Purchase vs. rescue (kinda long)?

[slartibartfast]

So, I went into the local reptile shop by my work to get some feeders, and was browsing his snakes out of idle curiosity.

He's keeping three medium balls together in a 20g glass tank, with no obvious heat source, an open screen lid, and no hides. I was apalled, and asked him why they didn't have hides. He told me that it makes them agressive. :-(

I asked to handle them, and the first seemed okay, but the second had dented eyecaps. The third was -skinny-...her backbone sticks up in a "V", and she seemed lethargic compared to the others. When queried, he said he'd just gotten her in trade from a customer, and that she was skinny because the previous owner "probably hadn't been feeding her". She had patches of retained shed, and her left eye was pretty dented in. Her right eye was either missing or occluded by a scab; I can't tell. It looked like the ones in the thread about the blind ball python. The loose skin on her neck was easily pinched up, and did not return to place. I was apalled that he'd present an animal in that condition for display, and that he seemed so ignorant about their minimum care requirements.

I realize that this would most likely not be an easy fix, and I am not terribly experienced with snakes...I've had my adult male ball for a year, and he's done great (eats consistantly, sheds out perfectly), but he's my first snake. I'm in the process of acquiring babies to breed in a few years, but have not had them very long so cannot yet take credit for their current good health.

However, to my credit I am an experienced vet tech/rescuer with cats and dogs, and have an above average success rate with rearing newborn kittens, which is both exhausting and demanding.

Is it ethical to buy her in an attempt to rescue her? Or does that equate to buying a dog from a petstore, where you're just supporting abusive practices? What would be a reasonable offer to make for an ill snake of unkown background, with no breeding prospects? I ached leaving her there, so dry and exposed.

Your thoughts, please.

[daniel1983]

does that equate to buying a dog from a petstore, where you're just supporting abusive practices? What would be a reasonable offer to make for an ill snake of unkown background, with no breeding prospects?

Yep....you would just be supporting abusive practices by giving any money for the animal IMHO. If the pet store owner is still making money from the animal being mistreated....what reason would the owner have to keep the animals better?

I would tell the owner of the store that from the looks of the snake it will most likely not survive much longer in these conditions and offer to take it off of his hands at no cost so that the animal will not die.

[frankykeno]

I agree with Daniel. As heartbreaking as it is to not buy this poor snake the fact is if you give this guy cash for a snake in that condition he'll figure he can sell any snake in any shape and make a quick buck. Not something you want to encourage. Like Daniel said, I would instead suggest to this store owner that this snake is in such poor condition that it's likely to expire and you as a vet tech have access to the means to save it if he will simply give it to you as a kindness to the snake. He obviously didn't put out any real cash on the snake and if he took it in trade he sure doesn't know what he's doing or he traded an equally sad animal for this snake. If you have a reptile rescue locally I would encourage you to call them as well for advice about this sort of thing.

[slartibartfast]

I figured that was the case. Thanks for the input.
I'll check on Wednesday when I get off work, and see if she's still there. I can't tell you how awful she looked...it was just miserable.