We are, however, concerned about Government’s silence on snake welfare. Defra needs to listen to its own experts - namely the Animal Welfare Committee’s recommendation that snakes must be able to stretch to their full body length. Snakes are the only vertebrate animals legally denied this basic need

This is vitally important as exotic pet businesses continue to exploit vague "hobbyist" exemptions to trade wild animals over stalls in temporary markets - a practice known to cause significant suffering.