Reptiles, pets or collectors items? - Page 2

unBOAlievable · 06-05-03, 12:52 AM

Every reptile I have is very special to me. Sure color morphs are nice and I own a few, but I would never sell another reptile in my collection to buy one. I also keep a couple of pairs from every breeding, always have always will. Sure it gets expensive, but if I was doing this for the money I would have bailed out years ago.

daver676 · 06-05-03, 07:03 AM

I never thought I could fall in love with a snake until I realized the other day that I was baby-talking my ball python. My gf said she had never seen anything funnier than a 250 lbs grown man goo-gooing a baby ball python.

I recall myself calling herping a hobby, and since I have become attached to my python, I have realized it is much more than that. My snake is a part of the family, and I love him.

Dave

marisa · 06-05-03, 07:09 AM

I like Katt response...it sums up how I feel.

I basically have some herps that will NEVER go anywhere if I can help it. They are like kids, and we love them each for different reasons. They are part of my "collection" as well if you can call it that. And some I will breed, some I will just keep because they needed a home, or because I liked them.

But I have other herps that I have because I have a specific interest in them. I LOVE my corns but they are my interest and I have traded a female before because she had beautiful coloration, some interesting genes, and she would make someone else really happy....in a place where that person has a male to suit her right. I did not, so I found that place for her and got a male in return who would suit my plans better. Both homes (mine and the persons) were excellent and I see nothing wrong with it.

Marisa

stevesemerko · 06-05-03, 11:03 AM

My reptiles are pets...I do plan to breed them and sell some of the young but I will be keeping some babies for myself. I only buy animals that I know I can look after and keep in the best of health. I won't breed my snakes unless I can make sure I can house the young properly (because some may not sell for a long time) at all stages of life.

MAN OF STEEL · 06-05-03, 11:23 AM

i care for all of them like family. first i am attached to the snake itself, but i also strive to have the rare ones.
i care for all of them the same regardless of pattern, color, size,
or temperament. good point!

vanderkm · 06-05-03, 01:06 PM

While I really enjoy and appreciate the appearance or personality of many of the snakes in my collection, they are not family to me. There are none that I couldn't sell or trade if the circumstances involving my family required it. We are currently facing a move to a province where several of the species we own are not permitted. I have sold or placed several snakes in the last month that have been with me since hatchlings; one guy that I am actually very fond of. It was hard to leave him behind because I apprecaite his nature and beauty, but I will not let owning him jeopardise our employment and family's future.

There are snakes that I have been happy to sell because after living with them for a while, I just really didn't like them. The Pueblan milksnake we had was just too much of an idiot and had to go (and the person who has him appreciates him). Would I sell part of my collection to get an albino boa - absolutely. Not for the profit of breeding albino boas, but because I can only look after a limited number of snakes and I selfishly would rather feed and care for an animal that I enjoy than one that is less appealing to me, whether for color or personality. I will also gladly sell individuals that I bought to be part of a breeding program if they turned out to be the wrong sex or were unsuitable for breeding. I would take reasonable care to place them in suitable homes, but they would go.

I started out in the hobby by rescuing a couple snakes and I wanted a pet. Being a part of the hobby resulted in my interests changing to include genetics and more diverse species and I buy or sell snakes to suit my interests. As much as I like specific individuals, every one of them has a value attached to it and they are possessions, but I feel very strongly that it is my ethical obligation to provide them with the best possible care when they are with me.

just my point of view,

mary v.

Jeff_Favelle · 06-05-03, 08:00 PM

Not only do I whole-heartedly agree with what Mary said, her post was by far the best written one! Good job. I like that she stated all her points without belittling any one else's opinion.

Tim and Julie B · 06-05-03, 08:27 PM

Hobby: activity pursued in one's spare time.

I am not a full time proffessional. I do it in my spare time. Therefore it is the deffinition of hobby. Out of all the things I said that is the word that stuck? I am sorry if you or anyone else thinks that that word is somehow belittling your view on the care of reptiles but by deffinition that is what it is, a hobby. Not to compare it to building model boats or gardening but they are all hobbies. Unless you do it full time.

damzookeeper · 06-05-03, 08:31 PM

I have to agree with the majority here. My animals are my family, my babies. I have sold a couple of my beardies that I considered family but I had no choise as I bought them as females and they ended up being males and I had no place to house them properly and had to get them out of the cages with the females before they tried to breed them too young. I also have a couple that I cannot breed but I am very attached to and I would not sell them or trade them. One is infertile and the other is too small.
However, I don't feel the same way with the babies. I do get attached and have to find a good home for them or let them go to someone I know I can trust will find them good homes. But I can't keep them all and the breeding and selling of the offspring help for vet care, to feed, and house my current "collection". I use that word losely because I do have many herps but I still try and have quality time with all of them and their health and happiness comes before anything else!
On each of their cages they have their birthdates and their names. I take great joy in finding the perfect name for each of them, as silly as that may sound. lol.

reptile gallery · 06-05-03, 09:06 PM

Well, here I go. I happen to be one of those 'bad bad people' that sell reptiles, but first and foremost, I am a reptile keeper and breeder. I have snakes in my personal collection that have been with me for years, and I have some that come and go. If I do not or did not produce it myself, then I am more than happy to order from quality domestic breeders accross Canada, and through this I have met wonderful people..formed wonderful relationships, even friendships, and have enjoyed the pleasure of seeing hundreds of well kept healthy reptiles. I formed 'The Reptile Gallery' out of the passion for these wonderful animals, not for the money. Believe me, there are many careers that would pay my time a lot better than this! I do what I do because I love doing it. Period. Great people and great animals. What more could one ask for?
Remember that as our interest in reptile keeping grows, it is up to all of us to promote domestic produced livestock and ensure that each time an animal goes to a new home, it recieves the best care possible from someone with the proper experience or knowledge, regardless of whether that animal is to be a 'pet' in someones small collection, or number 672 in someones breeding facility. If keeping the animal forever works for you, great! If your needs, interests or ability to provide proper care changes, then do what is best for the animal. Put it in the hands of someone who wants it. I personally enjoy the thrill and excitement people experience when they purchase a new reptile from my store, and no matter how many times I recieve reptile shipments the thrill is still there for me too!

silkie · 06-05-03, 09:49 PM

I think that breeding is great so that way we dont have to keep on ripping animals out of their homes. Breeding is one of the cool things about keeping reptiles. I am glad to see that everyone loves their pets as much as I do, and that they are more than just fancy objects. Biz is biz for some people, but if you biz is a labour of love, all the better. Money is an evil black hole that sucks away love. Labour of love = who cares about the money, I have my herps and thats all that matters! Reptiles are so GREAT!!

silkie · 06-05-03, 10:28 PM

I think that "reptile gallery" put it into perspective quite well when he said "I formed 'The Reptile Gallery' out of the passion for these wonderful animals, not for the money. Believe me, there are many careers that would pay my time a lot better than this!" That is awesome, loving his job for the job itself, not the potential cash flo.
Selling babies is great, all the more room for new lovers of the reptile to love reptiles.
I origonally just wanted to comtemplate on what our animals mean to us and why we do what we do, and it is clear that it is because we love em so much! From keepers to breeders this is a hobby/business of passion and love!!
One of the coolest things too, is not only are we brought closer to nature with our animals we keep, but also to other people too, look at how amazing the community on ssnakess.com is, and its the herps (and Jeff) that help bring us all together!! Keep it real!!