Why are reptile traders chasing the Omani spiny-tailed lizard? A price nearing 1,000 euros
I read a lengthy investigation into the Omani spiny-tailed lizard, and it is worth the time for anyone who keeps reptiles. What caught my attention is that this species, with its spiky tail and a body adapted to the desert, is now listed on European animal sales sites for between 700 and 1,000 euros per animal.
The Omani spiny-tailed lizard is endemic to Oman, meaning it occurs naturally only there, within a limited range. It digs burrows in the soil and spends much of its life inside them. The report notes that a 2002 study by German herpetologist Thomas Wilms estimated that fewer than thirty specimens were known to science before 1998. He also documented its captive breeding for the first time, and that is where the story of its trade began.
The troubling part is what is known as "source laundering". A report from the German organisation Pro Wildlife pointed to a gap between the small number of exports officially declared by Oman and the much larger numbers recorded in European and US registers as "captive-bred", including 182 animals in the United States, 130 in Switzerland and 120 in the Netherlands. In other words, smuggled animals may enter breeding stock and then be sold as if they were born in captivity.
The Environment Authority of Oman describes this lizard as an endemic species of high ecological importance and a vital indicator of the health of arid ecosystems. In my view, rarity and beauty alone do not justify a purchase. Anyone who wants a rare species should first ask where the animal came from and what its legal record is.
Source: Al Jazeera Net
The Omani spiny-tailed lizard is endemic to Oman, meaning it occurs naturally only there, within a limited range. It digs burrows in the soil and spends much of its life inside them. The report notes that a 2002 study by German herpetologist Thomas Wilms estimated that fewer than thirty specimens were known to science before 1998. He also documented its captive breeding for the first time, and that is where the story of its trade began.
The troubling part is what is known as "source laundering". A report from the German organisation Pro Wildlife pointed to a gap between the small number of exports officially declared by Oman and the much larger numbers recorded in European and US registers as "captive-bred", including 182 animals in the United States, 130 in Switzerland and 120 in the Netherlands. In other words, smuggled animals may enter breeding stock and then be sold as if they were born in captivity.
The Environment Authority of Oman describes this lizard as an endemic species of high ecological importance and a vital indicator of the health of arid ecosystems. In my view, rarity and beauty alone do not justify a purchase. Anyone who wants a rare species should first ask where the animal came from and what its legal record is.
Source: Al Jazeera Net
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