Okay...
Well in keeping with the spirit of a logical debate / discussion and since you appear to want to be part of it by posting here let me ask you some questions Kevin to possibly help us all understand why someone does deal in venomoids !!!
>> It is my right to deal in venomoids, I feel they do serve a purpose and are a very good tool to use inorder to educate about reptiles. I know that reason is not good enough for alot of people against venomoids, but then again, no reason would ever be good enough for some people. That is fine, everyone has a right to their opinion.
As a seller the animals are under your care durring their stay with you and if one needs treatment how do you treat them?
>>most of the time I am able to treat the animals myself, if it is beyond my capabilities, then I have friends and local vets that are more than happy to help out. The only animals I have ever had problems with, were from the seller in the original thread. I am like most everyone else that treats their own animals, I have access to a large library and also the internet for information. As far as the original thread that started this debate, you can gather from reading it that the animals that were mentioned were in terminal condition and were unfit to be sold, let alone been able to have been venomoided. There is simply no excuse for sending out animals in that condition and that is one of the reasons all of the accusations were brought up to distract from the subject at hand.
You yourself stated you did not have a scale so how can you properly give them medications ?
>>For the record, I did own a scale, but it was borrowed and never returned, so I had to order another one. I did not get a chance to explain that, since there were so many flames being thrown and I apologize for not explaining in the original thread.
Next you have this surgery done and inflate the price of the animal dramatically which is nothing but "surgery for profit". Do you feel it is right and a moral practice?
>> Yes, I do feel that it is a moral practice, from my own stand point and for my own reasons. No one has an idea of what costs are involved, so it is really hard to judge what is a fair price for a venomoid. I do think that prices are ridiculous sometimes for some animals, but people are free to ask what they want for their animals. There are plenty of other reptiles on the net that have outrageous price tags on them, but it is a free world and people are free to ask what they want. I try to ask reasonable prices, but yes, I have to make some profit. This is similar to importers that pay $10 for an animal and then ask way more on the retail market. That is their right, and I don't see tons of people jumping them for it. Not all venomoids are marked up that high, King cobras are a good example, a nice malaysian will cost close to $1000 when it is hot, a venomoided one is usually anywhere from $1200-1400, I consider that a fair price considering they don't cost anywhere near that when they are imported. Bottom line is that anyone is free to ask whatever they want for their animals, if someone doesn't like the price, they are free to choose not to buy it.
How would you feel if a animal you sell as basically a safe animal does bite and kill someone?
>> This is kind of a ridiculous question, in which anyone capable of rational thought would know the answer to, but I will answer anyways. I am just like most others(I hope), I feel that life is a very valuable thing and I would feel bad if I sold an animal that killed someone. How would you feel if you sold a hot snake to someone and it killed someone??? Or is that different? I tell people that these snakes need to be handled with the same precautions as if they were unaltered, but they are free to do whatever they would like. I also tell people that buy venomoids from me that they need to test them regularily to make sure that they do not have functional venom delivery systems. Other than that, it is out of my control, just like it is out of any other sellers control once the snake is purchased. If the surgery is performed correctly, the chance of regeneration is next to none. The stories I have heard of regeneration are rumors to which there has never been any facts provided to how the surgery was performed or by whom.
And would you allow your kids to play with such an animal?
>>That is also a pretty ridiculous question, but once again, I will answer, NO, I would not let my kids play with such an animal, but then again, I wouldn't let them play with a constrictor over 2ft,a hognose snake,falsewater cobra, or any other potentially dangerous reptile. Would you let you your kids play with any of those??
You talk about the HOBBY. What happens if your venomoids do cause deaths and therfore create strick laws where as people can not keep them or for that matter create laws that further restrict all herps more?.Is it wourth it to you to make more money and see the hobby more restrictive?
>>What happens when mambas bite their owners??? What happens when an unaltered snake bites someone?? What happens everytime something bad happens in this hobby?? Venomoids have less of a chance of causing damage in our hobby than any hot snake. Look at how much trouble was caused over the person bit by his unaltered black mamba, now if that snake was a venomoid and he was bitten, how much trouble would it have caused?? No trip to the hospital, no one clinging on for their life, no reporters going crazy.......hmmm. Every person that handles their venomous reptiles without taking the proper precautions risks our hobby. By your logic in the last sentence or your post, everyone who sells a potentially dangerous reptile is risking making our hobby more restrictive.
Kevin Smith
Here is your chance to inform us of why it is ok from your stand point.
