The role of social media groups on illegal wildlife trade in four Mexican states: A year-long assessment

Illegal wildlife trade consists of harvesting wildlife products and undertaking its trade contrary to national and international laws. It has become one of the main threats to wildlife, along with habitat loss and the introduction of exotic species. The Internet modified how illegal trade works as it increases species exposure and market venues. Although it is a critical problem in Latin America, it has received limited attention. A region worth studying is the country of Mexico, as it is a megadiverse country, has multiple commercial treaties, and is considered an active part of the wildlife trade. Thus, our objective was to determine the role of social media in illegal trade in Mexican states with different income levels. We looked for social media groups that serve as virtual marketplaces in the states of Estado de Me & PRIME;xico, Guerrero, Jalisco, and Oaxaca. We comprehensively monitored the groups from January 1, 2019, until December 31, 2019. We browsed all the posts listed for sale and recorded all the available information, including the legal status of the individual. We found 175 posts in nine groups that offered 392 wildlife individuals. We registered 90 different species, of which 39 were mammals (202 individuals), 26 were birds and 23 were reptiles, with a total estimated selling value of US$ 683,967. Furthermore, we detected a significant difference between the number of individuals of mammals, birds, and reptiles sold. Our analysis indicates a large number and diversity of species being sold in social media confirming its importance as a virtual marketplace for biodiversity trade and not only for regional species.