New baby ribbon

[Andy_G]

This thread makes me think of something that doesn't happen up here in Canada...at least not often.

Why is the catching and keeping of wild reptiles and amphibians so prevalent in the U.S.? Why would someone want to catch and keep a species which is threatened/endangered/protected in some states and why is it being encouraged in this case specifically? It certainly can't aid conservation efforts, which is why so many claim to buy CB/CBB in the first place. Is this species one that is not commonly available in the pet trade there? We aren't allowed to keep native species without a permit up here and we can't have taken a wild specimen, so maybe that has a lot to do with why I feel like I am missing something? Can someone rationalize this a bit for me? :/