Captive Bred vs Wild Caught

Today my blog post will be about what animals are better to keep and work with: whether it is captive bred or wild caught. This is a controversial topic depending on who you talk to. After all the very first reptiles had to be wild caught for us to be able to breed them in captivity.

In the reptile market around 90-95% of animals have been bred in captivity and these animals are more sought after due to their selective breeding. Consumers are looking for animals that are not very defensive and aggressive, can be housed with ease and have hardy nature and are bright coloured and attractive. This is generally achieved when selectively bred.

Wild Caught

Wild caught animals, are generally more aggressive/defensive and can be harder to house. They also are more easily stressed with being transported and housed in small enclosures. The biggest draw back from dealing with a wild caught animal and introducing it into the pet trade is the fact that they carry more parasites and worms. This can lead to very poorly animals and huge veterinary bills. It is also vital to quarantine such animals from others to prevent further problems.

Bare in mind that without wild caught, there would be no reptile industry and we would not be able to keep such wonderful and rewarding pets. Without scientists, zoos and industry breeders we would not be able to keep chameleons as they were seen as impossible to keep and furthermore crested geckos were know to be extinct. Perhaps without working with wild caught animals and extensive breeding programs, animals like the crested gecko would be extinct. 

There is no doubt that wild caught animals do suffer stress when being captured and some may die during transportation. I am not qualified to discuss the right and wrong in this and philosophy human contact with animals and the need to have animals as companions but as long as the animal is healthy and being cared for that is all I wish to discuss. I do not wish to get into a debate with animal right campaigners.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, captive bred animals would not exist without animals being wild caught, although it is better to research into the animal that you are intending to purchase and find out if it has been captive bred or wild caught. I would highly recommend ensuring that your animal is captive bred unless you have expertise in working with and housing wild caught animals and ensure you can take them to a vet that works with reptiles as soon as possible to check for parasites and other problems. I myself would only purchase an animal that has been bred and born in captivity.

To read more information on the topic click here