How is it that axolotls are listed as “critically endangered” species, but they are allowed to be pets that don’t even sell for more that much?

Question

Apparently there are breeders making Axolotls and they only go for a few hundred bucks at most. How is this possible? And how are so many people able to own them as pets if they are very close to extinction?

In: 6261

Answer 1

This is pretty common. Many of the freshwater turtles in Vietnam are Endangered or Critically Endangered, but are common in the pet trade due to captive breeding. Of course, for some species catching them for the pet trade in the first place is part of why they’re endangered now.

Similarly, there are plants that are endangered in their native ranges, but that are globally common due to them being used as ornamental trees around the world.