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

They are endangered because of habitat loss and pollution. The ones bred to be pets aren’t subtracting from the wild population, so it isn’t increasing the risk of extinction. Putting the captive raised ones back in the wild wouldn’t fix anything because until the underlying causes are fixed the population would quickly reach endangered levels again.