That is a very good point, people who buy dogs and cats often do because people like puppies & kittens, and very often do so without forethought - "won't this make a nice gift" and such.

I do think this "its so cute, and I'll love it as a baby" happens with birds (especially the larger parrots) and iguanas & turtles as well (especially red eared sliders, who start out as cute little quarter sized reptiles, but with proper care are quite different in a few years), but in the case of many reptiles, like larger snakes, and even common rescue species like sulcatas, even large "unwanted" ones are not often freely given away. A larger sulcata, over 15", and even a male, is not really a cheap animal to acquire, and even most rescues charge a market, or slightly below market fee for the animal. Many people would want that creature. I don't know how many folks look at a baby Burmese python and think, how cute, I'll get it and like it while its little - I think the bulk of folks who do not know what they are getting into do so knowing what a large snake its going to be, and are just ignorant about the care.

It takes time and money to get that animal large. Healthy individuals are worth money, and even stupid careless people who do not think about their animals...like money.

Come to think of it, most of of the "adoption fees" I have seen on larger albino burms are 200.00 Larger normals are often around 100.00 and up.

I think that indicates they are not "valueless" animals as long as a legal market in them is allowed.

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