captivity very fast. Some times they have to be treated for parasites. I have no problem with keeping wild caught, after all that is how this hobby got started in the first place. It is also what gave us old timers the passion for keeping reptiles and started our interest as kids.

Derek1 · 10-02-14, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSSSnakes

I have no problem with keeping wild caught, after all that is how this hobby got started in the first place. It is also what gave us old timers the passion for keeping reptiles and started our interest as kids.

Thanks! I meant to include your same quote as my own version in my OP but didn't.

Can you not treat for parasites? Bathe them in a solution or something? Forgive me for my stupidity, but I'm trying to learn.

fedupdon · 10-02-14, 08:12 PM

Hey guys where do you think all the cb. Came from ive keep wild caught for 50 yr never had a problem my 2 cents

mrgrimm · 10-02-14, 08:14 PM

Just do your research and follow your heart. If you provide everything the animal needs and it eats well and seems to be acting normal then I would say it is OK. If they aren't eating well, do nothing but try to escape the cage, etc...then they are probably better off back in the wild.

Rehabilitation is really the only way I feel good about keeping something that was once wild, then release...or in some cases provide permanent housing if a release can't be done.

We currently have a very large wild wolf spider though, in a 10 gal tank temporarily that I caught on the front porch. It's an eating machine but I am having a hard time deciding on letting her go or not. I am actually thinking about making the spare 55 gal. the new spider domain so she feels less confined! munches down crickets and meal worms, drinks from a sponge...really cool.

SSSSnakes · 10-02-14, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek1

Thanks! I meant to include your same quote as my own version in my OP but didn't.

Can you not treat for parasites? Bathe them in a solution or something? Forgive me for my stupidity, but I'm trying to learn.

You can get meds to treat parasite in wild caught reptiles. I personally have never had to treat them and they do fine.

Derek1 · 10-02-14, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrgrimm

Just do your research and follow your heart. If you provide everything the animal needs and it eats well and seems to be acting normal then I would say it is OK. If they aren't eating well, do nothing but try to escape the cage, etc...then they are probably better off back in the wild.

Rehabilitation is really the only way I feel good about keeping something that was once wild, then release...or in some cases provide permanent housing if a release can't be done.

We currently have a very large wild wolf spider though, in a 10 gal tank temporarily that I caught on the front porch. It's an eating machine but I am having a hard time deciding on letting her go or not. I am actually thinking about making the spare 55 gal. the new spider domain so she feels less confined! munches down crickets and meal worms, drinks from a sponge...really cool.

Spiders are so cool, though most creep me out. I don't kill them and have some great pics of a Wolf with babies. Fed a Wolf a cricket this year in the wild and she was an aggressive eater/feeder!

Akuma223 · 10-02-14, 11:40 PM

Check if its legal in your area/state to keep wild snakes, if it is the go for it! All my garters probably even my little red one are wild caught and do fantastic. The chow down on mice like crazy and are active and curious. Really wonderful creatures, I literally had no issue at all getting them to eat mice. I've never treated mine for parasites and they are super healthy, though quarantine is absolutely necessary. They come right out of the cage on their own to explore. In Texas you have far more variety than just garters so you are way lucky (I'm real jelly)!

toddnbecka · 10-02-14, 11:50 PM

Found a fishing spider in a silt pond back when I worked road construction, coolest native arachnid I've ever seen. Kept it for a while, but got tired of it eating my guppies, lol. I've kept WC snakes for a few weeks or even months, always released them again though. Garters are probably the easiest to keep, don't need a large enclosure and thrive on feeder fish like rosy reds or goldfish. Rat or milk snakes have a good general disposition, hard for me to find baby ones though, and I'd rather start with a baby and raise it in captivity than an adult that's lived free for years.

Doug 351 · 10-03-14, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrgrimm

Just do your research and follow your heart. If you provide everything the animal needs and it eats well and seems to be acting normal then I would say it is OK. If they aren't eating well, do nothing but try to escape the cage, etc...then they are probably better off back in the wild.

Rehabilitation is really the only way I feel good about keeping something that was once wild, then release...or in some cases provide permanent housing if a release can't be done.

We currently have a very large wild wolf spider though, in a 10 gal tank temporarily that I caught on the front porch. It's an eating machine but I am having a hard time deciding on letting her go or not. I am actually thinking about making the spare 55 gal. the new spider domain so she feels less confined! munches down crickets and meal worms, drinks from a sponge...really cool.

Yeah. ..I saw one once with babies. ..really cool. ..I used to see a lot of them but not as many these days. I wonder if my growing Western fence lizard population may be eating them.

SSSSnakes · 10-03-14, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akuma223

Check if its legal in your area/state to keep wild snakes, if it is the go for it! All my garters probably even my little red one are wild caught and do fantastic. The chow down on mice like crazy and are active and curious. Really wonderful creatures, I literally had no issue at all getting them to eat mice. I've never treated mine for parasites and they are super healthy, though quarantine is absolutely necessary. They come right out of the cage on their own to explore. In Texas you have far more variety than just garters so you are way lucky (I'm real jelly)!

It says you are from NY. In NY it is illegal to keep wild caught snakes without a Collect & Possess license.

LiL Zap · 10-03-14, 03:33 PM

I don't personally agree with keeping wild caught snakes. Seriously, there's a breeder for every type of snake out there. Buy a captive born snake and let the wild ones do their job in nature.

poison123 · 10-03-14, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiL Zap

there's a breeder for every type of snake out there.

No there's not.