Is it legal to walk around outside with your snake?

[Vanouri]

someone who has dedicated their life to reptiles or biology.

Do you know what it takes to have an article peer reviewed and published in a scientific journal? These are traditionally written by experts in their respective fields after extensive studies on the topic.

I obviously said that dear. I'm quite aware as I hope to go into biology myself.

[Vanouri]

They are not MY studies. They are studies by specialists in the reptile community that have dedicated parts of their career to studying reptile behavior.

A biologist or herpetologist most likely does not have a specialty in the field of reptile behavior. The can study a number of things, but there are only a few dedicated herpetologists that have extensively studied how captivity affects the behavior of certain species of reptiles.

My mentor, for example, held a masters in Herpetology and a Doctorate in Biology. His specialty was natural adaptations - feeding, mating, territory size - in locality animals of the west and southwest. He also dabbled in central and south american colubrids. He spent literally no time studying the effects of captivity on captive snakes.

Do you understand this distinction?

I never said they were YOUR studies. My whole point here is that I can raise my pets the way I want to without your input. The only way I will change how I raise them is if someone certified as a biologist, herpetologist, or veterinarian explains what I am doing is wrong and tells me to stop.

[Reinz]

someone who has dedicated their life to reptiles or biology.

Do you know what it takes to have an article peer reviewed and published in a scientific journal? These are traditionally written by experts in their respective fields after extensive studies on the topic.

A HUGE key phrase here is "peer review"! Dozens to much more articles and studies are rejected for every one accepted. Just because the author(s) is/are a doctor or have their masters degree doesn't give them passage into a respected peer review journal.

[Daigga]

I obviously said that dear. I'm quite aware as I hope to go into biology myself.

apologies, but you made it sound as though a scientific journal was like a Time magazine with a similar vetting process for contributing writers.

As far as a vets opinion, I once had a "certified reptile vet" tell me to feed canned dog food and crickets to my iguana. Obviously not all herp vets are so heinously misinformed, but not all are so knowledgeable as you might expect.

[DVirginiana]

I'm a career biologist. Ecologist specialty even. Fairly extensive background in neuroscience. Does that mean you now believe everything I said about reptile behavior?

You shouldn't because reptile behavior in captivity isn't my area of expertise.

The best advice you're going to realistically get is from people, like the ones who have commented here, that have decades of experience raising BPs. Frankly, that experience trumps pretty much everything but the opinion of a very specialized academic when it comes to practical care for your animals. I'm not talking about myself here btw; my experience is primarily with colubrids, and there are some pretty big differences between their behavior and a BP's.

- - - Updated - - -

As far as a vets opinion, I once had a "certified reptile vet" tell me to feed canned dog food and crickets to my iguana. Obviously not all herp vets are so heinously misinformed, but not all are so knowledgeable as you might expect.

WHAT.

[Gio]

Then a certified Herpetologist or Biologist can tell me how to raise my snake, not someone over the internet. I'm sure vets have at least some knowledge on the subject as they must study each animal in order to take them as patients.

I haven't read much of this thread up to here, but I would not put a lot of faith in vets when it comes to reptiles.

I have been feeding my dogs a raw food and bones diet for close to 20 years. Only in the last couple years do you see "vets" starting to advocate and understand dogs do much better on a diet that parallels the diet of a wolf. I find they (vets) are better at surgeries, and giving shots than a lot of other things. My vet, whom I like had zero knowledge of protection dog training, and behavior. Yet thought our animals were the best behaved dogs they treat.

Vets are great for repairing and treating things that happen to animals, but they are certainly not always experts on all or specific types of animals.

That's a bit off subject, but I notice you have a grand total of "not very many" posts here, while Skiploder has many, and has been keeping, observing and studying various species of snakes for years. I believe even venomous. While posts aren't everything, because there are many that are just for compliments and such, reading Skip's past posts may be eye opening.

I'll try to keep this positive and all that, but you may not want to argue or push your point with somebody with his experience level.

"Herpetologists and vets" probably don't venture into discussions about taking snakes for "walks", it may be cute and all, but even the most basic herp rules state snakes "tolerate" handling, and don't crave it, nor do they have the capacity to enjoy it. You may enjoy it, but that's the extent of it.

We as pet owners can put human emotion into any animal we want to and sometimes we believe it relates to the animal's own feelings, which reptiles don't have.

Do as you please with your animals, everybody does, whether its right or wrong, but I think if Skip is offering advice over the internet, it may be good advice.


I read some advice about boa constrictors over the internet. It was from a man named Gus Rentfro. He's not a herpetologist or a vet, but as it turns out he happens to be one of the world authorities on boa constrictors.

To be honest this subject is a bit juvenile.

[Skiploder]

I never said they were YOUR studies. My whole point here is that I can raise my pets the way I want to without your input. The only way I will change how I raise them is if someone certified as a biologist, herpetologist, or veterinarian explains what I am doing is wrong and tells me to stop.

Fair enough!

[Sonny1318]

Hey, can we get back to the proctologist ? Because this thread is really ....


Sorry Skip I had too.

[DVirginiana]

Hey, can we get back to the proctologist ? Because this thread is really ....


Sorry Skip I had too.

lol How did I miss that on the first read-through?

[Reinz]

Now Y'all shouldn't be poking fun at Skip's proctologist comment. As you can see it does apply to the animal kingdom!