These behaviors or violations have made reptiles new favorites! Be vigilant, the "exotic pet" market has ignited energy | pets | reptiles
"Eccentric pets" refer to rare and peculiar pets such as lizards, snakes, spiders, honey gliders, etc. In recent years, some pet enthusiasts in China have developed a new trend of keeping "exotic pets" due to their personalized needs. What is the situation of the "exotic pet" market in China?
The rise of exotic pet trends
Reptiles have become the new favorite of consumers
Ji Renmin, who lives in Shanghai, not only keeps cats and dogs, but also keeps a honey glider that looks like a squirrel. Two years ago, Ji Renmin spent over 2000 yuan to bring it home from the flower and bird market.
In fact, novelty is precisely the reason why many pet enthusiasts keep their pets. In a reptile pet store in Shanghai, there are multiple species of animals in the breeding box, including the maned lion lizard, leopard patterned palace guard, and corn snake. The colorful scales intimidate many people, but for those who love them, they are a unique mystery and beauty.
At a flower and bird market in Putuo District, Shanghai, in addition to relatively common exotic pets such as lizards, frogs, and parrots, there are also many niche exotic pets on sale. The reporter learned that the rarity of the colors also determines the appearance and price of the exotic pets.
Shanghai pet enthusiast Liu Huijun: This is a Lily white eyelash corner. A few years ago, when Lily's white genes first appeared, it was normal to pay tens of thousands of yuan per piece, but now it's only over 1000 yuan. The other one in its original color costs over 300 yuan.
In addition to the cost required for purchase, the daily rearing expenses of pet owners are lower, and the demand for living space and owner energy is also lower. These have become the main reasons for the rapid growth of the pet consumption market. Data shows that in 2022, the domestic pet market has a breeding scale of 220 million, of which birds and reptiles account for nearly 25% of the proportion of pet owners.
Raising exotic pets requires moderation
Illegal species should not be favored
Despite the continuous expansion of the market size, the increasing prevalence of pet raising has also exposed many problems. In addition to the potential harm caused by viruses and parasites carried by pet owners, what unknown risks do pet owners face?
Doctor Wang Zhihui from a certain pet hospital in Shanghai: The most common ones are ticks and Salmonella. During the breeding process, if we come into contact with its feces and other excrement, without washing hands or grabbing food with our bare hands, we are more susceptible to infection.
The reporter learned that currently, most of the exotic pets are products of domestic artificial breeding for multiple generations, and the risks of carrying viruses and parasites are controllable. But with the increasing interest of some enthusiasts, many people are beginning to try to obtain rare varieties from overseas or other channels. This also brings a series of risks such as species invasion and damage to local ecosystems. Green iguanas, crocodile eels, and African snails have become typical invasive species.
According to China's 2021 National Key Protected Wildlife List and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the introduction and purchase of animals from the list and the Convention by individual enthusiasts may violate the law.
