*Very Disturbing pic*Why would someone put this on there website?

[carol]

I do think it is in bad taste to put that on a home page. If I also sold pet mice through my website I would not post a cornsnake eating pic on it at all, let alone on the homepage.

It looks to me as if the corn was already dead, and to be fair it could have died from non parasitic causes, such as egg binding. It does look like a dangerously large meal for even a kingsnake, which also is another reason it's a terrible idea to put it on a homepage.

Putting those issues aside, does it bother me to see a King eating a Corn? Not any more than it bothers me to see pics of Corns eating mice. They both make me sad, I like Cornsnakes, I like mice. It also makes me sad to see a truck full of cattle on the highway knowing where they are headed. I'm no vegetarian, I feed my snakes over one hundred little mousie bodies every week, and I also feed my non feeding or deformed Corns to Kingsnakes.

I do sympathize with people who are really bothered by it, I have my own little "non-logical" bias too. I am absolutely horrified by the thought of horses being used for meat and I can't get the above reasoning to calm my feelings when I think about it. :shrugs:

 

[lefty_mussolini]

While I've really no reason to talk about the picture, as I've fed cornsnake hatchlings to my kingsnakes and taken pics. They're in a place not accessible to the public unless I give the link out to people wanting to see.

I know that there are many people on here that feed severely deformed hatchlings and non-feeder hatchlings to their Kings, and I probably will too if and when that comes up. My issue with this pic is that it is on the front page of his website without any sort of explanation. What kind of message is he trying to send to his customers? If the Corn was already dead when it was fed to the King, how did it die? Was it a perfectly healthy animal that just up and died? Was it sick? I think Mr. Torres is very irresponsible to be putting that picture up on his website without explaining it a little. I hate to think that someone might see this and think that it's ok to feed a dead snake, regardless of cause of death, to another snake. I know that you shouldn't do that (and Ray Torres probably does too) but people who are newer to the hobby might not. Without some sort of disclaimer for this pic, someone might get the wrong idea.

 

[xavusangel]

I know that there are many people on here that feed severely deformed hatchlings and non-feeder hatchlings to their Kings, and I probably will too if and when that comes up. My issue with this pic is that it is on the front page of his website without any sort of explanation. What kind of message is he trying to send to his customers? If the Corn was already dead when it was fed to the King, how did it die? Was it a perfectly healthy animal that just up and died? Was it sick? I think Mr. Torres is very irresponsible to be putting that picture up on his website without explaining it a little. I hate to think that someone might see this and think that it's ok to feed a dead snake, regardless of cause of death, to another snake. I know that you shouldn't do that (and Ray Torres probably does too) but people who are newer to the hobby might not. Without some sort of disclaimer for this pic, someone might get the wrong idea.

Thanks a bunch Lefty thats exactly what i was trying to say...its just disturbing that its on the front page without any explaination..I Know its normal for kingsnakes to eat other snakes, and i know that it would be better for a deformed corn snake hatchling to be fed to another animal or put down humainley...I just dont know what he was thinking putting that on the home page and not letting others know why it was being fed a corn snake.

 

[Cflaguy]

My impression

of Ray is he is a guy in it for the money alone. I have seen it repeatedly in the pet trade. I will not be dealing with this clown.
The picture itself... I can't help but be reminded of Kaufields' statements in the Keeper and the Kept as the zookeeper fed an Indigo to a King Cobra.
I hope the Corn died of natural causes but we can all agree the meal was way to big.
:-offtopic
I'm sure now since I'm back in the game I to will be feeding problem hatchlings to my Kings. I'd never kept Kings before last year but I have heard if you start feeding them snakes, he can be hard getting them back to rodents.
Anybody?

 

[Taceas]

My kings don't show any preference. They eat anything.

 

[lefty_mussolini]

My kings don't show any preference. They eat anything.

hahaha. Yeah, I have a hard time thinking of any of my Getula turning down anything.

I hope the Corn died of natural causes but we can all agree the meal was way to big.

That was another thing I forgot to mention.

 

[carol]

Mine too. They have no problem going back and forth. Yesterday my MBK female ate 9 slugs (unfertile cornsnake eggs, not real slugs), when I threw a mouse in there a few hours later she grabbed it before it hit the ground. It seems such a waste to toss the duds and she loves them.

 

[Cflaguy]

Thanks

Taceas.
The rest of this post it to fill the ten character space.

 

[Cflaguy]

oooooopppsss!

Thanks Carol as well. I was typing while you were posting.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

He has a fancy site

Fancy site?

my MBK female ate 9 slugs (unfertile cornsnake eggs, not real slugs), when I threw a mouse in there a few hours later she grabbed it before it hit the ground. It seems such a waste to toss the duds and she loves them.

You know, that makes me want to get a king. I don't like waist either. Feeding off slugs sounds like a good idea.

As to Ray's Reptilia. He is well known for his poor business practices. Enough said.

 

[Tyger9791]

first of all, i'm glad that faunaclassifieds BOI is out there so we can research before we buy...
second of all, it is disturbing. about as disturbing as people who breed amstaffs and pit bulls and put pics of dogs fighting on their website. it's irresponsible...and they're just perpetuating the negative stigma associated with these animals. sad really...i think kings are very cool snakes. but even i know looking at that pic, that it's nuts to feed an adult king another adult snake. He might be able to handle it, but you're risking regurge and even death.

 

[Jynx]

I have had similar situation happen when attempting to breed a corn male to a king female when the female wasn't as ready as I thought she was. The pair was seperated, and the male was ok, but it definitely made me take a different apporach so I could assure acceptance of the female.

I agree that the photo and its placement on the wbpage are in poor taste. It makes me wonder what sort of impression he is trying to create with that sort of photographic statement. Does it bother me? Yes, but not because its just a picture of a king wrapping a corn. I too keep a few kingsnakes for garbage disposals (that and I like them). I think there should be a few more details to that. What bothers me is that I don't know why the corn was placed with the king... was it negligence? A breeding attempt gone wrong? And if the corn is dead, it still bothers me because that king is in danger of jeopardizing its health with a meal that big.

Perhaps one should ask him what his reasoning and desired point was when he posted that picture. :shrugs:

 

[SnakeAround]

Now that sounds like a good idea Catherine! I'd love to hear his explanation if he gives any.

 

[Lennycorn]

Funny...He has a "Hall of shame" section. Probably the only customer that didn't get ripped off. I won't list there names.


Hall of shame

Beware of these people as they will but merchandise from you and charge false chargebacks with their credit card companies and get their money back and keep your animals.It is people like this that ruin it for everone else.Don't do business with these people or you will get taken like I was .Keep your eye on this list and stay away from these folks .