Conservation Implications of Rapid Shifts in the Trade of Wild A frican and A sian Pythons

Pythons are harvested for the international leather industry and pet trade. We analyzed the CITES export records (1999–2008) of the most intensively commercialized wild pythons ( P ython regius , P ython sebae , P ython reticulatus , P ython molurus , P ython curtus species complex) from A frican and A sian countries where reliable data on trade rates and ecology are available. Mean declared annual numbers of exported pythons were 30,000 in five A frican countries and 164,000 in I ndonesia. Trade intensity tripled in I ndonesia over the last decade, but declined in A frica. A frican international trade is exclusively associated with the pet market (mainly U nited S tates and E urope), whereas A sian pythons are sold mostly for luxury leather, albeit more recently also for the pet trade. A negative correlation between the annual numbers of pythons traded in A frica vs. A sia suggests a rapid and recent shift of the pressure exerted on wild populations in the two main exporting continents. We also found a strong effect of the currency exchange rate ( i.e ., U.S. $/€, the currencies used by the major importing countries) on A frican python exports: when the cost per A frican python increased, importers relied increasingly on A sian providers for pet trade. Overall, our data indicate that A sian pythons (especially P . reticulatus ) might be threatened due to the rapidly increasing pressure, whereas the decreasing international trade in A frican pythons is likely more sustainable.