Hi,
I got my first tarantula, an A. avicularia about 3 years ago, and my second, a G. rosea, this month. I like them both a lot and have really enjoyed having them. I noticed that there is not much information on the web about the ethical side of catching and exporting some of these spiders.
I am thinking of popular pet animals (like box turtles which are from my area) whose numbers have declined because of being harvested for pets. I have read that pink-toed tarantulas are so common they even live on the eaves of people's houses, etc., doesn't seem like it does any harm to catch them. I read that the Chilean rose is normally wild caught and not bred in captivity, but it seems like their numbers are so high that seems okay too.
I guess I am asking, are there any ethical issues that people are aware of, like overharvesting, things of that nature? Or do we just not know, and trust that the countries that export them are ethical? I'm sure there are lots of knowledgeable people here, if anyone has any information on this subject, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!
I got my first tarantula, an A. avicularia about 3 years ago, and my second, a G. rosea, this month. I like them both a lot and have really enjoyed having them. I noticed that there is not much information on the web about the ethical side of catching and exporting some of these spiders.
I am thinking of popular pet animals (like box turtles which are from my area) whose numbers have declined because of being harvested for pets. I have read that pink-toed tarantulas are so common they even live on the eaves of people's houses, etc., doesn't seem like it does any harm to catch them. I read that the Chilean rose is normally wild caught and not bred in captivity, but it seems like their numbers are so high that seems okay too.
I guess I am asking, are there any ethical issues that people are aware of, like overharvesting, things of that nature? Or do we just not know, and trust that the countries that export them are ethical? I'm sure there are lots of knowledgeable people here, if anyone has any information on this subject, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!