TY -JOUR
AU -Tsu-Way Shiau
AU -Ping-Chun Hou
AU -Sheng-Hai Wu and Ming-Chung Tu
TI -A Survey on Alien Pet Reptiles in Taiwan
PY -2006
DA -0000-00-00
JO -Taiwania
VL -51
IS -2
SP -71
EP -80
UR -https://taiwania.ntu.edu.tw/abstract/486
AB -In the recent past, the rate of alien species introduction has increased enormously, which is one of the main causes of the loss of biodiversity throughout the world. Pet trade is one of the
important channels that lead alien species to invade local ecosystems. In Taiwan, alien reptiles have become popular pets in recent years that increased the risk of invasion. In order to evaluate the probability of alien reptile invasion, it is essential to know how many species of alien reptiles are present in the pet market. From March 2004 to February 2005, we investigated the alien pet reptiles in Taiwan. We checked the pet shops, aquaria and night markets to record the sales of reptiles in Northern, Central, and Southern Taiwan. We visited a total of 341 venders, some of which were visited more than once, and identified 239 species of alien reptiles. From this list, we suggested 10 popular, 14 dangerous, and 8 CITES I species for careful management and strict regulation. A small number of large pet shops carry most of the species, which suggests the sources of importation is limited to a few
wholesalers, probably distributed in a few major ports within the island. It would be more efficient to focus on the upstream wholesalers in order to monitor the reptile trade markets. The sheer number of animals found in the pet trade poses the risk of invasion. Other factors, such as the similarity between the pet’s original and new environment, reproductive potential, habitat requirement, and diets of these reptiles, are suggested to be crucial in evaluating the risk of alien pets.
DO -10.6165/tai.2006.51(2).71