I have caught, kept short term, and returned to the wild dozens of snakes over the years. I only have 3 permanent snakes as pets, though. Right now, I have 2 captive bred and 1 wild caught.
I have a captive bred Eastern King that has a Virginia blood-line bred by a breeder licensed to do so in Virginia. I have a captive bred Corn Snake whose parents were wild caught Corns from western Virginia (also bred and sold in compliance with state law). And I have a wild caught Eastern King I collected in Virginia.
I'm not against the taking of wild snakes - in extreme moderation. But I see no need for taking dozens of them. My state allows the taking and possession (for personal use only) of 5 of any non-protect species of snake. I can take and keep 5 king, 5 corns, 5 milks, and so on. What I can't do is capture them and sell them, breed them and sell the offspring without a permit, or give them away.
What I am against is someone coming into my state, taking wild snakes to use in their commercial breeding operations in another state. It happens a lot. Virginia's snakes belong to the citizens of Virginia, not out-of-state breeders. They belong to those state citizens that capture them within the law. The don't exist for the benefit of people that want to make a buck off them, or who don't contribute $$$ to the agencies in charge of conservation.
By the way, anyone that does collect snakes from the wild and goes posting their exploits willy-nilly all over the internet ought to consider that many snake web-sites are monitored by state wildlife law enforcement agencies who may come a-knockin' on your door if they suspect you are breaking the law.
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