Editing Reptile (section)

===Commercial farming===
{{See also|Crocodile farm|Snake farm|Turtle farming}}
Crocodiles are protected in many parts of the world, and are [[crocodile farm|farmed commercially]]. Their hides are tanned and used to make leather goods such as shoes and [[handbag]]s; [[crocodile meat]] is also considered a delicacy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lyman |first=Rick |date=30 November 1998 |title=Alligator farmer feeds demand for all the parts |department=Anahuac Journal |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/30/us/anahuac-journal-alligator-farmer-feeds-demand-for-all-the-parts.html |access-date=November 13, 2013}}</ref> The most commonly farmed species are the saltwater and Nile crocodiles. Farming has resulted in an increase in the saltwater crocodile population in [[Australia]], as eggs are usually harvested from the wild, so landowners have an incentive to conserve their habitat. [[Crocodile leather]] is made into wallets, briefcases, purses, handbags, belts, hats, and shoes. [[Crocodile oil]] has been used for various purposes.<ref>{{cite book |first=Elisabeth |last=Janos |year=2004 |title=Country Folk Medicine: Tales of skunk oil, sassafras tea, and other old-time remedies |edition=1 |page=56 |publisher=Lyon's Press |isbn=978-1-59228-178-7 |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=FUaaDBFsYFEC |page=56}} }}</ref>

Snakes are also farmed, primarily in [[East Asia|East]] and [[Southeast Asia]], and their production has become more intensive in the last decade. [[Snake farm]]ing has been troubling for conservation in the past as it can lead to [[overexploitation]] of wild snakes and their natural prey to supply the farms. However, farming snakes can limit the hunting of wild snakes, while reducing the slaughter of higher-order vertebrates like cows. The energy efficiency of snakes is higher than expected for carnivores, due to their ectothermy and low metabolism. Waste protein from the poultry and pig industries is used as feed in snake farms.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Aust |first1=Patrick W. |last2=Tri |first2=Ngo Van |last3=Natusch |first3=Daniel J.D. |last4=Alexander |first4=Graham J. |date=2017 |title=Asian snake farms: Conservation curse or sustainable enterprise? |journal=Oryx |language=en |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=498–505 |doi=10.1017/S003060531600034X |doi-access=free |issn=0030-6053}}</ref> Snake farms produce meat, [[Snakeskin|snake skin]], and antivenom.

[[Turtle farming]] is another known but controversial practice. Turtles have been farmed for a variety of reasons, ranging from food to traditional medicine, the pet trade, and scientific conservation. Demand for turtle meat and medicinal products is one of the main threats to turtle conservation in Asia. Though commercial breeding would seem to insulate wild populations, it can stoke the demand for them and increase wild captures.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Haitao |first1=Shi |last2=Parham |first2=James F. |last3=Zhiyong |first3=Fan |last4=Meiling |first4=Hong |last5=Feng |first5=Yin |year=2008 |title=Evidence for the massive scale of turtle farming in China |journal=Oryx |language=en |volume=42 |issue=1 |pages=147–150 |doi=10.1017/S0030605308000562 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |issn=1365-3008|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=MongabayNews-2014-08-08/> Even the potentially appealing concept of raising turtles at a farm to release into the wild is questioned by some veterinarians who have had some experience with farm operations. They caution that this may introduce into the wild populations infectious diseases that occur on the farm, but have not (yet) been occurring in the wild.<ref>{{cite periodical |author=Jacobson, Elliott R. |date=January 1996 |title=Marine turtle farming and health issues |type=guest editorial |periodical=Marine Turtle Newsletter |volume=72 |pages=13–15 |url=http://www.seaturtle.org/mtn/archives/mtn72/mtn72p13.shtml}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=This turtle tourist center also raises endangered turtles for meat |date=2017-05-25 |website=National Geographic News |language=en |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/05/wildlife-watch-cayman-turtle-farm-welfare-controversy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116071147/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/05/wildlife-watch-cayman-turtle-farm-welfare-controversy/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref>