Exposure to reptiles/hording

Question
QUESTION: My girlfriend's son is almost 22. He's been keeping reptiles as pets since age 4. I've know them for the past 6 years.
Over those 6 years I've only know them to live in small, rented housing, probably areas of less than 1000 sq. feet and mostly very closed in.
I've see this young man's obsession go from catching snakes and turtles and fish out of the wilds of N.E. Missouri (to keep as pets)to going to exotic animal expos, ordering online, and traveling up to about 500 miles to pick up exotic animals. His collection includes 2 or 3 alligators, a green mamba, b
oas, pythons, maybe 2-3 different kinds of cobras, vipers, rattlesnakes, a tortoise, and at one time a jennet.
He claims to want to breed them and make money, he says it's his passion. He works an average of 60 hrs a week at 2 different minimum wage jobs and spends a great deal of money on his collection. I don't think I've ever seen him sell anything off or really even get to the stage where he could possible try and breed anything. Sadly, a lot of his collection ends of dying, probably due to lack of care. He would deny it but I've never seen him stick to a regular schedule of feeding, watering, or cleaning. Oddly, when something dies he has a nasty habit of not disposing of it immediately. I've seen things bloat and explode. Sometimes the smell is horrendous. I've actually vomited a handful of times. The houses he's lived in with his mother are similar to the ones you would see on hoarders, very cluttered with aquariums, lg rubber totes, enclosures he's build and rebuild, ect, and none of them are ever cleaned after use until they're needed again or he decides they are no longer viable.
He's been in trouble for having dangerous reptiles inside city limits (as he puts it). Basically it was a slap on the wrist, unsupervised probation and get rid of the stuff. He only hid it elsewhere until things died down. He's never been checked up on. He swears he has nothing illegal to own or anything requiring a permit, just says it's really supposed to be outside city limits.
Needless to say, we're constantly stuck with the consequences of his obsession. Since he has no fear of living with these things he likewise thinks the other people involved in his life shouldn't either.
I think he has a serious problem. He's also jeopardizing the health and welfare of those that have to live with him not only with the danger the reptiles themselves pose, but also with some very unsanitary and unnecessary conditions. It seems to me that he really just doesn't care about anyone but himself. He loves to talk reptiles and show them off, even has pictures of them on popular websites.
I'd love to get an opinion on these matters by someone who is a lot more versed in these things than I am. And, if there is any other advise you'd like to give, I'd love to hear it.
Thank you.

ANSWER: This is the sort of person who can create a situation that makes the entire herper community look bad.  We have enough trouble with folks who don't like reptiles misunderstanding our hobby without borderline hoarders like this fellow engaging in cruelty to animals, and breaking laws.

The green mamba alone is an accident waiting to happen...the cobras and vipers just make it more certain.  I can't imagine that even the local zoo has antivenom for that species...it would have to be flown in from elsewhere in the country.

People who keep venomous species (and are rational) understand that being bitten is a matter of when, not if.  These animals should only be kept by experts, in locking cages, by people who have apprenticed to experienced keepers first.  Antivenom for dangerous species should be kept on hand, either in the home or by paying for a local hospital or zoo to stock it!  It's VERY expensive.

I'm a reptile breeder.  I specialize in ball pythons, and I have about 6 snake racks full of them--between 50 to 100 animals depending on the time of year.  I manage to keep them all clean and watered, and they're making me around $15,000 per year (a bit more each year).  So, the issue isn't that you can't make money breeding reptiles, it's that this fellow is doing it wrong, and hasn't bothered to educate himself on how to do it right.  (I might add that my income comes from this and another internet business--I'm not working 60 hours a week!)

It's unconscionable not to provide a snake with basic hygiene and clean water--they're so easy to care for (at least, non-venomous species are).  It's also illegal.  It's illegal not to take a sick snake to the vet.

If you're living in the household with these animals...well, I recommend you leave.  If this fellow manages to get himself bitten, and has an allergic response, he may not even have the common sense to shut the cage door before he collapses.  That's a bigger risk to your health than the dirty cages (though remember that many reptiles carry salmonella, so always wash your hands after handling them, or equipment they've been in contact with).

Ideally, call animal control on him immediately, before things get any worse, and he gets himself killed.  There's no excuse for keeping animals in a place where they are prohibited, and there's ABSOLUTELY no excuse for failing to keep them clean, keep them well-fed, and to look after their health.  If you cannot afford the vet, you can't afford the pet.  He's in over his head, and if he can't see it, tough love (for the animals as much as him) is in order.

Sadly, it will probably still make the local news, and might lead to further ordinances and restrictions being placed on innocent and responsible herpers.

I understand his passion, but without education, common sense, and compassion, he's just an animal abuser.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you, Donna. I agree with your opinion. I do understand about the hobby being misunderstood and people like him just making the situation worse. He has persistently argued over the years that he knows what he's doing, takes good care of his reptiles, and has plenty of experience. Truth is he's talked with a lot of people in the field, read a lot of material, and has limited experience with people I would actually call experienced keepers. He's never had one of his so called expert friends actually come to his house to see his collection, nor has he ever been proud enough of something that he's taken it along on one of his journeys to show off. I have a strong hunch that they would not even begin to acknowledge him if they honestly knew the situation.
He can talk antivenom and different toxins and what to do if he gets bit. He also says he understands that someday he will get bit. I don't think he's researched this aspect enough by any means. He doesn't even have medical insurance and I believe is in total denial about the true consequences of being bitten. He has friends that have suffered some serious bites and because they survived I guess he thinks he will too. He does have a few locking cages, but mostly uses weighted objects to keep things secure.
As far as breeding I hear him talk about "het" for this or that among other things, but as I said, he's been at it for awhile now and I've never seen any offspring.
I refuse to help him do anything with his snakes. He usually cons a friend to come over and help in case anything happens, but they definitely are not experienced handlers.
I'm curious to know what the laws are in our area about keeping venomous snakes and alligators. I can only go by what he says and I really don't think he knows. We live in a small community in N.E. Missouri and I don't think animal control here would even be prepared to deal with a case like this. I'm fairly sure though, that if they knew the situation they would find a way of dealing with it.
I hate to see his passion die, but he is in over his head and won't admit it. Or what if he did get animal control called in, but it only turns out like before with local law enforcement. And what about anonymity, he'd hate me forever if he knew.
Any more feedback you could offer would be great. Thanks for a very rapid response before and thank you again.

Answer
Wow, I can't imagine someone keeping venomous species in cages secured only with weight. >.<

I'm in Nebraska, so I don't know the laws in Missouri, either.  You'd have to do a google search on reptile laws Missouri, or try calling the fish and game department.

You could make the call from a pay phone, anonymously.  Just telling them he has a green mamba and some cobras will get them moving pretty quick.

If he was keeping these animals properly, in locking cages, and had the necessary antivenons available, I'd probably suggest letting it be, but given that the animals aren't thriving, and he's NOT keeping them safely, it's better for all involved that he not have them.  (Anything venomous or over 8 feet needs locks--non-venomous colubrids and constrictors under 8 feet don't need them, but they do need to be kept clean, of course).

The fact this guy is using glass tanks instead of racks is a clear sign that he just isn't serious, or simply can't afford to do what he's trying to do.  (And venomous are best off in front-opening cages with secure key locks).  That's half his problem when it comes to keeping things clean--those tanks are so heavy, it just quadruples the work.

If he wanted to breed snakes to make money, he wouldn't choose those venomous species--there's a pretty small market for those animals, and one has to just suspect that he's in it for the adrenalin.  He's obviously not milking them for antivenon, so why does he have them?  A green mamba is not exactly a pet.

I just wish there was some way to convince the fellow to sell off his venomous and get legal, and keep only as many animals as he can care for.  But if that just isn't possible, if I were you, I would act.  There's a right and wrong way to keep animals like that--and he's doing it wrong.