I feel like I can weigh in here, given I keep reptiles and arachnids and breed the former.
I'll write a longer reply later as I'm pushed for time right now but for me, it's about being able to replicate the animals environment and lifestyle in the wild but at home. This includes terrain, temperatures, food and range plus other factors. Some of this is piss easy for some reptiles and others, near impossible.
I'll give you a couple examples. I have a Salmon Pink birdeater tarantula, among others. Like almost all tarantulas, they have a very limited range and only ever roam in search of food. If they find a source of insects in the wild they'll dig a burrow and live there for the rest of their lives, happily snacking on cockroaches. Because I can provide everything it needs in the wild but in a domestic setting and assuming its female, I'm looking at 25 years or so lifespan for it as opposed to less in the wild which kind of proves that it does better as a pet.
Now snakes I fucking love but recently a disease swept through mine. There's a species that I love, the Green Anaconda. It gets to a minimum of 18ft and usually way over 20ft with weight and strength to match. It does need room to move around, both to replicate natural behaviour and to regulate body temps. It also needs a body of water to swim in, which basically means a swimming pool. There no way I can replicate any of that, and there's very few private keepers that could hence it being a fucking awful pet.
The reptile and arachnid pet sector used to be like the wild West. Unsuitable pets, like the green anaconda regularly sold, dodgy shops etc. I was offered a western diamondback rattlesnake once, no questions asked! Thankfully it's calmed down now through self policing by decent shops and breeders. The keeping of giant snakes is dying out and those that do are keeping them well. There's more work to be done for sure, but there always will be no matter the pet.
) but I much preferred them to rabbits.
