Reptiles Pets

Herpetoculture is the keeping of live reptiles and amphibians (or "herpetofauna") in captivity, whether as a hobby or as a commercial breeding operation. It is predominantly, but by no means exclusively, an amateur activity conducted by people with little or no formal background in herpetology or other natural sciences. It is slightly different from pet keeping in that a few of its practitioners are somewhat more dispassionate towards their animals; some herpetoculturists do not give names to their animals, which they might dismiss as sentimental anthropomorphism. However, many amateur herpetoculturists treat their animals as pets and interact with them accordingly, as there are many interactive and interesting reptiles that are commonly kept in captivity. Examples include the Inland Bearded Dragon, the Corn snake and the Leopard gecko.

Etymology

The word "herpetoculture" was apparently first devised by Tom Huff to distinguish what he, as a self-described "herpetoculturist", was doing -- working to keeping reptiles and amphibians alive -- from what herpetologists of that era were generally doing, namely, collecting specimens for preservation in a museum collection.

Criticism

There is a growing distance between amateur herpetoculture and professional herpetology. With the field's increasing focus on conservation biology, some herpetologists believe that herpetoculturists are part of the problem: that collection from the wild by reptile and amphibian enthusiasts for the pet trade is having an adverse impact on wild populations. While many captive bred reptiles and amphibians are offered for sale at pet stores and reptile shows, many animals sold are still wild-caught or captive hatched. Complicating the matter further is the growing problem of exotic species escaping or being released into the wild where they establish populations outside of their natural ranges, part of the larger issue referred to as invasive species. This is largely due to irresponsible owners, who may buy a young reptile with no idea of its care requirements or future size, so once the act of keeping them becomes too much to handle, they release them into the wild. An example of this situation would be the establishment of large populations (20,000+) of reptiles such as the Burmese python and the Green Iguana in the Florida Everglades.

Herpetoculturists respond that with few exceptions, wild collection is incidental and trivial compared to the losses resulting from habitat destruction and modification, highway mortality, and killing by people out of fear or ignorance. Many herpetoculturists maintain that their animals are bred in captivity wherever possible and that their captive breeding efforts may actually help to preserve threatened species; still, little if any of the captive stock produced by herpetoculturists is used to stock wild populations, nor could it in most instances due to the risks involved. Amongst modern herpetoculturists, it is extremely taboo to purchase a wild caught reptile; in the interest of conservation, some people support the thriving population of captive-bred reptile pets by becoming breeders.

Notes

1. ^ 1994 Breck Bartholemew, Intermontanus 3(1). Utah Herpetological Society. Reprinted from the International Iguana Society's Iguana Times, 1994 (1)2-6

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