Your exotic experience

[Cold-B-Hearts]

So as we know corn snakes are bred and kept throughout Australia. I have even heard stories of wild populations in existence, even stumbled across a video of a NSW snake catcher who caught a wild one.


I have even been offered red tailed boas and been supplied with pictures.


So share your expertise about wild populations, the different species here, what you have been offered etc.
Not a Q&A thread more of "tell us your experience" thread.

-Liam

 

[fallenfeathers]

My brother knew someone who had a Japanese Soft Shell Turtle & various Chameleons. I've been offered Red Eared Sliders & Corn Snakes

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My brother knew someone who had a Japanese Soft Shell Turtle & various Chameleons. I've been offered Red Eared Sliders & Corn Snakes

 

[NickGeee]

Red eared sliders actually occour in aus, they are considered pest

 

[hulloosenator]

No experience with Exotics at all...... never seen one or heard of one in the country. Maybe if there was any around here , the bloody cats or foxes or pigs or camels or goats have eaten them all because they cant catch the sparrows or starlings or mynah birds that have displaced all out natives. Not to mention the cane toad. So , i think that the damage has already been done long ago and any exotic would be welcome i reckon.

 

[champagne]

I've seen heaps of exotics for sale... Jags, zebras, leatherback bearded dragons, high yellow gtp, albino Bhps. The list goes on and on but the corn snakes and boas that have been here since the 80's pose the real risk.

 

[Gizmo101]

I was once offered a breeding pair of South American corn snakes and a king snake, but that's the only experience I've had.


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[JasonL]

If it is being bred, it is available here if you know the right people.

 

[marcus0002]

I saw a leopard tortoise for sale on gumtree last month

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[bigg_bunny]

Corn snakes are famous for their ability to escape from anything. Corn snakes are about the only reptile that I consider could potentially be a threat to Australian native fauna and become established in the Australian environment, Think about it. They can hibernate , swim , climb , eat anything they can overpower [ mammals , birds , reptiles ] , adapt to virtually any ecosystem we have [ especially temperate or subtropical ] , breed prolifically and live a long time. They truly are a threat. There was a rumour that a colony was established in the Hawkesbury region a while ago. I could believe it.

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[PythonLegs]

Most of these stories start of with 'my mate once saw' or 'I saw pics of'...there's not as many exotics around as the stories make out..most of the exotics you hear about are usually owned by the same guy whose Nigerian uncle desperately needs money for an operation..

 

[Cold-B-Hearts]

id like to go to these regions with wild populations and attempt to find them.. I've heard that the red sliders are a pest, has anyone got any photos of them (here in aus).

 

[RoryBreaker]

If there was a State of Origin comp for exotic herps, NSW would win 10 in a row!

 

[Blinky]

Sydney is flooded with exotics ranging from cheap ball pythons to expensive tree monitors

 

[bigg_bunny]

I can tell you with certainty that there are a lot of exotics out there , mainly kept by non-herp enthusiasts. I have been involved with quite a few cases of wild Corn snakes appearing in suburban backyards. Maybe they don`t pose a threat to the environment but why take the chance. I seem to recall they said the same thing about rabbits and cane toads. By the way , anyone who releases exotic reptiles into the wild rather than lose them is not only a moron but also criminally negligent. Attitudes like that endanger the environment. Grow a brain !!

 

[champagne]

I can tell you with certainty that there are a lot of exotics out there , mainly kept by non-herp enthusiasts. I have been involved with quite a few cases of wild Corn snakes appearing in suburban backyards. Maybe they don`t pose a threat to the environment but why take the chance. I seem to recall they said the same thing about rabbits and cane toads. By the way , anyone who releases exotic reptiles into the wild rather than lose them is not only a moron but also criminally negligent. Attitudes like that endanger the environment. Grow a brain !!

How can you compare corns to a cane toad or rabbit? Corns snake have been bred here since the 80's and have they become a pest? The people that keep these corn snakes see them as pets not wildlife and would rather see it live then killed, how is an attitude like that endangering the environment? Habitat destruction is the biggest threat to the environment... Might want to look at growing a brain yourself and learn the really problems facing our wildlife.

 

[longqi]

How can you compare corns to a cane toad or rabbit? Corns snake have been bred here since the 80's and have they become a pest? The people that keep these corn snakes see them as pets not wildlife and would rather see it live then killed, how is an attitude like that endangering the environment? Habitat destruction is the biggest threat to the environment... Might want to look at growing a brain yourself and learn the really problems facing our wildlife.

We had a crazy expat snake collector in Bali release his pets when he went home
One western timber rattler was killed by a dog
We were called to relocate another one
;It ended up in a venom lab]
We got 2 of the ball pythons 1 corn snake and 3 king snakes
2 green and 1 yellow anaconda now live in Sanur fenced into an old swimming pool

Dumping exotics is cruel, stupid, and could result in deaths

 

[CrazyNut]

I have been offered ball pythons a couple of times. I see a lot of chameleons, corns, tortoises and few other for sale on occasion, mind you I haven't seen anything for a while, probably because I don't really pay attention lol. Surprised someone doesn't t jump on them considering they jumped on someone who put an add on gumtree "trade, cat for iPad"....

 

[champagne]

We had a crazy expat snake collector in Bali release his pets when he went home
One western timber rattler was killed by a dog
We were called to relocate another one
;It ended up in a venom lab]
We got 2 of the ball pythons 1 corn snake and 3 king snakes
2 green and 1 yellow anaconda now live in Sanur fenced into an old swimming pool

Dumping exotics is cruel, stupid, and could result in deaths

Yes and if there was a legal way that they didn't have to be destroyed I'm sure less people would.

 

[Jacknife]

In the 15+ years I've owned reptiles I've never once seen, known or been offered an exotic of any kind, or heard mention of people who do.
Guess people down in Melbourne have a bit more scruples than those further north.

Not suggesting they're not here, but that I feel numbers are grossly inflated with all the 'my mate knows' and 'I heard' figures...

 

[RoryBreaker]

In the 15+ years I've owned reptiles I've never once seen, known or been offered an exotic of any kind, or heard mention of people who do.
Guess people down in Melbourne have a bit more scruples than those further north.

Not suggesting they're not here, but that I feel numbers are grossly inflated with all the 'my mate knows' and 'I heard' figures...

Victoria is famous for the VENOMOUS exotic reptile bust of the 7th of March 2001. This seizure of snakes prompted Peter Mirtschin of Venom Supplies to host a conference to discuss the matter in October of 2001. The list of confiscated exotic vens was impressive.