Grimace wrote:Emotionless wrote:Grimace wrote:You guys are aware theres nothing wrong with catching wild reptiles, right?
Aside from the whole needing a permit thing, wild caught isn't really a whole lot different than a lot of species in stores. Plenty of reptiles in stores are wildcaught too, so getting something from a store doesn't mean it is always any better. Plenty of species aren't even avaliable as captive breds. And as long as the enclosure is properly set up, the animal will be perfectly happy.
So you aren't agreeing with the multiple research projects,papers,books,and websites that say that wild-born reptiles are more likely to die,have diseases like salmonella,other diseases that are life-threatening to your captive bred lizards,the aggression,and the fact that they just aren't happy in an enclosed space?
No, I'm just saying that legally catching a wild reptile, isn't any different than buying something wild caught at a pet store. Its probably better, seeing as the wild caught things in stores have generally gone through all sorts of stressful shipping and distributors.
Captive bred things are hardier, but there are plenty of species that are way way more expensive as CBs, or flat out unavailible as CB.
Also reptiles don't have problems with being in confined spaces, with a few exceptions. As long as you are setting up the habitat properly in the first place, that shouldn't be an issue at all.
Yes they have gone through some very stressful situations in order to reach a pet store, but as I also mentioned, they are put through quarantines as well to protect humans and animals, which is normally overseen by a veterinarian. Many wild caught specimens sold in stores are as young as suppliers can find as well, as smaller lizards, and younger lizards results in lower fees and sell faster in stores, so they have time to acclimate to captivity. Nonetheless, I don't have a problem with wild caught when it is the only option, but the catching should be done by a professional, and there is no point catching specimens, or even buying wild caught when you can get captive bred. Sure, captive bred can sometime be more expensive, but you need to think about why this is. You are getting a much healthier specimen that is accustomed to captivity(if you are going through a reputable dealer that is). If someone chooses wild caught over captive bred due to price tag, then I have to wonder where else they are cutting corners, such as on vet care, which wild caught will need. I agree, as long as the enclosure is of appropriate size and meets all the requirements for the species, then generally the animal will be okay. However, in my experiences some wild caught specimens(particularily ones that were caught as adults) do require slightly larger enclosures than CB specimens of the same species in order to feel more secure. This is generally easy for a hobbyist to accommodate, unless the species is larger or already requires a very large enclosure.
