A Typology of Market Sellers of Protected Wildlife Across Peru

This exploratory field investigation describes five categories of sellers (casual, transient, opportunistic, hidden, and professional) who commercialize protected wildlife out of open-air markets across Peru. These categories were created through an analysis of interviews with wildlife market sellers (N = 15), observations across 13 open-air markets where protected wildlife are sold, and interviews with persons involved in wildlife trade processes (N = 45). The market sellers’ accounts highlight the changes of Peru’s informal wildlife trade and help to contextualize the social, cultural, and economic realities connected to this commerce. Market sellers describe nuanced motivations behind their involvement in the wildlife trade that go beyond economic gains.