Keeping dwarf adders has been a contentious issue over the years for two primary reasons,
1) the legalities of obtaining these snakes,
2) the specific husbandry requirements demanded by all 12 species.
All but 1 of the dwarf adder species found in South Africa occur in provinces in which it is illegal to collect without a permit. Collecting permits are virtually never issued unless for scientific study and consequently keeping dwarf adders in captivity is seen by many to be a dubious activity. Despite this however virtually all the species are kept and bred and many argue this is a good thing, helping to reduce the demand for wild caught individuals. The greater the number of healthy captive bred offspring made available to enthusiasts, the lower the prices become thus lowering the appeal of wild collecting.
There are many examples of this, across most species the supply of healthy captive bred dwarf adders has dramatically reduced the demand for wild caught animals. Thankfully wild-caught individuals are rarely offered anymore as most keepers would prefer an established, captive bred animal.
So why choose captive bred over wild-caught?
- Legalities aside wild caught dwarf adders can be problematic, and are far less likely to settle into a captive environment than captive bred snakes. A stressed adder is an unhappy adder and susceptible to illness.
- Wild caught snakes carry parasites and possibly viruses which may put other captive animals at risk.
- Ethics. Unless an animal is at risk of harm in its natural environment the removal of any wild animal from its home range is never in their best interest.
- Wild caught adders can be difficult feeders, whereas a reputable breeder can guarantee a good feeder.
Buying captive bred snakes negates all these concerns and gives you a far better chance of raising a snake to adulthood and potentially breeding it. The survival rate for captive bred snakes is far higher than for wild-caught snakes.
As more and more captive bred dwarf adders are made available keepers are learning how to properly care for these animals. Feeding, heating, health issues, raising of babies, these were all topics of many a discussion over the years. While it’s true these snakes are still best served in the care of advanced keepers we do have a much clearer idea of what these creatures need today than we did 15 – 20 years ago.