Much of the pet trade in amphibians is conducted online, but it’s not well understood. Herpetologist Devin Edmonds with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently mapped out the trade in nonnative amphibians sold in the United States in a study published in the journal Biological Conservation.
Edmonds and his colleagues scanned through online classified ads for nonnative amphibians from 2004 to 2024 and compiled a database of 8,500 listings for 301 amphibian species — including frogs and salamanders — for sale in the U.S. and originating from around the world.
The researchers then compared the classified ads database with amphibian import records from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They found there were no import records for 44 of the species in their database, and concluded these species were likely imported illegally.
The authors say some of the animals may have been smuggled into the U.S. by fudging their identity. For example, they suggest that Caatinga horned frogs (Ceratophrys joazeirensis) could have been smuggled from Brazil into neighboring Suriname, which has its own species of horned frog, Ceratophrys cornuta. The Caatinga frogs were likely then imported into the U.S. simply labeled as Ceratophrys, leaving authorities ignorant about exactly which species they were. Once in the U.S., they could be bred in captivity for sale.
The researchers’ database shows that 30 amphibian species were offered for sale more often than computer modeling would suggest. They interpreted this to mean that these species are being successfully bred in captivity and the offspring sold. The researchers suggest that a robust captive-born amphibian trade means that these species will hopefully be spared from overharvesting in the wild.
“I would like people who keep amphibians and participate in it as a hobby to make sure to carefully consider where the animals they keep come from,” Edmonds said, adding that domestically bred amphibians are a better choice than wild-caught ones. “There are many ethical and responsible sources for amphibians if you want to keep them. Just because there is a cool blue and orange frog posted for sale online that you never heard of before does not mean you should rush to buy it.”
Philippe de Vosjoli, president of the Responsible Herpetoculture Foundation, a group of reptile and amphibian owners dedicated to responsible husbandry, welcomed the study’s findings.
“The study is valuable in that it is an accurate broad representation of the amphibian trade, even if it is an incomplete picture,” he told Mongabay by email. “I do agree with the conclusion of the article which offers realistic and practical considerations to address the conservation of amphibians and their captive-breeding to supply the trade.”
Banner image: Red-eyed treefrog in Costa Rica. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay.
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