Wild reptiles are traded globally for the pet trade and traditional medicine. Welfare harms during capture, transport, and captivity are significant and drive advocacy for captive-bred alternatives.
Wild reptile trade welfare mirrors wild amphibian trade in its structure: wild capture mortality is extreme and survivors face chronic stress in captive environments they are not adapted to. The success of captive breeding for ball pythons and leopard geckos demonstrates that market-wide transition to captive-bred individuals is achievable. Consumer rejection of wild-caught reptiles drives this transition by removing the economic incentive for wild capture.