Reptile breeder pays fine after 157 venomous snakes seized
 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A reptile breeder in upstate New York has paid a $500 fine related to the possession of more than 150 venomous snakes in his home, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Wednesday.

The DEC said in a report that investigators got a warrant to search the Orange County home of Darren Paolini after the man was hospitalized for a venomous snake bite last June. He had been bitten by a Taiwanese pit viper at his home, where he had a sophisticated breeding operation in the basement.

Officers seized 157 live venomous snakes and several years of breeding records from Paolini’s Newburgh home. The snakes, which included 29 species, were turned over to the Bronx Zoo. DEC said Paolini told an investigator he gets snakes from importers, breeds them and trades the babies for new snakes.

https://apnews.com/e77a711a7da3eb88a09cf8c136a66cd6

Sounds like a hobbyist to me

this kind of thing worries me... it's only venomous now, but when will they decide that rear-fanged colubrids count? and then smaller constrictors like boas?

USARK keeps track of regulations and legislation proposed for exotic species and sends out alerts. It's well worth joining. https://usark.org/

What the article doesn't tell you, is that Darren is one of the most respected breeders of arboreal vipers in the country. It also doesn't tell you that he's been keeping in New York for decades, nor that he's was informed by wildlife officers that he was grandfathered in years ago.

I hope he has that in writing, because from a legal standpoint "I was told" are three very dangerous words when you are dealing with the government.

Maybe its just me but I wouldn't think being grandfathered would apply to producing more snakes. Keeping the ones you have sure, but getting more?