Think Twice Before Buying A Python Bag
Its distinctive pattern with the diamond-shaped markings will add an exotic, wild touch to your outfit. You will look stylish and like a person who has very good and expensive taste. It costs a couple of thousand dollars, but there is also a much bigger hidden cost to owning a python bag.
Pythons are among the biggest snake species in the world. Because they are so big, designers love working with their skin. It is possible to get big pieces of leather from the skin of one snake and then use these to make larger items that don't require extra seams. In this way the pattern can stay intact and produce fabulous bags, boots and jackets.
Unfortunately the numbers of the snakes in the wild are rapidly declining. CITES currently lists them as Appendix II species, which means that hey are 'monitored' and that while they aren't threatened yet, they are close to becoming threatened. To prevent this, there are strict controls when trading in them.
You need a CITES certificate and the relevant permits to be able to trade in the skins of pythons, but you also need to adhere to local laws. In places like India it is illegal to kill, capture or trade in snakes. California banned trade in these snakes' skins in 1970 already, so in this state you cannot legally buy any item made of the skin. C
Most of the skins that are issued with CITES documentation are supposedly from snake farms. Environmentalists say that most snake farms are really just a way of getting around the red tape and are still trading in skins that come from wild snakes. They say that farming the snakes is not financially viable and that so-called farmers find it cheaper to just harvest the reptiles in the wild.
The demand for snakeskin by the fashion industry has led to a burgeoning black market. This has led to over-harvesting, because the snakes are caught at a faster rate than they can reproduce. They are now in danger of going the same way as species like Siamese crocodiles that are now close to extinction after having had to meet the great demand for their leather. In addition, over-harvesting causes ecological imbalances. For example, rats become a problem in the snakes' traditional hunting grounds because there aren't enough snakes to keep their numbers in check.
Another disconcerting aspect of the snakeskin industry is the way that the reptiles are skinned. One method is to nail the snake's head to a tree, even though this usually doesn't kill the reptile. Another method involves first pumping its body full of water, which makes it expand. The next step is to make a few incisions in the skin and then to pull off the skin, preferably in one piece. This is a slow process, but the snake is usually alive and very conscious of what's happening. It will take the skinned reptile as much as three days before it dies.
When you think about what a python bag really costs, you have to make a decision. That one purchase does not only affect you, so you have to ask yourself whether it's really worth it. Besides, there are great faux leather bags that look just as good without causing as much damage.
Pythons are among the biggest snake species in the world. Because they are so big, designers love working with their skin. It is possible to get big pieces of leather from the skin of one snake and then use these to make larger items that don't require extra seams. In this way the pattern can stay intact and produce fabulous bags, boots and jackets.
Unfortunately the numbers of the snakes in the wild are rapidly declining. CITES currently lists them as Appendix II species, which means that hey are 'monitored' and that while they aren't threatened yet, they are close to becoming threatened. To prevent this, there are strict controls when trading in them.
You need a CITES certificate and the relevant permits to be able to trade in the skins of pythons, but you also need to adhere to local laws. In places like India it is illegal to kill, capture or trade in snakes. California banned trade in these snakes' skins in 1970 already, so in this state you cannot legally buy any item made of the skin. C
Most of the skins that are issued with CITES documentation are supposedly from snake farms. Environmentalists say that most snake farms are really just a way of getting around the red tape and are still trading in skins that come from wild snakes. They say that farming the snakes is not financially viable and that so-called farmers find it cheaper to just harvest the reptiles in the wild.
The demand for snakeskin by the fashion industry has led to a burgeoning black market. This has led to over-harvesting, because the snakes are caught at a faster rate than they can reproduce. They are now in danger of going the same way as species like Siamese crocodiles that are now close to extinction after having had to meet the great demand for their leather. In addition, over-harvesting causes ecological imbalances. For example, rats become a problem in the snakes' traditional hunting grounds because there aren't enough snakes to keep their numbers in check.
Another disconcerting aspect of the snakeskin industry is the way that the reptiles are skinned. One method is to nail the snake's head to a tree, even though this usually doesn't kill the reptile. Another method involves first pumping its body full of water, which makes it expand. The next step is to make a few incisions in the skin and then to pull off the skin, preferably in one piece. This is a slow process, but the snake is usually alive and very conscious of what's happening. It will take the skinned reptile as much as three days before it dies.
When you think about what a python bag really costs, you have to make a decision. That one purchase does not only affect you, so you have to ask yourself whether it's really worth it. Besides, there are great faux leather bags that look just as good without causing as much damage.
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