The Far-Reaching Impacts of the Exotic Pet Trade

By Tessa Weir

Part I: What is the Exotic Pet Trade?

You might not think anything of your friend keeping a cute and innocent pet lizard, but as it turns out, this little reptile is linked to an industry with heavy implications for environmen tal health. The exotic wildlife trade is a $15 billion dollar industry that supplies people with fascinating animals from all over the world, ranging from remarkable reptiles to powerful primates. While definitions of what constitutes an exotic pet vary, the term is commonly understood to apply to any animal kept outside its natural environment. Unusual and enticing, these exotics attract a wide range of animal-loving consumers, often with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, the industry comes riddled with ethical, environment, and legal concerns. The trade can promote the spread of deadly zoonotic diseases, introduce invasive species to local ecosystems, and cause extreme stress and premature death for the ani mals involved. Understanding these threats and implementing legislation to address them is key to creating a more ethical pet trade.

As of 2022, exotics account for 50% of the pets kept in the United States. According to National Geographic, the United States imported 3.24 billion animals from 2000 to 2014, most of which ended up as pets. Being taken from wild habitats and relocated across international borders can be incredibly stressful and often results in death or injury for these animals. If animals survive the transport process, they are then reliant on whomever purchases them, and whether their new owners have adequate knowledge and funds to care for them. Many animals die prematurely, with a staggering 75% of reptiles dying within their first year in captivity due to lack of owner education and difficulty finding adequate veterinary care. Pets may also escape or be intentionally released due to their owners being unable to afford them or the pet growing too large. To the uncommitted, an exotic can seem like a shiny toy that can be thrown away the second they become inconvenient. Even more troubling, the laws surrounding the exotic pet trade are not always enough to prevent exploitation.

The exotic pet trade encompasses both a legal market of exchanges and a black market. Generating an estimated $10 million a year, wildlife smuggling is the third largest form of illegal trade, topped only by drugs and weapons. The Natural Resource Defense Council estimates that the illegal wildlife trade is the second biggest threat to animals after habitat loss. To combat this tragic loss of biodiversity, laws exist at the state, federal, and international levels.

Each U.S. state has their own laws concerning the transport and private ownership of exotic animals. An animal easily obtained in one state may be completely banned in another, while somewhere else a permit is required. Twenty states, including Vermont, have banned exotic pets completely. This comprehensive ban means that exotic animals may only be obtained for educational purposes, and even then, only with the proper permit. The complex rules and regulations can make it difficult for the average person to know what animals they can own and how to legally obtain or register them. It can also mean that a high-maintenance animal, that most pet owners are not equipped to handle, can legally end up in a cage for only a small permit fee.

At the national level, the Lacey Act combats illegal wildlife and plant trafficking. Originally enacted in 1900 and amended many times since, the Lacey Act is the oldest wildlife protection statute in the U.S. and covers a very broad range of species, including the often overlooked categories of reptiles and amphibians. This act prohibits the transport of illegally harvested fauna and flora. Critically, it includes harsher punishments, like imprisonment, compared to some international laws with similar goals.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted on a global scale in 1975. The agreement targets transport to ensure endangered and protected species are traded ethically. The convention does this by creating a licensing system under which each participating nation has authorities that manage, transport, and appoint scientists that advise on the impacts of the trade on different species. While important, CITES has been criticized for being limited to transport while having no impact on how animals are captured or what their living conditions are like once sold. Typical transport of frogs—half alive and smashed together as they’re ferried across borders in substandard conditions— illustrates the typical effect of the trade, with some ports seeing 80% of animals coming through hurt, ill, or dead. The mistreatment of reptiles and amphibians can be especially difficult to punish, as their signs of pain or distress aren’t as noticeable to humans as those of mammals. The penalty for violating the agreement is usually a fine as opposed to jail time, which may not be enough of a deterrent for potential contributors to wildlife crime. It has also been criticized for not covering enough species, and additionally for focusing only on charismatic megafauna, large animals well known and appreciated by the public. Worse, species aren’t covered by CITES until they are already endangered and need more intervention to save.

Part II: How Do Exotic Pets Affect Their Environment?

Due to a lack of knowledge on proper care, an animal becoming too big, or an animal becoming sick, people may release their exotic pets into the wild. Because exotic pets are from a different environment, they could potentially become an invasive species. An invasive species is one that is introduced to a new environment, usually due to human activity, and causes harm to that new environment, sometimes by outcompeting or preying on native species. According to the National Wildlife Federation, 42% of threatened or endangered wildlife is vulnerable due to invasive species. According to a study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 85% of the 140 non-native reptiles and amphibians species in Florida were introduced through the pet trade. Without a better understanding of the black market and which species are most likely to be traded, this problem will only get worse.

Another negative impact of the exotic pet trade is the promotion of zoonotic diseases. Zoonoses are diseases that can pass from humans to animals via direct or indirect contact, consumption, or through a vector like an insect bite. These types of diseases are not only common, but are capa- ble of affecting people from all backgrounds. COVID-19, Monkeypox, Ebola and SARS are all well known examples of zoonotic diseases; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases are zoonotic. Diseases can easily be transferred from exotic pets to the humans handling them. Some diseases can be easily managed, like salmonella in the case of reptile and amphibian ownership. However, there can be more severe consequences like measles and tuberculosis caused by interacting with primates. Due to legal constraints and inadequate staffing, sick animals are often improperly screened for pathogens. Although there is ample legislation in place aimed at preventing black market trade, inadequate laws exist to monitor legal trade. Not even the legal market is without far-reaching and serious consequences, as it enables pathogens and disease to cross borders with uninspected wildlife.

In addition to passing disease to humans, exotic pets can infect native animals as well. One prominent example is Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, or Bsal, a fungus that causes mass mortality or even extinction in salamander populations. While other infected amphibians like newts and frogs can bounce back, ravaged salamander populations may be completely wiped out. Originating in Asia, Bsal was introduced to Europe in 2013, likely due to the pet trade. The United States has the most diverse salamander population in the world, with many being endemic, meaning they only exist in the U.S. From 2010-2014, 750,000 salamanders were imported into the United States. Each salamander that gets imported risks bringing Bsal with them, and while Bsal hasn’t been found in the U.S. yet, if Bsal hits, it will be catastrophic to biodiversity. While the Lacey Act limits salamander importation, it doesn’t limit other amphibians that could be carriers.

Part III: What Can We Do?

Given the state of the exotic pet trade, things may seem grim. In reality, there are many initiatives that can make the pet trade safer and more ethical. The biggest impact can be made through education. A study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution found that when people were educated on the legality, conservation threats, and risks of zoonotic diseases from exotic pets, they were less likely to buy into the trade themselves. In general, better access to information on healthcare, expenses, animal husbandry, and where to find ethical sellers should be available so that people can know what they’re getting into before they adopt their pets, and can responsibly care for them. EMODE is an online resource that allows you to look up the species you want as a pet and get a rating ranging from easy to extreme on how difficult it is to properly care for that animal. The site takes into account the animal’s lifespan, disease risk, diet, habitat needs, and more to give an accurate idea on how difficult an animal is to care for. The site also provides tips for how to purchase responsibly. Further initiatives from wildlife organizations and governments like workshops or public campaigns can help ensure the public is better educated on the risks of wildlife trade.

The exotic pet trade is a massive industry that includes animal lovers and criminals alike. Exotic pet ownership can be a unique and rewarding experience, but requires knowledge of the industry’s far reaching impacts. While laws at all levels regulate the trade of wildlife, there are discrepancies in the number and kinds of species that are protected and how effectively these laws are enforced. When obtained from unethical sellers, buying an exotic pet can support inhumane capture and transport of potentially endangered animals from their homes. If released, exotic pets pose the danger of becoming invasive and spreading disease to local wildlife. Many underestimate the cost, size, and needs of an exotic pet leading to poor care or premature death. The most important step to combat these issues is education to inform competent laws and responsible pet ownership. If you or someone you know is interested in buying an exotic pet, research is required, not just on how to care for the animal, but also on laws surrounding its trade and threats to its conservation. H