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baronofhell

Captivity

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I own some snakes, and sometimes I wonder if it's cruel or not to keep them in captivity. Bare in mind, all of my slithery friends were born in captivity and have never been in the wild. They're all very healthy and alert, feed well, and kept in optimum conditions. People tell me "How would you feel if you were kept in a cell for the rest of your life?" Basically saying my snakes are pretty much prisoners. But I feel that you can't compare a snake to a human, since they're only reason for existence is to basically breed and eat. What do my fellow doomers think of keeping animals period, in captivity(besides cats and dogs of course).

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I think that if an animal is born into captivity and knows nothing else, releasing it into the wild is a pretty...bad idea. I guess the same goes for an animal that's been in captivity for a long time, even if it wasn't born into it. You could compare it to a really spoiled kid who's given everything and never has to lift a finger, then suddenly he has to move out, find a job, and work for everything he owns. It doesn't come naturally.

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Was it bred for domestication? Then I don't think you have anything to worry about. If you still feel guilty, though, just go buy a bigger cage. Or let it out in the house once in a while and see how it fares.

Granted, captive animals generally have shorter lifespans, but that's usually due to living the domestic life-- much in the way you and I shorten our lives by eating Double Whoppers and smoking cigars.

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I remember a friends of mines step dad once had a constrictor as a pet and it was very cruel. It was about nine feet long in a five and a half foot tank with no dirt, little water and no heat lamp. Because of the cold conditions of the average Canadian house the reptile was in constant hibernation, It was also few a live baby rabbit I think once a month. I think it was too much money to keep so they ended up skinning it.

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Let me guess, PETA came to your house?

I think keeping animals in captivity is fine, as long as you don't abuse them...

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Jesus a nine foot boa in a five foot long tank isn't cool, it is said that the snake's enclosure should AT LEAST be as long as the snake is, AT LEAST. And feeting a nearly full grown boa once a month isn't bad at all. They don't need to eat as much when they're older, but as juveniles they should be fed every 7-10 days. When my boa get's that big and she most likely will(females get bigger and thicker) I'm building a custom enclosure with wood and pexi glass with holes(chicken wire a no no, hard to keep humidity levels with screens).

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baronofhell said:

Actually, animals in captivity live longer than they would in the wild, mainly because the absence of predators.


Not quite.

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I view an animal as a responsability. It can be a fun experience for people and animals if it's done right. You keep your animal fed and comfortable, he'll keep you happy and provide a nice thing to look at. Dont exactally know how that works out for snakes, but I'm sure snake-owners would know more than someone whose only snake encounter was garden-snakes in BC.

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Yeah, it's cruel, if you buy into all that PETA bullshit. Hell, as long as you aren't beating it, startving it, et cetera, there ain't nothin' wrong with it.

Snakes are cool. I have a friend who just got one. She wasn't sure about feeding it live mice and shit, so I had to do it for her, and she squeeled and starting holding onto me and...well, snakes are cool, leave it at that.

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