I saw an anaconda for sale in a pet store last night. It isn't the first one I've seen for sale to the general public. Think about it: an an-a-con-da. Living in your...what? House? Bathtub? Are you going to build it it's very own swimming pool? Are you up to feeding it rabbits, and LOTS of them, as it grows? Or maybe raising goats? You do realize that IF (and this is a big if) it lives, you will have a very efficient, 15-20 foot predator on your hands, right? One to whom you, your child and the neighborhood pets represent a tasty snack.
Anacondas, Burmese, Reticulated Pythons, all for sale at pet stores near you. These are big snakes, folks. But of course, you know that. That's why you want it, isn't it? Big-ass macho snake like that would be so very cool to own. Reality check time. These are BIG snakes. These are not appropriate "pets". First, they are large, efficient predators who are stronger than you and are capable of killing and trying to eat you. They have no emotion towards their keepers and unlike other large predators that people will try to keep (big cats, wolf-hybrids, etc.) have no socialization or intelligence that might at least save your life if you are attacked.
Second, unless you are a very specialized reptile keeper, most people do not really think about what it means to house and maintain a giant snake. These types of snakes will not live in an aquarium. Yes, as hatchlings and juveniles, the ones you see in stores, they can be safely housed in increasing sizes of aquariums for several years. However, as adults they will require a room sized enclosure that can be safely and properly maintained. Each of these snakes has very specific, and demanding, environmental conditions and husbandry that must be adhered to for the health of the animal. Few people are really up to the task. So most of those really cool anacondas and giant pythons end up dead within a few years or discarded.
Giant snakes are not the only inappropriately sold animals out there. Take Iguanas for instance. Hey, take two! They are cheap and they are really cute. Pet store tanks are just full of them and they are happy to provide you with care sheets for your new lizard. What they don't tell you at the pet stores: Even more so than the giant snakes, Iguanas are the single most discarded reptile. Why is that? Well, first there are sheer numbers, of course: Iguanas are cheap and plentiful and more people aquire them than big snakes, but why are so many of these animals on rescue lists? Because the majority of people who aquire them are not fully aware of what they are getting into.
Iguanas are demanding reptiles. Their ideal environmental and diet requirements are actually fairly difficult to acheive and they are not tolerant of much deviation from these ideals. In fact, most Iguanas sicken and die within 6 months of purchase. Ironically, if they are well-cared for and live, then they are the most discarded reptile. They get larger than most people really imagine and even if they know the adult size as a fact, once faced with a surly, 5-6 foot and growing lizard, too many people decide the fun is over.