Why Reptilia Strongly Recommends Domestically Bred Reptiles for Pets

Definitions:
Wild Caught - Reptiles which are born in their natural surroundings of non captive parents are termed 'Wild Caught' when taken from their normal habitat into captivity.

Captive Born - Reptiles born from wild caught parents which have been captured and are kept in captivity while the offspring are born. Wild caught gravid (pregnant) females are captured and impounded until their offspring are born. In the case of Ball Pythons, after the offspring are born the mothers are usually slaughtered for further human use, and offspring sold to an exporter.

Domestically Bred - Reptiles born of domestically born parents. These reptiles are also referred to as Captive Bred, but the term probably should be more explicit, since it is possible for the beginner to not fully appreciate the difference in terms and confuse the meaning of Captive Born and Captive Bred. It is also possible that the closeness of the sound of the two terms could be misleading to the beginner when used by the occasional dealer who could tend to stretch the truth. Reptilia uses the term 'Domestically Bred' , where applicable, to ensure the consumer is clearly informed of the origins of their reptile.

Reptilia's Stated Position on the Birth of the Reptile You Should Have as Your Pet - Under all circumstances possible, Reptilia recommends the keeping of reptiles for pets which are born from parents which are Domestically Bred. We do not recommend either the sale or keeping of either Captive Born or Wild Caught reptiles, except in circumstances listed below.

In certain circumstances, such as a long term breeding program, education, or zoo use, limited use of reptiles caught and taken from their natural homes may be necessary - but no circumstance exists which justify the continued pillage of wild reptiles from their homes to simply provide the consumer with a pet of questionable value.

Some Explanation and Justification For Our Position

A Curious Tourist

Imagine you are in Africa - let's say in East Africa. Tanzania and right on the coast, in the capital - Dar Es Salaam to be exact. You have gone to the area of the city where you can buy almost anything. The local market of stalls and booths on the Bagamoa Road. It is almost time to return to that somewhat boring job of computer programming in Chicago, and you are going to try to fulfill a mild interest that you have after you saw some chameleons a friend had back home. He said they came from Tanzania. So, today you thought you might try to find a couple to take back home when you leave in a couple of days.

Wandering from stall to stall, you notice that several merchants display chameleons. Having had a couple of weeks experience dealing with the local merchants, you pick three stalls which seem to have the best and begin negotiating. After walking away from one stall, which you made sure was seen by the vendor of the second stall, you are able to strike the bargain you want. He assured you that they have been in Dar (as it is known) for just one day, and had come straight from their tree top homes around Arusha near the Ngorogoro Crater.

You are cautious by nature, so part of the bargain is that he will look after them until just before you depart for the airport. He agrees, you shake hands, and a small deposit, a sign of good faith between business people, changes hands. You are quite delighted.

Two days later you return to pick up your chameleons. You did not prepare for this purchase, and have no real knowledge that some paperwork is needed. You feel that US Customs will understand that you just have a couple of souvenirs of your trip.  He has them boxed for you and sealed up. Alarm bells!! Let me see them first. After some protests, the merchant clumsily rips open the packaging and your suspicions were correct. The chameleons look much the worse for the two days and you are doubtful if you should take them.

After all, you are destined for Chicago, through London with a stop on the way. Long trip, lots of ups and downs, dry air in the airplane for at least 20 hours of flying before you are home, and they already look dehydrated and sickly. Truth is -- you are right. They are horribly stressed, have refused food, are suffering intently because of Dar's heat compared to the cooler less humid air of their mountain homes. Also, their natural, sometimes helpful parasites are getting the upper hand. They are quite sick.

You are known for being decisive and you don't like the look of this -- so you decide that you will not take the chameleons after all. You inform the vendor that you are not taking them, and he can keep your deposit. No point arguing over a few dollars - the locals need the money anyway - consider it a donation to help the cause. The merchant protests, but to no avail.

Home to Chicago - chameleons forgotten or almost forgotten.  Maybe a couple of local pet shops will have chameleons available. They sure are interesting reptiles.

Life - Chameleon Style

Lovely morning in the hills outside Arusha - 300 miles or so to the north of Dar Es Salaam - bit of morning fog - cool but warming nicely - great to be alive and well up in the top of this great tree. Sun feels good on my side - few more minutes and I will turn the other side - change colours and warm up. Could almost go back to sleep. Very pleasant. Have another sip of dew from the leaves.

Oooo - what's that - terrible vibration thonking through my tree? Again, again and again. What is happening? What's down there - can't quite see from here - move around the other side of this branch?  Ah, now I see, there are several of that strange two legged Human race down there swinging something against my tree.

The strong vibrations continue. The tree is making noises I have never heard before, even in the strongest winds. I feel sick. The tree is starting to lean. My neighbours are all looking scared as well. What are they doing? My home is now starting to take on a very scary tilt. If those people are not careful, they are going to knock my tree over.  This has never happened to me before. My home is shaking badly, and now it is falling - faster and faster - it is heading toward the ground - my neighbours on the other side of the tree will be crushed. I must hang on. Oh why is this happening - just when the sun felt so good?

The tree was chopped down by the locals to gather firewood and the chameleons are a bonus that are sold to the merchants and exporters in Dar Es Salaam.

Life-Tree Cutter Style

There were a lot of chameleons in this tree. It will make a good haul. Doesn't matter that a number of chameleons were crushed to death by the fall of the tree, there are still enough left to make it worthwhile. And some on the bottom of the tree may live. We'll pick up the best of them as well. After all, each adult chameleon is worth a half day's pay. We just throw the small ones away - most of them die if we keep them, anyway.

Chameleons are pretty, they change colour and they can't run fast so they are easy to catch for the stall operators in Dar. The stall operators always want them so they can box them up and send them to America. Why does America buy so many chameleons - do they eat them or something? Never could understand that. Maybe everybody in America keeps chameleons - they sure buy a lot from us. Helps feed my family. I am fortunate, I have 3 wives and 17 children. Some of them come with me to hunt chameleons but, chameleons are harder to find than they used to be. This tree was really good. First time I have come into this area. Hope it's not in the Park. Some game wardens shoot first and talk later. Lot of poachers around here hunting for elephant and rhino. Not many of them left compared to when I started to hunt with my father. Then it was big game, safaris and now all I hunt is little things like chameleons. I hope may family will have an easier time of it than I have, but somehow I doubt it.

Life-As a Vendor and Exporter

Dar Es Salaam - Bagamoa Road - Vendor Stall - I have a large order for chameleons to send to America this week - I hope those unreliables from the north bring me enough. But I can't pay the price they want - I have 4 wives and many children to feed. So I'll agree on the price, and then pay them half for now and try to make up the difference later. That importer I deal with - no room to argue about prices - he just buys from somewhere else so I have to give him the price he wants. Oh, well - I will just shove a few more chameleons in each pigeon hole in the shipping boxes, and save the cost of extra boxes. He won't know the difference so many die anyway.

So -- the chameleons are cut out of their homes in Arusha, bagged or thrown together - they die from the stress of being too close to each other - the survivors of the tree chopping are bumped over 400 miles of moderate to very bad roads in dusty stuffy cars with no light and lots of heat to Dar and the vendors. Already death has begun to select victims. Few will live more than 30 days from the time their home was chopped down.

Upon arrival at the vendors stalls, they are unceremoniously dumped onto the ground - some so sick they can barely move. The sick ones are dispatched and the healthy ones are caged - together in densities that are many times that of the wild. Stress continues to build and the chameleons natural parasites begin to be more active even than on the trip down to Dar. The parasites sense weakness, and are quick to take advantage of a lowered response from the chameleons immune system, which usually works so well.

Meanwhile, Chameleons Continue to Suffer

A day passes - I can't eat - I am so stressed by everything - little water - no morning mist - heat and more heat - noise - more chameleons - and strange shapes that pick me up and handle me. Boy am I scared. Even more than when that snake nearly got me last year. Their is no escaping here - I have not got anything to climb on.

Another day passes - I have been strong all my life but I don't feel so good. This is almost too much for me.

The First Profit is Taken

Time for inspection and haggling over the price - Yes, I pay that for them. Deal done. Into the bags and boxes with all the chameleons - they are on their way to Chicago of all places. Why do people in frozen Chicago want chameleons? Oh, well who can't understand that part of the world. Even my relatives who visited there came back shaking their heads. Life is crazy their. Cars, guns and lots of money. Drugs, and more drugs. Not for me - and it's too cold as well.

Chameleons in Transit

British Airways Flight 1008 cleared for takeoff - have a good day sir, and check with ATC in Crete after leaving our area.

Locked in the boxes - little air to breathe - my friends foot is in my face but neither of us can move - we are jammed in here so tight. Off to Crete, then London. Wait on the ground for 5 hours and then moved over to American Airlines. Into the hold of another airplane and then all the way across the Atlantic - no food, no water and my buddy just defecated all over me. Stinks. I don't think I am going to make this - I feel very ill and weak. Need water, and some food would be great.

The Loading Dock

Rough landing. Cold on the ramp. Delay getting to the gate. Frozen doors. Finally unloaded, and boxes of reptiles moved to warm room in the freight area.

Bit cold tonight. We have had a cold snap lately. Try to get some heat on them as I have a brother that keeps some snakes and I have heard him say they need heat. There, that should help. Wish this had come in earlier - could have been cleared before. But they didn't bother to get a broker to work tonight to get it out of here. Think they would do that, seeing as these poor animals have traveled halfway around the frigging world. Wish I knew more about them, at least I would try to give them some water and clean them. They do stink a bit. Here comes the super and I am already on grievance. Better get out of here - they don't care about shipments - the insurance pays if they die.

The Reptile Dealer

Next morning the box is opened, paperwork examined, comments made by Fish and Wildlife about the conditions, although they can't really do much about it, and the shipment released to the reptile wholesaler.

Damn truck breaks down and the chameleons are left on for two hours in the freezing cold without heat - God - this is a killer. Finally in the warm warehouse - opened up - these chameleons are all but dead. Might as well try to save what I can - got some big orders from VIP customers for these little fellers - we'll just up the prices to cover the losses. Water - try to feed them - but nothing eats. Warm them up some more - spray them down - separate them as much as I can - Damn I told the boss this system doesn't work for these things - they are not the same as the rest of the lizards we get in here - they like to be separated a bit - when is he going to pay attention to me and maybe build some decent pens. Chameleons took us by surprise - usually try to sell local - but right now they are so popular the boss snuck this shipment in. Think most of these are going to die - nothing I can do - this is the way they came in - let the boss sort it out.

More than 90% of the shipment died. Not unusual for wild caught chameleons transported this far in the winter with a truck breakdown. But some lived - prices were high - but in a pet store in Chicago, the gentleman that tried to buy direct on the Bagamoa Road got his wish - two beautiful chameleons that represented themselves and 90% that died on the way to America.

Is it possible to justify buying a wild caught chameleon (or other wild caught reptiles) as pets when many more die on the way than eventually go home as pets???

Stop the slaughter - vote with your pocket book - refuse wild caught reptiles!!!

Reptilia does not sell wild caught animals.

Contact us at retail@reptilia.org