That's a very interesting point! This is why I wanted to post it here--to get other perspectives and opinions! And I am all for the ways in which our ability to keep exotic animals may benefit certain local communities...I guess I was coming at this from a purely negative perspective, which is why I wanted more viewpoints! I saw a video from peta about a snake wholesaler that really boiled my blood...i guess it's the same as anything, you always hear of the atrocities committed by sub-par groups (whether they be exporters, wholesalers, etc.), but the positive stories rarely become topics of discussion. I thank you for engaging me in this discussion! I wish more people had opinions on this though :-/