Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
However, these positives are increasingly negatively impacted by an irresponsi-
ble segment of amateurs as well as a growing lack of stringent self-monitored selec-
tivity on the part of some breeders/vendors of potentially dangerous snake species
in regard to the broad array of potential buyers. Many of these potential “custom-
ers” lack appropriate training, knowledge, and experience to keep species such as
rhinoceros vipers (
Bitis nasicornis
), Gaboon vipers (e.g., the western Gaboon viper,
B. rhinoceros
), black mambas (
Dendroaspis polylepis
), eyelash tree or Schlegel's
viper (
Bothriechis schlegeli
), or the hazard level 1 colubrid,
D. typus
, among many
others. All of the aforementioned species (and many others) are either commonly
offered for sale (e.g.,
B. rhinoceros, B. schlegeli
), or periodically are available
(
D. typus
,
D. polylepis
). Numerous genetic variants of various cobra species (e.g.,
leucistic, albino, “sunrise,” of
Naja kaouthia
, and others) are commonly available
via the Internet or select vendor shows (only a few expos allow the sale of venom-
ous snakes). This circumstance is increasingly evidencing the proverb of “one rotten
apple
…
”, as in the United States, for example, a mounting number of over-reaching
state and local municipality regulations are becoming evident. Some of these laws
negatively impact the responsible collection of popular nonthreatened/nonvenomous
species. This is in response to a relatively small number of serious snakebites that
occur among this amateur community. On the other hand, it must be noted that in
many of these cases, the substantial expense (e.g., literally tens to hundreds of thou-
sands of dollars) associated with management of a serious/life-threatening envenom-
ing may be at least partly cost shifted to the local community. This is due to either a
lack of insurance coverage or insufficient coverage of those envenomed under these
circumstances, as many insurance providers will not absorb the totality of costs in
these cases. Thus, some cases can incur significant cost shifted to the local commu-
nity in which the envenomed patient resides. It is unclear if the health care initiative
in the United States will change any of these implied complexities of costs incurred
by such cases of envenoming by privately owned venomous snakes (it probably will
not significantly relieve the incurred private costs).
Therefore, it is critical before statutory regulations are ultimately imposed
and suffocate all access to many of these species (including numerous nonvenom-
ous species), that vendors, breeders, commercial importers, and, most importantly,
prospective collectors/hobbyists, exercise a notably increased rational introspection
regarding captive maintenance of venomous species and those of unknown medical
importance. Clearly, hazard level 1 colubrids (Table 4.2) must be considered equal to
any venomous snake capable of inflicting a fatal envenoming. These species should
only be legally maintained by professionals (e.g., in zoological parks and/or in
research collections) or rarely by very experienced collectors. Stringent legal restric-
tions on these species are entirely justified, especially as antivenom is only avail-
able for
D. typus
and
R. tigrinus
, and these antivenoms are difficult to obtain. The
vast majority of other colubrids (including many taxa readily available in the trade
such as
H. gigas
and
B. dendrophila
) typically produce only mild local effects.
Regardless, as noted in this topic, these species may be capable of medically sig-
nificant local effects, and some under unusual circumstances (e.g., large specimen,
