Snakes on a Mutha Fuckin' Plane

[Maine-ah]

HANOI - Vietnam has seized more than a ton of rat snakes found aboard a Vietnam Airlines flight from Bangkok, the second time in about a month such snakes were found in air cargo to Vietnam, state media said on Friday.

The snakes — scientific name Ptyas Mucosus and a protected species — were found in more than 60 boxes that arrived in Hanoi's Noi Bai airport on Thursday, the Vietnam News Agency quoted officials as saying.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22730900/?gt1=10755

:scared:

[Jamastiene]

1. Rat snakes?

They aren't venomous or anything are they? Glad they found them. Hopefully, they'll be taken somewhere where they'll stand a chance.

[Maine-ah]

2. I have no idea, I don't think the article said if they were or not

I'd like to know why the hell are they transporting that many snakes? Food?

[Jamastiene]

3. Probably the pet trade.

Rat snakes, if I am not mistaken, are sold as pets in a lot of areas. I do wish some of the bigger herp fans were around right now to tell us for sure. I love snakes, but don't know about this certain species. I believe that's true though.

[SallyMander]

4. I think you're right

We have black rat snakes in the U.S., and they're often kept as pets. Rat snakes are non-venomous colubrids. There are examples of venomous snakes in this group, but they are "rear-fanged" (fangs in the back of the mouth). As opposed to vipers, cobras, etc, with the fangs right up front. But most of the colubrids are non-venomous.

:hi:

[Jamastiene]

5. Thank you, fellow critter lover.

:hi:

[blindpig]

6. They're probably food

and were likely en route to China. Now that China has a bunch of yuppies they are raping the world of turtles, SE Asian turtles are in critical condition because of their desire for edible bling. Not at all surprising that snakes are entering the trade in large numbers, they supposedly have medicinal qualities. Friend of mine visited the medicinal market in Hong Kong a few years ago and it was horrific to any herper. Some organ, (liver, kidney, gall bladder?) is removed from a live snake via a small incision and drained into some liquor which is drank. The incision is roughly sown and the snake, which can live for a while, is sold for food. Dried lizards(Draco volans) are sold, dried on a stick. Endangered species designation makes no matter, might even increase desirability.

The thing is, much of these beliefs are not in the classical Chinese pharmacology but are accretions which have diluted the value of traditional Chinese medicine.