Do you ask if an exotic pet reptile was captive bred or taken from the wild?

Another thing to consider, many wild caught animals are MUCH harder to maintain and keep healthy in captivity. The one that comes to mind first are Green tree pythons (Morelia viridis). There is still a thriving industry unfortunately of wild caught animals imported regularly. And they are much cheaper than captive bred. But the two animals are so far different in keeping that I would almost say it's like keeping two different species. The W.C. animals are much harder to acclimate and keep healthy.

Another thought is the various parasites, bacteria, and other health problems that can come along with the animal, that could be spread if you have any other reptiles, so you are in essence putting the rest of your pets at risk, even with good quarantine procedures. And add to that the fact that treating a wild caught animal is risky in and of itself, again keeping a wild caught reptile healthy can be difficult.

And yes, many wild caught animals perish during the whole process.