Snake relocating

South African snakes with venoms that are not considered to be medically important.

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Snake relocating

Postby Boerie » Tue Apr 23, 2013 3:32 pm

Hi guys a friend of mine caught a big skaapsteker while he was on a job in limpopo. He brought it to me and now I want to release him at a nearby "veltjie" here in pta. Will this snake be okey in a new habital?
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby Westley Price » Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:42 pm

Hi Boerie

In short, no it will not be okay to release him.

The generally accepted maximum release distance from original catch site is 20km.

The reasons for this distance are multiple, from introducing diseases to which the local population has no resistance, to contaminating the local gene pool.
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby LizardLover » Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:44 pm

Why did he catch it and bring it to you and now you don't want it and want to release it into habitat that is way too far from where it came from?
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby Boerie » Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:05 pm

He only told me about the snake once he arrived in pta, if I had known I would have told him 2 release it where he found it.
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby Bushviper » Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:19 pm

Try to send it back with him or else kill it and give the body to the TVL museum. That's the reality of genetic contamination.
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby LizardLover » Tue Apr 23, 2013 7:40 pm

I agree with BV on this. Don't free it that far from where it came from.
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby Boerie » Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:37 pm

I don't think I could get it over my heart to kill the snake. I'd rather keep it for a little while and make a weekend trip to Limpopo on my next holiday and release the guy. Thanks for all the replies.
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby michael » Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:48 pm

Do you know the exact locality of the snake and can you guarantee it doesn’t pick up anything in terms of disease or parasites while in your care? You are also committing an offence by keeping it; these are unfortunately the laws for most of the country. The snake should never have been removed in the first place. I agree with Bushviper on this one.
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby Boerie » Wed Apr 24, 2013 3:59 pm

Ja he told me where he caught it, so if I keep him for a few weeks in a sterile container and release him it should be ok?
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Re: Snake relocating

Postby Bushviper » Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:11 pm

Yeah that should be fine. They eat small mice quite easily.
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