• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

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    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
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    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

good beginner venomous snake

Wow, this thread just keeps on giving. I also am undecided on my views about hybrids. I have been reading a lot about them lately. So far I see nothing wrong with them if the right owner is the breeder, i.e. Tanith Tyrr. (no sucking up intended)
 
Ya i've done some reading lately on it and i dont think anything is wrong with it if its in a controled enough environment and the right hands. I thought the AmazonXEmerald was very interesting looking. I just heard a guy voided a false water cobra, how stupid is that they arent even that venomous anyways but theirs always going to be stupid people. I cant wait to go to the Arlington Texas show tomorrow man it sucks going to reptile shows without any money lol. I was going to get some female amazons but i blew all my money on some scorpions and a solomon island ground boa lol. I wish i held on to that money.
 
My opinion on the crossbreeding is reserved till better evidance with time and proper scientific studies on the potentials of shorter life spanns and incresed likelyness of illness's are studied.

Personally I do not like them and do not think I ever will. Ive collected so many years that seeing just the natural differances in patterns and coloration in true wild caught animals never will cease to amaze and facinate me. Personal Prefferance however.

As to voids my stance and opinions on them is NO secret.
 
I think voiding should be outlawed that would make my day. Just thinking about it hurts my head. I have seen some messed up surgeries and the snake ends up with a shrunken head its all just so sad. People are so stupid.
 
a complete ban or outlawing would be next to impossible and black marketing them would become standard practice. The Only thing that can be done is toughen current laws and demand enforcement of them. Have faith it will be comming very very soon :)
 
I said i wish... i know it wont be band but i can always hope. But for tightening laws that could be good and bad for the herp community. But i looked at a chart on the net of the percentage of voids unfortunately it has a steady growth which is really to bad. Things like this really makes me sad that someone could do this to a living animal.
 
Eric keep in mind a very very high percentage of the Voids you see on the market are done by persons without Veterinary credintails thus making them in violation of many and numerous laws already on the books. So in effect creating a amendment to current laws so that the venomoid surgery is included to current laws would in no way harm the industry. In fact it would be opening doors for more law enforcment agencies to actually go after the persons doing these illegal alterations.
 
True true, so your saying that some non proffesionals try and do venamoid surgeries? If thats what your saying thats just plane wrong i dont care what anyone says. Like i recently said i hate people.
 
Eric. I am not saying it im stating it as a fact. It not only is a shame it is a crime. The problem is Law enforcement in many cases is not sure who actually has jurisdiction and also is overwhelmed with other cases.

There are things as we can do though. First is write all Website owners, Reptile show promoters, Magazine editors / owners and vendors and DEMAND they stop allowing these animals to be sold on there site without proper proof and documentation of LEGAL surgery performed by a licensed Vet. Secound inform them we WILL NOT purchase anything from them or thier site until they stop allowing ILLEGALLY altered animals to be sold on thier site. Third write and DEMAND action from law enforcement in the state where we know these ILLEGAL mutilators are operating.

I have a petetion in the works that very soon will be out and help Web owners verify the animals they do allow to be sold on their sites are legally altered and it will also give law enforcement the teeth they need to prosicute these people. It is not a knew law but will be a amendment to current laws.

Here is a link to it. Remember its not complete yet as some wording has been changed. Im expecting it back from the lawyer helping me very shortly in its finished draft and ready for everyones signing.

http://novogate.com/exco/thread.php?forumid=4503&threadid=57173
 
My experience with hybrids is that they can be good or bad. Some hybrids appear to show what dog breeders refer to as "hybrid vigor" where these animals are bigger, stronger, healthier and longer lived than either parent animal. Some hybrid crocodilians at Samutprakarn in Thailand definitely bear this out, as do Eastern diamondback-canebrake crosses which occur both naturally and in captivity.

I am also constantly impressed by the health and vigor of my two hybrids, a copperhead-cottonmouth (produced by Mardi Snipes on purpose) and a massassauga - Western diamondback (produced by another keeper entirely by accident). Both seem to be faster, stronger, more alert and more eager to feed than either parent species. Both are also significantly more aggressive, which is something also observed in the canebrake-EDB crosses.

I think that when you take snakes that are really too far apart to match well genetically you can have problems with the offspring. That's when you will see some weaknesses and shortened life spans. But when they are relatively closely related, you are more likely to see hybrid vigor.

Part of my own interest in hybrids is venom heritability and establishing how far apart species really are cladistically. It's not just that I'm breeding to feed the latest pet craze and my wallet. That I agree is potentially damaging. I'm not sure any hybrids I produced would ever leave my personal collection, except maybe to a few trusted friends on the condition that they never be resold.

Seamus has legitimate concerns about making messes in the gene pool, and most people who freely produce hybrids to feed the popular pet market should heed some of those warnings. But I don't feel that it is abusive to the animals. They don't know or care that they are halfbreeds, and as long as they remain clearly labelled in the hands of responsible keepers, they are unlikely to cause any problems.

And then there was the movie about the giant supersnake that was the result of crossing a king cobra and an Eastern diamondback. In the movie it looked pretty impressive, but in real life it would have just been one fat king cobra. LOL
 
What occurs in Nature is Naturally occurring and probably has been for a long time. Such as Gaboon X Rhino , Yellow rat x Everglades intergrades and Cane x Eastern and so on. If it occurs naturally I do not have a problem with it at all as I beleive it is a form of evolution. But to cross animals that would never meet or breed in the wild for pure monetary gain just doesnt settle good with me. I would love to see a picture of a Cane x Eastern or the real deal slitherring down a country road. I just love the differances in true wild animals I still get excited even at seeing Nerodia in there many diffrent patterns and looks.
 
I'd like to see that copperheadXcottonmouth i bet thats very pretty. I understand Mustangs point with them not even being close to each other but if i didnt do that ex. kenyan X rosy i would only sell them to VERY good friends because i was thinking last night if hybrids become real common it'll be hard to find purebread animals. Thanks and happy herping.
 
Seamus has legitimate concerns about making messes in the gene pool, and most people who freely produce hybrids to feed the popular pet market should heed some of those warnings. But I don't feel that it is abusive to the animals
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I don't think it's abusive to the individual animals (usually)... Just more dangerous to entire captive populations. A venomoid animal, while having been subjected to something very negative, is the only animal affected by the procedure. If bred, it won't produce venomoid offspring. Hybrids are little time-bombs, one slip by someone who doesn't know better and the entire captive population becomes questionable.

massassauga - Western diamondback
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Which raises an interesting question... What's the venom composition like on that animal? Does it display the full toxicity of both parent species (making it very very very nasty indeed)? Does it take after one or the other? Are the individual toxins found in lesser densities than would be the case for either parent species?

Clearly it's a concern, especially for animals which may be closely related on an evolutionary scale but miles apart when it comes to toxicity and which antivenin is required. When tagged (If tagged) it might make a fairly substantial difference.

Eastern diamondback-canebrake crosses which occur both naturally and in captivity
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Which really just means that there might be some value to potential taxonomic revision. A species is defined as a naturally interbreeding group of animals, for far too long taxonomy was the work of individuals who had never even seen a live specimin of the animals they were describing. The modern emphasis that has shifted to field work (natural history), lab work focusing on DNA and some work with fossil chains seems to be a very positive step towards bettering our ideas of which animals are exactly which. The old scale counts and tendon length still has it's place to be certain, but there needs to be something balancing out the scale. The animals won't care of course, but names are important.

Heck, look what has happened (and been mostly accepted) to florida and brooks kings... Two species were found to have a wide natural zone of intergradiation; became subspecific in their designations.

At no point will I ever agree with venomoid production, nor do I see hybrids as being of greater concern... However both matters as they relate to captive populations and the way the general public views the hobby, the industry and the science are of importance and neither should be neglected or overlooked in favor of the other.
 
Today at the reptile show i met the guy that tried to catch the cobra in dallas. He is actually a nice guy and definatly knows his reptiles. But his trapping skills arent too skilled.
 
snakekid13 said:
Today at the reptile show i met the guy that tried to catch the cobra in dallas. He is actually a nice guy and definatly knows his reptiles. But his trapping skills arent too skilled.
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You have no basis to criticize Darryl until you have tried trapping a snake under the same circumstances. He is a skilled professional with many years of experience.
 
Well I just dont understand why he would put sticky pads around a mouse that doesnt make much sense to me. I wasnt critisizing him i was commenting on what it appeared to be i wouldnt criticize him i have alot of respect for him after meating him today. It wasnt supposed to come out rudely it just seemed like maybe their could be some better ways to trap a snake.
 
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