Do don’t: “The species Ouroborus cataphractus is classified by the IUCN as near threatened. This is mostly due to a general cessation of collection for the pet trade, which was a significant drain on populations but is now illegal.”
They need to help the wild population, and start a legal, domesticated population in conservation centres for rehabilitation research and the pet trade.
That would simultaneously end the illegal pet trade with a sustainable alternative, provide research into how to take care of the wild population, preserve the wild ecosystem by having a separate population for pets and humane research, allow the captivity population to get used to humans without damaging the wild population’s survival instincts, and open the possibility of humane and loving reptile keepers to have one of these cute dragon-kitten-lizard creatures as a pet.
I wonder if this is a reflection of the ancestral coloration of giraffes (loss/improper functioning of the genes that give them spots) or a neat individual mutation? I bet the genetics would be fun to look at
mildlyinteresting
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