USPS Express Mail for snakes

[RichH]

Hello, I have been purchasing and trading herps a little more than usual these past few months and I have noticed many herpers are using/attempting to use Express mail to ship herps (snakes). Several times in the past few months I have had requests to ship using USPS or had people tell me they were going to ship to me in that fashion.

Have I been missing something here as I always thought USPS frowns in a big way on them being used for such things? Usually when I bring it up I never hear from these particular people again. Not a bad thing I guess.

Have many also been experiencing such requests lately?

Rich Hebron

[gatorman]

USPS isnt intended for herps and snakes are totally forbiddin. tell them not to be so cheap and ship through a proper carrier.:)

[Rob Hill/Geckos Anonymous]

Shipping snakes through the USPS(venomous, venomoid, non-venomous, whatever) is ILLEGAL.

[Darin Chappell]

If I'm not mistaken (and if I am, someone will undoubtedly correct me), knowingly RECEIVING snakes via USPS is also a criminal act in that the receiver is an accessory to the fact of the illegal shipping. ANYONE that uses USPS for shipping snakes of any kind is a criminal, in my book(and the government's as well), and you simply cannot trust someone who is not trustworthy (is: a criminal)!

[David R.]

You are very much indeed correct! Shipping and/or RECEIVING any type of snake via the USPS is a serious crime! Most of you guys/gals on this form may not have even been around back in the late 70's or early 80's when the Fed's set up a sting operation based out of Atlanta, Georgia call "Atlanta Wildlife Exchange". It was owned and operated by the Fed's. Atlanta Wildlife Exchange shipped an African Rock Python to me via the USPS. I don't honestly remember who suggested that method of shipping, them or me, but in any case in does not matter. I paid for the snake in advance, however when it was shipped, I was required to sign for it, which gave them the proof that I received the snake. Of course by the time the sting was over and Atlanta Wildlife Exchange was closed, I had sold the snake(evidence), buy they of course had my signature where I signed for the package. The day the sting ended, Federal agents started arresting people all over the country including yours truely. A Federal Fish & Wildlife agent and a local game warden came to my home at 8:00 am. These are the figures: I paid $300.00 for the python and sold it for $300.00. I had to go to court and paid the Fed's a $1,000.00 fine. My attorney fees were about $3,000.00.

My next statement most of you guys/gals will refuse to believe, but I suggest you pay attention. I was not charged for actually receiving a snake via the USPS. I was charged with violating the Lacey Act! The Lacey Act does indeed apply to all herps, period!
It does not matter if the herp is legal or not, imported legally or not. The Lacey Act applies to ALL methods of shipping if the shipment crosses any state line via any commercial shipper.(Airlines, Airborne, UPS, etc.) All shipments must be labeled with the correct common AND scientific names and the number of each.
If you knowingly receive a mislabled shipment, you are just as guilty as the shipper, unless of course the shipper is the Federal Government!

David Rivers

[Glenn Bartley]

While it is illegal to ship snakes via the US Postal Service, it is not ilegal (in my understanding) to ship some other herps. This is easy to check on by doing a search on their web site. Of course you do have to follow other regulations such as found within the Lacey Act.

If you want to be able to ship snakes via the postal service, start a letter writing campaign via snail mail - not email - to your elected congressmen and congresswomens and your senators. If enough people do it, and if the politicians realize that their is a large enough economic impetus involved - they will possibly push for a change.

Best regards,
Glenn B

[Cheryl Marchek AKA JM]

Great, now I'm a criminal. I'm expecting a box filled with 5 ball pythons, that was shipped USPS.

I've been argueing with my husband for the last 20 min about what to do now.

I asked that the snakes NOT be shipped USPS~ but I don't suppose I could prove that beyond a reasonable doubt....after all....the "proof" is saved on MY PC.

IF I refuse to accept the box....then I am my own definition of an in-humane Son of a B*itch by causing them to stay in the box that much longer and certainly gauranteeing their slow deaths.

IF I refuse the box...well I'm just out my $200 as well.....no one thinks he will send me back my money now do you?

IF I accept the box.....I'm a criminal, despite my request that they NOT be sent USPS. (But then I suppose I am ALREADY a criminal as I accepted the box sent to me in Febuary that had 1 snake in it. My mail lady knew that was a snake and that I was unhappy it was sent USPS.....I don't suppose that helps me at all does it.....considering I'M the one who TOLD HER it was a crime to ship snakes USPS)

I discussed accepting the box, taking it to MY post office still sealed, tell them what is IN the box and tell them I must open it or the animals will die....... Three things could happen:

1. They don't give a ####, don't bother with the sender or me. (good luck on that one right?)

2. They commend me on my honesty and they go nail the guy who sent them to me (Yeah right.....and maybe purple monkeys will fly out my @ss as well.....afterall.....they don't ask for ID when you SHIP a box so they can't prove who sent it.....only that I recieved it)

3. They decide to keep the snakes, they probably die anyway, I'm out my $200 AND they prosecute me for breaking the Lacy Act....after all...the only thing that CAN be proven is that those snakes were shipped to me. (This is probably the most likely)

Husband says I should shut-up, accept the box and never again purchase anything from anyone I can't grasp about the neck and choke if things go wrong. (At least then I would have the satisfaction of having choked the son of a gun when I was prosecuted for assault and battery)

This sucks.