Captive Breeding for the Reptile Pet Industry

By: Jason Abels – Assistant Director www.tigerhomes.org Animal Sanctuary

Picture of a Captive Bred Black-Headed Python

The Reptile Pet Industry is another amazing example of Captive Breeding. For those of you “Reptile Enthusiasts” out there I am sure you are well aware of the great Captive Bred Reptile Shows scattered throughout the country. These shows only allow breeders of Captive Bred and Captive Raised Reptiles to exhibit and sell their animals to the Reptile Pet Trade. With the exception of Venomous Reptiles, Komodo Dragons, Alligators and Crocodiles most Reptile Species do not require special licenses to own. As a result, tremendous amounts of Reptile Breeders breed and sell to the “Pet Trade”. I am not here to discuss the ethics of “Reptiles As Pets”, but must say that I highly praise the folks that actively Captive Breed Pet Reptiles. CLICK HERE TO SEE ANIMAL WEBCAMS

Picture of a Captive Bred Leopard Tortoise

By doing this they are drastically reducing the pressures to import reptiles from their native lands. The Reptile Importation business can be brutal! In many cases villagers are paid next to nothing to rape the wildlife from their indigenous habitats. Then to make matters worse, in most cases for every imported reptile you see at the pet shop, typically 5 died on the way here. Wildlife Officials in many countries are also in many cases bribed to allow more then the allowed quota to be caught and sold, further hurting wild populations or reserves. Personally all the designer “Custom Captive Bred Snakes” get me sick; but I do commend the efforts of all the Reptile Breeders that do their best to provide Captive Bred Turtles and Captive Bred Tortoises and Snakes to the public Reptile Trade. I just think some have gone too far with their Selective Breeding and Line Breeding. Personally I like seeing a Burmese Python look like g-d intended. I have no interest in seeing them all yellow, albino, spotted, green or any other non-natural Color Morph or “designer scheme’. There are now hundreds of “Designer Snakes” out there. It seems some Pet Snakes are bred to match your outfit and look nothing like nature intended. For example there are now over 30 different “Designed” Color Morphs of the Corn Snake, Ball Python and Milk Snakes, not one of them natural. It is fast getting to the point were it is harder to find a normal Red Rat Snake then it is to find a “hypomelinistic, piebald, lucanistic morph” with recessive candy-cane genes. Like I said, this is the part of Reptile Breeding that makes me sick.

More Information
Page 3 - Captive Breeding Endangered Species and Genetic Management >>
Page 4 - Captive Lemur Breeding if Habitat Space is Available >>
Page 5 - Captive Breeding Handled by Experts in the Field of Animal Husbandry >>
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