What do you think makes a species popular?

[daniel1983]

Two things, and two things alone makes a species popular:

Cost and availability.

Yet so many things influence cost and availability that it can't be that simple. While cost and availability maybe be the two main factors, there are so many facets that effect the costs and availablity.

Comparing ball pythons to bearded dragons is a good example.

Ball pythons are massively imported causing their availability to increase. It is illegal to import bearded dragon so what you see in the US is 100% CBB. Yet they are both in the same situation.

If bearded dragons were not so easy to breed, did not produce large clutches, and were complicated to keep, they wouldn't be as available; therefore, less popular. Get my point?

If importation of ball pythons was stopped, how much would availability drop? How would that drop effect popularity?

Legal issues is another factor that plays into how popular an reptile is in captivity.

How many kingsnake keepers are there in Georgia since legislation prohibits them? Kingsnakes are one of the most available snakes out there....yet they can not own them.

How will nile monitor ownership be effected by the new Florida laws? Sure they may still be available and cheap, but there are now legal issues involved with keeping them.