Wild Caught Vs Captive Bred Exotic Pets. In the exotic pet trade there are two types of animals available to the buyer; wild caught

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1 Newman 1 Chris Newman Malory Klocke English I Wild Caught Vs Captive Bred Exotic Pets In the exotic pet trade there are two types of animals available to the buyer; wild caught and captive bred. Wild caught refers to any animal that has been captured in its native habitat and put up for sale to a prospective buyer. Captive bred, on the other hand, refers to any animal which was born and raised in captivity. The debate over which of these is preferable is still going strong, with no sign of a conclusion being reached. Any dealer of exotic animals, whether it be a local pet store or a dealer at an exotic pet show, should be able to tell you whether the pets they have for sale were wild caught or bred in captivity. That information may or may not be important to you as a buyer, but there are pros and cons to both wild caught and captive bred exotics that you should be aware of when considering a purchase. The first thing that must be considered in either case is whether or not the exotic animal in question is legal to own where you live. For example; you see ferrets in pets stores all the time, but they are illegal to own in the state of California, which considers them wild animals. Researching local and state laws should therefore be your first step before considering an exotic pet purchase. Once you ve armed yourself with the relevant information regarding legality and availability you can begin to look at the pros and cons of buying a wild caught specimen over a captive bred one, and vice versa.

2 Newman 2 The first consideration with a wild caught specimen is again legality. Even if it is legal to own a particular species, you must find out if it is legal to capture and export that species from its native habitat. A good example is the tarantula species Brachypelma smithi. It is perfectly legal in most places in the United States to own B. smithi, but it has been illegal to capture them from their native habitat in southern Mexico for a number of years now as per CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations. As such, your only option to buy one legally is a captive bred specimen. The illegal capture and smuggling of exotic animals is believed by experts to be the worlds third most profitable illegal business, just behind drugs and guns (Hall A3). Illegally smuggled animals are frequently mistreated by those who would sell them for profit. In his article, Kevin Hall writes that illegally captured parrots are often drugged and have their beaks and feet taped, and are then shoved into a plastic tube in someone s luggage or carry on bag (A3). Stories of such atrocious treatment abound when any research is done into the subject, and the article I cited here is just one small example. As such, verifying the legality of the wild capture of any species you wish to purchase is of premier importance. If it is legal to capture and export a species, they are generally treated much more humanely, as the seller doesn t have to hide what they are doing in order to avoid arrest, and can ensure that they are fed during transport and checked out by veterinarian upon arrival at their destination. The next consideration is the health of the wild caught animal. Even when it is legal to capture and export them, the trip is still stressful on them and they will often have difficulty adapting to life in captivity. A wild caught animal may refuse food for significant periods of time because they do not recognize what they are being offered as food. In addition, many wild

3 Newman 3 caught exotics may be carrying parasites or diseases which are difficult to spot in an examination. With that said, there are pros to wild capture as well. Wild caught animals often have better genetics than their captive bred brethren, due to a much wider range of bloodlines available in the wild. Captive bred animals are frequently inbred because the supply of viable males and females is limited. A wild caught specimen will also have proven that it is a hardy example of the species simply by not having succumbed to natural selection. Surviving to adulthood in the wild is no easy task, and many exotics take years or decades to reach maturity. As an example, the various species of Aphonopelma tarantulas native to the American Southwest will take ten to fifteen years to reach adulthood. If you do not wish to potentially wait a decade or more for your pet to reach adulthood, a wild caught specimen may be your best option with certain types of pets. Additionally, the possibility exists that the pet you desire is not being actively bred in captivity. This can be for a number of reasons; lack of interest in that species, difficulty of acquiring the proper ages and genders of the species, and difficulty getting them to breed in captivity are all contributing factors. If a species is not actively bred in captivity a wild caught example may be your only choice with that species. Captive bred specimens avoid many of the problems of their wild caught cousins. They tend to be generally healthier than wild caught examples, with most diseases and parasites almost unheard of in captive raised specimens. But since natural selection is not playing a part in their survival, occasionally an animal with bad genetics is sold to a customer. This can result

4 Newman 4 in the premature death of an animal that never would have survived in the wild, as well as an upset buyer. Captive bred exotics also usually command a higher price point than wild caught specimens. This is due to several factors: rarity, expense of caring for them, difficulty of breeding, and the number of young produced at one time. Obviously, the harder to find something is the more expensive it will be. This holds true in exotic animals as it does in any other non mass-produced commodity. Expensive care and feeding needs can drive the price up as well, because the breeder has to pay for any needs of the animal out of their own pocket until they make a sale. Difficulty of breeding is probably the largest cause. Some of the more expensive species are so pricy because it is nearly impossible to get them to breed in captivity. The number of young produced is closely related to difficulty of breeding, a species that produces twenty eggs at a time will command a much higher price than one that produces five hundred. Aside from environmental and ethical concerns, the biggest point in favor of captive breeding is that you can acquire your pet directly from the breeder. This provides you with information that is simply unavailable with a wild caught animal. A breeder can tell you the exact birth date of your pet, as well as assure you that your pet has received the bets possible care while in the breeder s care. A breeder can also provide you with information that a pet store may lack. Specific housing requirements, optimum diet, and sometimes quirks of an individual animal are all things that a breeder would know, but a pet store employee may be unaware of. After all, it is very rare to find a pet store employee who is an expert in every species of animal carried by the

5 Newman 5 store. A reputable breeder of an exotic animal can be assumed to at least be very knowledgeable about the animals they breed, if not a certified expert. In conclusion, exotic pets are a quickly growing trend in America today, with more and more people looking for something different than your basic cat or dog. How you acquire your exotic pet is up to you, and hopefully my presentation of the pros and cons of wild caught animals and captive bred ones will enable you to make an informed decision before getting an exotic pet of your own.

6 Newman 6 Works Cited Hall, Kevin G. Beastly Crimes Seattle Times 16 Aug 2001, A3. Web.