Crocodile and alligator leather is used in luxury handbags, shoes, and accessories, with welfare conditions varying between regulated farming and poorly supervised operations.
Crocodilian farming welfare varies significantly by jurisdiction: US alligator farms under CITES and state regulation provide somewhat better conditions than unregulated operations in other countries. Slaughter methods — captive bolt plus pithing, or cold stunning followed by severing of the spinal cord — can be humane when properly performed but are inconsistently applied. Living conditions in farms commonly involve small concrete enclosures, inadequate thermoregulation opportunity, and extremely high density. Synthetic alternatives replicate the appearance of crocodilian leather without welfare costs.