Activity 3.7- Wildlife Trafficking Online

1. Write a short report for your blog about the animal or animal product you found. This will be in two sections.

Section A will be the facts. Use these labels. Do not write an essay, write as a datasheet.

  • Common name: Axolotl

  • Scientific name: Ambystoma mexicanum

  • IUCN Category (vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, etc.): Critically Endangered (ICUN).

  • Geographic range: Native only to Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, in Mexico (Bluereef 2020).

  • Habitat (system and type with details): Aquatic species; they live in freshwater wetlands; high altitude bodies of water with average temperatures of around 20 degrees celsius (Bluereef, 2020). 

  • Assessment information (use IUCN dropdown for Assessment Information in Detail): The population of axolotls continues to decline as years go by. They were marked as “Vulnerable” in 1996, and have since been moved up to “Critically Endangered” as of 2020 (ICUN).

  • Threats: Increasing urbanization and destruction of their natural habitat causes axolotl populations to decline. Pollution from many different human activities also threatens them, as well as invasive species introduced to the areas in which they live (ICUN).

  • Use and Trade: They are used for all types of research internationally, as well as rare exotic pets. Locally, they are used in medical research and food dishes (ICUN).

  • Appendix listing and related countries with Source Code(s) (the letters W, X, R, etc.): Appendix listing of “II”; Native to Mexico, Source Code “W”. 

  • URL for the Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E6Fcf3oflVdNY5fvjYovXYnIuRZupyP85OSDaCzIYMw/edit#gid=0



  • Common name: Burmese Python

  • Scientific name: Python bivittatus 

  • IUCN Category (vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, etc.): Vulnerable (ICUN).

  • Geographic range: Found all throughout Southeast Asia and the Southern Indonesian Archipelago; Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc (ICUN).

  • Habitat (system and type with details): Terrestrial creatures; due to their wide geographic range, they are found in a variety of different habitats. Forests, caves, deserts, grasslands, wetlands (inland), etc (ICUN).

  • Assessment information (use IUCN dropdown for Assessment Information in Detail): The Burmese Python is a widespread species found all throughout Southeastern Asia. The species is on a widespread population decline and is critically endangered in a couple of areas. The species is estimated to have declined by 30% due to over-harvesting and a variety of other reasons (ICUN).

  • Threats: Threatened by agricultural production, such as slash and burn agriculture, that destroys their natural habitat and food sources. They are overexploited as a food source and for their skin, which is used to make many accessories. Status as a popular exotic pet makes them prone to human hunting/trapping (ICUN).

  • Use and Trade: Often used in medical research, as well as accessory and apparel production. Popular food source and exotic pet, in some areas (ICUN).

  • Appendix listing and related countries with Source Code(s) (the letters W, X, R, etc.): Appendix listing of “II”; Cambodia, China, Vietnam, Thailand: Source Code “W”

  • URL for the Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E6Fcf3oflVdNY5fvjYovXYnIuRZupyP85OSDaCzIYMw/edit#gid=0



Section B will be a narrative of your data gathering.

When completing this activity, I chose to use the site, “Craigslist”, as my main source of finding exotic animals. After some minor searching, I was able to find two exotic animals that could be considered “wildlife trafficked”. The two species I chose were an axolotl and a burmese python. 

Ad for axolotls for rehoming (San Antonio Craigslist, 2023).


Ad for burmese python for sale (Riverside Craigslist, 2023). 


After choosing my species, I used the IUCN database site to collect all of the information I needed for the assignment; species common/scientific name, habitat, geographic location, threats, trade, etc. I then entered all of that information into the class's shared google spreadsheet and, in doing so, I noticed a couple of patterns in the shared information. For one, I found that there were multiple species with repeated entries, which tells me that a lot of the class chose to research the same species. I also noticed that the vast majority of the species chosen had an IUCN category listing of  “Vulnerable” or higher. This last observation tells me that the whole online wildlife trafficking industry has a pretty negative impact on “exotic” species as a whole. Based on the information presented in the class's spreadsheet, any species that is not commonly considered as a pet (i.e- dogs, cats, etc.) seems to become endangered, to some degree, when becoming a part of wildlife trafficking. Before doing this assignment, I already had a negative perception of animal trafficking, but after completing it, I’m opposed to the idea of owning exotic pets as a whole. From my conclusions on this assignment, owning an exotic pet just means that you are funding an industry that is responsible for potentially driving multiple species to the brink of extinction. 

References:

  • Bluereef Aquarium (2020). What is an Axolotl and Why are they Endangered? [Website]. https://www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/portsmouth/blog/education/what-is-an-axolotl-and-why-are-they-endangered/#:~:text=Axolotls%20are%20larger%20than%20many,and%20waterways%20of%20Mexico%20City.

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