DWA Species

[OSJ]

Hi
I understand there are some litigious concerns but I think that the BTS is on pretty firm legal ground as long as it makes perfectly clear the law regarding species covered by the DWA act and makes it clear it accepts no responsibility for the animals sold. It’s also worth pointing out that the probability of some serious accident occurring from a captive scorpion are very low, there are extremely few buthids that can be considered of serious medical importance and serious envenomations constitute only about 1% of stings from these species. However, I realise that some of the true spiders do pose quite a substantial risk, though they seem to be advertised less often.

I think the new warning constitutes everything that could reasonably be expected of the BTS from the legal point of view, and I am glad the BTS has no plans to oppose DWA sales. I think further restrictions (i.e. requirement of a valid DWA license) would only prove difficult to manage and would have the effect of making the adverts pretty useless anyway; since the majority of people who keep buthids in the UK do not hold a DWA license. (I don’t condone ignoring the law but I do understand it when it comes to scorpions)

I’m hoping to submit a couple of articles on some captive species of scorpion to the journal in the near future. I’d like to see scorpions covered more often.

Regards
Oliver

[Dave Gunter]

Zoo's come under a different license scheme.

Anyone can apply for a DWA license, whether they get one granted or not is a different matter

As for Olivers comment of "since the majority of people who keep buthids in the UK do not hold a DWA license.", i find that a little strange as all the people i know who do keep them all have the required paperwork as no serious keeper would risk losing their entire collection for the sake of a bit of paper.

[Simon Batten]

I went to a place today called BJ herp supplies in Dorchester, he was telling me how they have a dwa license for there dwarf kaiman crocs which couldnt really kill you but anyone can buy a riticulated python which could easily kill a grown person it doesnt seem right

[Phil Rea]

Yes the DWA has its falling points, but IMHO it is a good thing to have. What i really object to is the fact that it is local authority controled and here is Swindon it is £450 (last time i heard) to apply, while 11 miles away it is £50 including a pet shop licence.

My local authority in Wales (Gwynedd County Council) charge £129 for a DWA licence. The variation in costs is just crazy.

[Dave Gunter]

For info, this is the official defra list of dwa species

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/gwd/animallist.pdf

[Simon Batten]

theres some unexpected animals on that list

[Phil Rea]

When I enquired with my local authority, they said that they'd not had any enquiries about spiders before. They were used to wild pigs and the like, but spiders was a new one on them

Actually they rang back a minute ago. If I paid for a vet to visit my premises, to see how they would be kept, and then paid them their pound of flesh, then there's no problem whatsoever, and they would issue the licence forthwith.

It seems very easy to obtain one. Too easy I would suggest.

[Adam Smith]

All depends on how the vet deems it apropriate or not. If the person wishing to keep X species and there is secure lockable enclosure and looks clean, tidy and the person is repsonsible with what he is going to do then in that sence its easy, but if you know what you're doing and are sensible, cautious there be no problem.

[lee smith]

i find that there are some animals NOT on the list which i think should be, eg. Bufo Marinus (cane toad), i got mine from a pet shop and they didnt ask if i knew about them or how to care for them. they didnt even warn me that they are highly toxic (luckily i already knew, as ive dealt with bufo-toxin before). there is a couple of pet shops near me that sell them for £15 each.

[Simon Batten]

I seen a man selling king cobras on that pet-classified site the other day it did state you need a DWA license but thats quite a dangerous snake

[Adam Smith]

There are some people (serious collectors with the appropriate facilaties and expertise) who like to aquire venemous snakes and reptiles and King cobras are there haowever are not cheap and as far as I know it is much harder to aquire a DWA lisence for a king cobra than it is for, say a bark scorpion which isnt near as dangerous. When I lived in devon there was a great exotic pet shop that had a couple of rattlesnakes in the store (not for sale obviously) they werent western diamond backs but were definitely rattle snakes. If you have the expertise, time and money you can pretty much have anything within reason. To have a cobra would require a near lab set up with equipment for handling and haveing antivenom available and so on.

[Niklas Eriksson]

Is there anyway to look up if a person has a DWA license? For example if Im gonna sell one of my Phoneutria to anyone in the UK can I somehow make sure the preson have a DWA license?

[Mark Pennell]

Is there anyway to look up if a person has a DWA license? For example if Im gonna sell one of my Phoneutria to anyone in the UK can I somehow make sure the preson have a DWA license?

Hi
Just ask them to send you a copy of thier current certifcate. They will have to apply for another to cover the species you are selling them.

If in doubt do not sell to them

Cheers
Mark

[Niklas Eriksson]

Ahh thanks for your reply. Thats good to know if I someday is going to sell DWA species.

[Glenn Wilkinson]

They will have to apply for another to cover the species you are selling them.

Do you need a DWA certificate for each animal, or does it cover everything on the list? I was looking into costs today because i would like to keep Buthidae scorpions, but would i need to amend it if i wanted to keep DWA spiders or snakes at a later date?