A. Species
Scientific name: Python regius
Common name(s): Ball python
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Near Threatened
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Togo
Country/Region: Togo / West Africa
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Togo - national level + direct surveys of 8 reptile farms within Togo
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2019
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species born/bred and raised/produced in captivity or through artificial propagation
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Hunting and/or Trapping of live terrestrial and aerial animals
Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Keeping/companionship/display
Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community)
Is this use legal or illegal?: Some use is legal and some is illegal
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people and International external
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species born/bred and raised/produced in captivity or through artificial propagation
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: sustainability not determined unambiguously due to hidden extraction of wild pythons sold as captive-bred/ ranched
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The ranching of pythons in Togo is considered economically sustainable; however, the hidden extent of wild extraction is not
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: this study does not record this
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: this study does not record this
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: this study does not record this
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: this study does not record this
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The paper promulgates the view that the python production being carried out by seven different farms in Togo was being done in “relatively healthy conditions”.
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
If gravid females are wild caught to lay eggs in captivity, these breeding females should be released back to the wild. The provision of captive breeding and ranching operations is intended as a replacement for the potentially unsustainable sourcing of pythons from their natural habitats, Wild caught pythons must not be included in export consignments under the false flag of being captive raised. Ranches (farms) should not also raise additional unlicensed reptile species.
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2020-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.40.48046
Date of record entry: 2022-11-10