Why do people still sell WC Cornsnakes

I was just woundering why people are still selling these WC animals when there are so many CB ones available. Because I just don't see the reason. Thank you Frank

Come on man do you really need a reason for this?  Why does Phillip Morris (et al) keep selling cigarettes?  CASH. Plain and simple.  Moral high-ground is great and all, but the public wants animals in their hands as cheap as possible period.  Some really don't care about the history, cb vs. wc, etc. They just want a pretty snake cheap.

Is it wrong to sell them?  Not as wrong as it is for us to keep bulldozing their homes.  But hey people want lakefront property so bulldoze away.  That's the motto here in FL anyway.  The snakes run, they find a new spot for a few months, or they find a hoe upside their head, or they they get caught and sold.  At least when they are caught there's a possibility some end up reproducing in captivity.  

The sad fact is, that unless we (humans) learn to control our population growth there will be VERY FEW wild animals of any type 100 hundred years from now.  Conservation through captive propagation will become the only viable option.  Our kids and their kids will take their kids to the zoo to see reptiles becuase that's the only place they'll be. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Brain,
  Yes I do understand some WC animals being sold. I was mainly talking about Corn, Rat and Bull snakes. Should of put it in my oringial post sorry.

Because out of this group there are many out there. Frank

there are people out there who are always interested in new bloodlines to see if they can find a new morph, or strengthen an existing one.

personally, I have enough genetics to figure out with a couple of oddballs I have...I wouldn't want to add new "issues" to my list of things to ponder  <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

Because they can..........

People will continue to do things that either you or I consider immoral until their activites become branded as illegal.

I have argued this point before, and been told by good reptile breders that "This business all started with wild caught, and without it we wouldnt even have the snakes we have"

Ok...Fair enough....founding stock and occasional infusions of new breeding stock(blood) are necesary. But to continue to capture and sell w/c snakes that have been bred extensively by hobbyists in private collections means only 1 thing:


                               MONEY

I am convinced that brokers make much more than breeders in this business, they turn the "product"(Snakes in this case) over quicker and have much less time and money invested in them. I cant even begin to COUNT the number of new brokers that have come into this business in the last 3 years, its like a epdemic. Some are actually good people, with a excellent eye for quality snakes and lots of business savee to sell their acqusitions with. Still more are the other type, people who really havent bred much or kept much and are just turning animals over, misrepresenting locales, sexes, ages, and health of the snakes involved to make a quick sale.
This will continue, and there is little anyone can do about it other than not to give our business to them. I can here those whining about new bloodlines as we speak. A lot of people that are doing well for themselves in this busines started out as big time brokers years ago. To me, this is just a hobby, so I can afford the luxury of not constantly makeing decesions based on profit margin. I make very , bery little money on this. But I have made others money by buying from them.
And those I buy from that are honest, have good quality snakes, and deliver them in a timely manner, well...those people I brag about to increase THEIR business.  Most brokers dont fall inot this category and def not the ones that turn low end snakes like corns and bulls over.

Fred
(Aztec Reptiles)

I don't necessarily agree that collecting wild animals and selling them is a bad thing as long as it is done within the confines of the law and game regulations. Hopefully those regulations are enforced and up to date enough to protect the species. I just wanted to say that, and not start an argument.

The other thing I wanted to comment on is this: someone said money is the plain and simple answer as to why W?C herps like corn snakes are still being offered. Sure the person selling it wants to make money, and the people buying the snakes want to acquire them as inexpensively as possible. The fact of the matter is that regarding corn snakes, I can get definite captive bred and born babies for $10 apiece or less at the height of the seasson. I can even find cabtive bred and born adults for less than $40, sometimes as low as $20. So money alone is not necessarily the answer, especially when saying people will buy W/C Corns because they are cheap. They are no cheaper than CB if you look around. Of course there are people who sell captive bred normnal corns for over $100 each, and maybe that is one of the reasons that people buy W/C they think all CB Corns are just as expensive. maybe some of the fasult goes to those who price gouge on CB Corns. And PLEASE don't tell me to make a profit that anyone has to sell CB Normal corns for $100 and up, or even anywhere near that price. I have had corns lay over 20 eggs already at one time, no way I would consider gouging like that.  

On the other hand, the seller's part that is, I do think sloth combined with impatience (and some greed of course) may be more like it when someone sells large amounts of W/C corns. They are too lazy or inept to set up a breeding colony. They want the money now without waiting for breeding successes. Castching and selling can all be done within a few days to a week. Breeding projects take at least the better part of a year and only if starting with healthy adults; start with young snakes and it takes years. These people are not in it for the hobby of herpetoculture. They are in it for business and money is a fruit of their business so yes money plays a part, but not simply money but EASY money. It is the usual thing for people, probably even you guys albeit regarding  things other than herp breeding; people like to take the easy way out.

I still catch wild herps. I enjoy it immensely. It is a fine pursuit. I do so legally where ever I do it. I buy licenses, and permits. I follow Game Laws. I release lots of what was caught right after I catch them. I also keep some for breeding projects, or for displays. I have also sold one or two of them to someone who wanted them. I don't catch them to sell them, but if I give it to someone else it sure will not be for free unless it was a special case (like for a donation to a Nature Study Center or a school). Is it bad for me to accept money for the few that I sell, I think not as long as it is legal. I know others differ with me on this bigtime, but that is just my opinion. I do know one thing, the license fees I pay, and the gasoline I buy (no not for dumping down burrows but for driving to my herp places) and the motels I sometimes stay at, and so on and on help out both wildlife and our economy a lot. Any money spent on a hunting license goes to wildlife conservation in the state in which the license was purchased. I am hopeful that states will require Herp Stamps as they require turkey stamps, or archery stamps on regular hunting licenses. This will be an added amount of money to help wildlife.

Well said Glenn. I also collect snakes from the wild, although I don't sell them. I think that anyone who has done any collecting would see that there is no money in doing this, so I doubt people are doing it for the money. When you add up the time it takes, the money it costs, and the amount of snakes someone can catch, its a money loosing deal. Of coarse it may be that I'm just not very good at it. IMHO