Hello from Libya

Swaggomancer · 11-07-16, 06:11 AM

Hi!

A couple years ago I captured a young Clifford's rat snake that had fallen into my pool. This is probably what sparked the craze for herps, especially native snakes, that I have today. I ended up letting the diadem snake go, just because I couldn't feed it at the time (no lab mice for sale here). However, now I have a group of quail handy - I bought them for this specific purpose - and my fridge is getting packed with their little eggs. Maybe I can finally get something going here.

Otherwise, I have two young Greek tortoises roaming my backyard - along with a fair few wild occelated skinks. Just a week ago I bought two WC Egyptian green toads that I've been keeping. They were being sold for university dissection, I think.

They do sell snakes (locally caught) here too, they sell them for traditional medicines though - I've never seen them sold as pets yet. People just kill them and eat them and they are supposed to be some sort of "miracle cure". Same thing goes for Uromastyx, scorpions, tortoises, and chameleons. All of them are crammed in tiny containers and sold to be killed. It isn't illegal, but...ugh.

Something cool about these shops though is I get a good look at all the native snakes. I've seen a Montpellier snake, Egyptian cobras, all sorts of vipers, a false-smooth snake, Algerian whip snakes, diadem snakes, schokari sand racers, and probably a few more. I'm usually drooling at the mouth by the time I've seen most of the snakes.

macandchz · 11-07-16, 07:38 PM

welcome to the forum. can you buy a snake and keep it for a pet or does it have to be used as medicine?

Swaggomancer · 11-07-16, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macandchz

welcome to the forum. can you buy a snake and keep it for a pet or does it have to be used as medicine?

Oh yeah, sure. As long as the dude gets his cash, I don't think he cares too much. I currently just want to take it slow and make sure I can improvise a good enough future snake environment. I also want to try some field herping first, maybe that way I won't have to pay people that I don't completely agree with on ethical grounds.

Honestly, and I've gotta say this, I am more upset by the way that they mislead and kinda scam ignorant people who are sick. Telling someone with terminal cancer that drinking the blood of a dob lizard will cure them is really really bad in my mind - although I'm not quite sure if the dealers believe it works or not.

dave himself · 11-08-16, 02:14 AM

Hi and welcome

MartinD · 11-08-16, 04:31 AM

Hello and welcome to the forum. And I also want to say I like your attitude, it's excellent.

sattva · 11-08-16, 11:18 AM

Hi and welcome to the forum... Silly people! Your not suppose to eat them... Your suppose to hold them, pet them, whisper sweet nothing in their ears...
Snakes have definitely been therapeutic for me, but I don't thing eating my buddy's is a good idea... You should start a snake collection so you can educate the people in your area... Collecting and learning about snakes is a great hobby for people... What kind of prices are your snakes over there? Are you allowed to import snakes from out side your country?

Swaggomancer · 11-08-16, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sattva

Hi and welcome to the forum... Silly people! Your not suppose to eat them... Your suppose to hold them, pet them, whisper sweet nothing in their ears...
Snakes have definitely been therapeutic for me, but I don't thing eating my buddy's is a good idea... You should start a snake collection so you can educate the people in your area... Collecting and learning about snakes is a great hobby for people... What kind of prices are your snakes over there? Are you allowed to import snakes from out side your country?

According to the guy at the shop, they go from 60 dinars up to 150 dinars. Due to the current situation in Libya, you can put 1 US dollar at 5 dinars, although it used to be 2.5 dinars per US dollar not so long ago. I asked him about one of his vipers and he said it cost around 120 dinars. I'm assuming he just prices them according to how common they are.

I don't think there are any laws about importing reptiles. I just think that people might freak out about it. There is a serious chance that someone checking the cargo will think I am a sorcerer or some ****. Still, with the right connections inside and maybe outside the country, it is definitely possible.