Breeds apart

Urbanization and small living spaces, along with the availability of exotic animals through imports and breeding, have sparked a growing interest in raising unique and rare animals in China, experts said.

The number of people keeping exotic pets continued to rise in 2024, according to a recent paper on the country's pet industry released by the pet industry data platform petdata.cn.

The report predicted that by 2026 the market for exotic pets in China will reach 7.68 billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of 19.8 percent for reptiles.

Turtles, snakes and geckos are the most commonly kept reptiles, with snakes accounting for 51.6 percent of the total. With the arrival of the Year of the Snake, many exotic pet owners have turned their attention to the reptiles, with choices ranging from elegant black kingsnakes to colorful and compact corn snakes.

At the Chaojiniaoju "Super Bird Bureau", a pet shop that sells and offers interactions with birds and reptiles in Shanghai, many parents brought their children to see the creatures at close quarters during the recent holiday.

The shop prepared about five snake species to display daily during the vacation period, and sold about 10 snakes every day, said Lu Jin, an employee.

Lu has noticed that parents are becoming more open-minded about their children keeping exotic pets. More children are also developing a keen interest in these animals and are braver than their parents when it comes to handling them, Lu added.

Zhao Hengjie, deputy secretary-general of the pet culture committee of the China Culture Administration Association, said strong demand for pet snakes is closely associated with the Year of the Snake, coupled with the ease and low cost of caring for them, which make them well-suited for a fast-paced city lifestyle.

Bi Yungang is an experienced snake seller in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. He said he sold more than 100 snakes in January. "Snake sales have been steadily growing, and the sales in 2024 were three times those of 2023," he said, adding that new reptiles for sale and price reductions on old ones had attracted previously hesitant buyers.

Bi, 28, said he has been fascinated by insects and reptiles since primary school, when one of his biggest passions was watching animal documentaries.

After settling in Guangzhou at the end of 2019, Bi came across a reptile pet store, which started his journey in keeping various reptiles.

What began with one or two reptiles soon grew to hundreds. Eventually, he started breeding them and entered the reptile pet sales business, and in 2023 he set up his own brand, JTG Reptile Little House.

After years of acquiring knowledge, and breeding and selling different reptiles, he ultimately decided to focus on pet snakes. "Just as many people fear snakes, many others are deeply fascinated by them. It is precisely because of the myths surrounding them and the innate fear humans have that once people truly understand their gentle and endearing nature, the stark contrast becomes irresistible," Bi said of their growing popularity.