2019 Snek Acquisition Plan

[Dianne]

I’ve purchased from several sources over the years: shows, breeders, VA Trading post (hard copy precursor to Craigslist), and Craigslist...not to mention rescues that were given to me in years past. Of the 7 bp’s I added this year, 2 came from Craigslist, 4 were purchased at local shows, and one was purchased from Dynasty Reptiles and shipped (they are awesome). I inspect carefully for mites at the show and quarantine everyone away from my main collections, for the most part. I did make some exceptions this year and quarantined some of the new animals in my snake room but separate from my other snakes. The last two purchases are in a separate room I have since gotten set up.

Any quarantined snakes are fed last, cages are cleaned last, and any necessary handling is done last...use different tools where possible or thoroughly clean before using on your existing collection. Whenever possible, I prefer to clean or handle on a different day than my main collection. Years ago I used to pretreat the cage for any new arrivals, and should have this time, but I was fortunate not to bring home any extra hitchhikers. Part of that was purchasing from reputable breeders, part is pure luck. As others have said, there is always the chance you can bring home mites or transfer them between vendors. I personally don’t handle anything I’m not seriously considering purchasing, but shows can be a great place to handle different animals to see what you like.

A side note for quarantine times, the absolute minimum is 30 days. This will let you see if mites came in with your new pet, and may allow enough time to discover any illness. Keep in mind that reptiles typically do not display signs of illness until it is well advanced. That is why most keepers go 60-90 days for quarantine, some even longer.