• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    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.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

IMPORTANT INFO!!!!

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Charlie

New member
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
60
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Missouri
Hello all,
I have some really important news that I wish you to spread around. Last year me and my friend bought snakes from Walter Smith. All snakes we recieved tested positive for parasites. All together we lost 5 of the 11 snakes that we bought from him. He showed very good service in the beginning but when we tried to tell him our problem, he sent rude and hateful messages back to us. I suggest that if you are considering buying from him that you think twice. It almost cost me my whole collection.

Thanks for your time Charlene Dourty.
 
Charlene,

Can you provide some additional information? What types of snakes, were they advertised as wc or cb, how long were they in your possession before you found out they had parasites, etc. etc.
 
Yep. More info is definitely needed. What type of parasite... were the snakes necropsied after they died...did the parasites kill them, the treatment, or something totally unrelated?

Very few, if any, reasonable conclusions can be drawn from the vague info alreay presented.
 
I'm not entirely convinced this posting is legit. She has posted numerous duplicates of this message here as well as on my CornSnakes.com forums, most of which I have had to delete for one reason or another. And I specifically asked her to post the name of the person involved directly on the topic line and she still hasn't complied.

I'm beginning to get irritated....
 
Information about Walter Smith

Hey,
I had the snakes about 4 months and started noticing that they weren't growing properly so I took the smaller one to the vet. When they arrived they seemed fine and ate well, though a few of them were rather small. All had the same symptoms and seemed different. The vet said that they had a type of stomach parasite. I don't know the exact name right off the top of my head. They ate fine but tended to regurgitate a few days after they were fed and most of the time the pinkie really hadn't even been digested. Those that did digest theirs didn't seem to put on wieght like my other healthy snakes were. I am sure that alot of people have had no problem with Walter but I have had a bad experience along with my friend and I want you to know. This might not help you change your mind about ordering from him but I just want to inform people about my situation.

Thanks Charlene Dourty
 
In my defense..........

I would like everyone to know important info that has been left out in this slander against me.

First, on this claim that ALL of the snakes tested possitive of this parasite ( which is called what? ) I have no proof of this and have not been presented with any.

Now, the claim about the animals. I find it odd that she is asking for a refund on only ONE of the alleged five animals lost. I have NEVER been contacted by her "friend" about problems with her snakes. I have also NEVER been contacted with problems from any of the other people who purchased siblings to these animals, or about any of the other 600+ animals that I sold.

The snake that is in question ( the ONE looking to be refunded on ) hatched on 7-29-02. This snake was not sent to her until 10-28-02. The snake was in my possesion 3 months feeding with NO problem what so ever. I was just contacted about this problem at the end of January, so it was in her possesion for 3 months before I was notified of this problem.

I have an animal guarantee as follows:

All animals are guaranteed to be sexed properly, healthy and have eaten at least two (2) meals prior to purchase. All meals will have been live or frozen/thawed pinky mice, unless otherwise stated. This guarantee will stay in effect for TWO WEEKS (14 DAYS) from the purchase date. This is for animals purchased at FULL LIST PRICE ONLY !!
After the 14th. day, I will assume you are happy with your animal(s) and ALL LIABILITY on my part will then TERMINATE.

As you can plainly see I was not contacted about this problem until way past the allowed time limit. Now, if someone contacts me a few days beyond the 14 day limit, I will certainly not have a problem with corrcating the problem.

I ALWAYS make sure that I send out animals that are feeding, but this is not a feeding problem. This is a claim that the animal was consistantly regurgitating and I NEVER send ANY animals out that would have a problem such as this.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and ANY opinions would be greatly appricitated.

Sincerly,
Walter Smith
 
Check your water charlie

I had a similiar problem with some hatchlings from a very reputable breeder. Only I never blamed the breeder, I KNOW the breeder was a good guy. But for some reason snakes kept dieing. Not all of them, but a good half of them. Regurges, feeding without growing, refusals, at least a thousand in vet bills......no answers. I thought I just was REALLY bad at keeping snakes, but SOME of my snakes were fine. That year I had all together 12 hatchlings come into my home, 5 of them thrived and are still fine, but I lost the other 7.

Turns out after I moved, no more snakes died, or failed to thrive, or acted sick at all. I'm almost sure it was the water. Even when I switched to bottled water I was still cleaning tanks with tap water.

If your breeder is reputable, and no one else complains about the hundreds of snakes he sells a year, then you may have to look for the cause at home. Good Luck.
 
Just what I've said.... It doesn't matter WHAT an animal dies from, or how long it's been in the buyer's possession BEFORE it dies.... IT ALWAYS (99.9%) FALLS BACK ON THE DEALER!.... There is NO WAY that the buyer EVER does ANYTHING wrong!.... THE BUYERS are the experts, so if the animal dies.... "It wasn't ANYTHING that I did"???, will be the refrain of the day!

As far as I'm concerned.... this is WAY beyond the warrantee.... the buyer is on his own!!

....Neil
 
One thing that needs to be addressed as well is that 3 months time is plenty enough time for the baby snakes to have picked up parasites from being fed while at the new owner's home. This is definitely likely if feeding live pinks. Unless one's mouse colony is in a hermetically sealed isolation ward, parasites are just one more lovely part of nature that we have to deal with.

Which, by the way, if you chew your fingernails after or during cleaning your snake cages, you might very well wind up in that parasite lifecycle yourself.
 
I have posted this statement many times,
"When is it no longer the sellers responsibility and it becomes the buyers?"

Every single time it gets answered the same way. Once the gaurantee period is out.

Charlene,
In short tough YOU KILLED THEM. Your not going to get any sympathy from this board. But the animals remaining in your care will.

In case you need a bit of help understanding why,
"This guarantee will stay in effect for TWO WEEKS (14 DAYS) from the purchase date. This is for animals purchased at FULL LIST PRICE ONLY !!
After the 14th. day, I will assume you are happy with your animal(s) and ALL LIABILITY on my part will then TERMINATE."

Walter,
Chalk this one up to a bad customer and move on.
 
Agreed, having the snakes for 3 months is WAY too long to blame the dealer/breeder for much of anything. Not to mention, parasites happen for numerous reasons, but are very easily treated.
Dana
 
Charlene,

Have you ever heard the idea of having a $7=$10 fecal check on new additions PRIOR to putting them together?

Parasites are a known risk to many reptiles, especially young ones. They can be picked up not only from food they are fed, but tanks, furniture, hands, clothes, other reptiles, etc. Then ANYTHING can casue them to increase beyound acceptable levels and shipping or change of enviroment is one of the most common.

I am curious
I had the snakes about 4 months and started noticing that they weren't growing properly so I took the smaller one to the vet.
Click to expand...
that it took four months for you to realize they were "not thriving" especially since you claim they were regurgitating a few days after they were fed, so you took one to the vet!?!?!?!. Then you say
The vet said that they had a type of stomach parasite. I don't know the exact name right off the top of my head.
Click to expand...

1. The vet can not say what they had, he only saw one
2. You do not even state that one was tested to know this?
3. Did you treat him for it?
4. Since you had this unrememorable examine and findings in one, did you have the others tested to see if they did and treated properly by weight check?

Seriously, you need to sit down and take the time to learn about animals you want to care for before you have them. That includes common problem they can encounter and the proper steps to take in treating, caring and identifying all of them!!

You killed your snakes by your neglect and even having the nerve to come on a board like this and post something so far fetched and point a finger at the breeder FOUR MONTHS PRIOR is ludicrous.

My 2 cents....... post like this really inflame me..... this poster is entirely out of line with this post and directing it at the breeder rather than accepting the fact they neglected their animals and now want to mommy to make it better!
 
If someone came to be 3 days after buying, I would replace it, even at 3 weeks I would probably replace it, but 3 months, I would laugh at them.

Parasites affect all animals, THEY ALL HAVE IT (yes this means you and me! better make a panacur milkshake!) . Even CB ones and ones you just wormed!

Depending on the species, I dont even worm some of my WC (I dont deworm E. mandarina, E. moellendorffi, P. pictus etc)
 
whatever.........

I have talked with Walter Smith a few times, checked out his animals, and have friends that are close to him. I know nothing but great things about this guy and know that this " parasite" claim is a poor attempt to bring a good guy down.

Billy Fraser
 
First...what type of snakes??? Some animals are hardier than others, some require special care. Are we talking something like cb corns or wc emeralds? You say they were regurging. Did you have them set up properly? Too hot or too cold with some species can cause regurges. Did you give them a sufficient break after a regurge before attempting to feed them again? If an appropriate break is not allowed between feeding attempts after a regurge, a cycle of regurgitation can develope. In three to four months time, anything can happen and it is almost assuredly on the shoulders of the new owner, not the dealer/breeder.

Either way, the dealer/breeder's responsibility ends after the 14 days he guarantees. I have 20 snakes right now. Some I've had for years, some I've added within the last year. Each new snake is placed in quarantine and I clean my hands with alcohol gel between handling or cage cleaning of new snakes. All new snakes are pretreated for mites. If I notice anything out of the ordinary with a new snake, it is immediately taken to the vet. If I suspect that it has parasites or any other problem, it is treated or at the very least checked out. It is an owner's responsibility to have new animals quarantined and get a qualified vet to examine them as soon as there appears to be a problem. If you waited for months to take one snake to a vet when multiple snakes have a problem, that is solely on your shoulders as the keeper. There is no one else to blame for your lack of proper care and precaution.

Dianne
 
My opinion

Before someone comes here I think they should have to bring more proof. After the amount of time it was in your care if you didnt notice anything wrong untill 3 months later who is to say it didnt get these parasites while in your care. Its just very hard for me to belive you and feel sorry for you when you say " I dont know the exact name right off the top of my head" if you brought it to the vet and it killed 5 out of 11 of your snakes you should know the name of the parasite or atleast have it in the report from the vet. But thats just my opinion and if anyone thinks I am wrong or out of line please tell me.


Thanks
 
Mending Fences

I know this is a VERY old thread but I want to clear up a wrong that I made many years ago. I was the one that started this thread back in 2003. I was only a year into the whole world of herps and very nieve. It was much later that I found out, it WAS NOT Walter who I got a parasite from. But at the time I didn't know and he was the last one that I got animals from...so I made an assumption and look where that got me. I have been out of the loop for many years now as I have joined the army and I am currently deployed. I recently started rebuilding my snake collection and ran into Walter who happens to have some corns I am interested in. Since we have been talking, I have been able to clear the air and I wanted to make it official by posting this thread.

I just want to say that I am sorry for the slander and I take full responsilbility for not giving all the facts or looking further into the situation. I actually had completely forgotten about this post until Walter was so kind to bring it up.

Let me tell you though, Karma does come around. Because of a breeding loan I did before I got Walter's animals, I picked up crypto in my corn collection. I had no idea what crypto was at the time and never thought twice about it. But I will tell you that I lost most all my collection to it and what did make it, later died anyways.

I also want to ad that to this date, all my animals are clean and I am very picky who I purchase from and do breeding loans with. Plus I use quarentine of at least three months now before doing anything with new purchases.

So again, Walter, I sincerely apologize for my past mistake and for me being so nieve back then. I will assure you that I have done my reaseach. ;)
 
Charlene (Charlie, if you prefer),
I can certainly appreciate that you've returned to clear the air, and right a wrong; so please don't take this next part personally. I'm going to close this thread, as it is not set up in the format currently required for the BOI. It isn't that I am trying to restrict the discussion in any way...I just want to keep things consistent with policy.

If you are willing, you could start a new thread (with Walter's name in the title, as required) - even just copy/pasting your new post to do it would work - and you could include a link to this one so people could read back for the full story.
Thanks
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top