Aitortxu
Well-Known Member
"CB, CF, WC, LTC : terms explained!
These terms are often used within the reptile trade as a short hand that details the origin of an animal. Thankfully, most animals are captive bred so the other terms are becoming less common, but it’s still good to know what is meant by CB, CF, WC and LTC incase you see it in a petshop or at a reptile show.
CB : Captive Bred : An animal whose parents are both in captivity. Within the reptile trade, if you are looking to buy a pet, you want a captive bred individual. The advantage of CB animals is that they do not damage wild populations, or encourage black market trade in that species, as well as usually being parasite free, healthy and more accustomed to captivity than CF, WC or LTC animals.
CF : Captive Farmed : An animals whose parents are wild but kept in a penned area so that the offspring can be collected and sold. CF animals are often born on their native continents, so have often travelled long distances to arrive in your local petshop. These individuals often have internal parasites and are unlikely to be at their healthiest when they reach a petshop.
WC : Wild Caught : An animals whose parents were wild, and the animal itself lived in the wild until it was caught. Again, these animals have often travelled long distances, have internal parasites, and will likely have scars from old injuries sustained whilst it lived in the wild. They are also likely to be stressed when first placed into an enclosure and some species never take well to captivity and will refuse to eat, nose rub against the sides of their enclosures, as well as being very aggressive to their keepers (as they perceive them as predators).
LTC: Long Term Captive : A wild caught animal that has been in captivity “for a while”. There is no legal definition for how long an animal has to have been in captivity before it counts as a LTC, so make sure to ask as to the exact date the animal entered captivity. The advantage of a LTC over a WC is that any internal parasites and initial ill health should have been dealt with by previous owners, though individuals will still be scarred from their wild lives. These animals may also have grown more accustomed to captivity".
These terms are often used within the reptile trade as a short hand that details the origin of an animal. Thankfully, most animals are captive bred so the other terms are becoming less common, but it’s still good to know what is meant by CB, CF, WC and LTC incase you see it in a petshop or at a reptile show.
CB : Captive Bred : An animal whose parents are both in captivity. Within the reptile trade, if you are looking to buy a pet, you want a captive bred individual. The advantage of CB animals is that they do not damage wild populations, or encourage black market trade in that species, as well as usually being parasite free, healthy and more accustomed to captivity than CF, WC or LTC animals.
CF : Captive Farmed : An animals whose parents are wild but kept in a penned area so that the offspring can be collected and sold. CF animals are often born on their native continents, so have often travelled long distances to arrive in your local petshop. These individuals often have internal parasites and are unlikely to be at their healthiest when they reach a petshop.
WC : Wild Caught : An animals whose parents were wild, and the animal itself lived in the wild until it was caught. Again, these animals have often travelled long distances, have internal parasites, and will likely have scars from old injuries sustained whilst it lived in the wild. They are also likely to be stressed when first placed into an enclosure and some species never take well to captivity and will refuse to eat, nose rub against the sides of their enclosures, as well as being very aggressive to their keepers (as they perceive them as predators).
LTC: Long Term Captive : A wild caught animal that has been in captivity “for a while”. There is no legal definition for how long an animal has to have been in captivity before it counts as a LTC, so make sure to ask as to the exact date the animal entered captivity. The advantage of a LTC over a WC is that any internal parasites and initial ill health should have been dealt with by previous owners, though individuals will still be scarred from their wild lives. These animals may also have grown more accustomed to captivity".
