[adamanteus]

Justin, most wild animals carry parasites, this is normal and managable for the animal. However, in captivity parasitic loads can spiral beyond what the animal can cope with, this coupled with the added stress of a captive environment can be very dangerous. For this reason alone many people avoid using any wild-caught prey animal. Personally, I use amphibians as part of my Garters' diet throughout the Spring and Summer, but I'm unusual in this choice.