Animal Facts
U.A.P.P.E.A.L Herpetoculture Facts
Herpetoculture has been a growing interest in the past several years. This has its good points and its bad points. The good points are the increased interest in protecting reptiles and amphibians as well as their continued studying to help improve captive husbandry. However, its continued popularity also brings with it some individuals that do not properly research their potential pet, or purchase animals on a whim and disregard the animal’s needs or requirements and simply consider them disposable toys.
For those considering the purchase of a reptile, I wish to provide a little information regarding 3 of the top purchased animals that are NOT for the beginning hobbyist as well as make a few recommendations on good beginning reptiles for your first.
Large Constricting Snakes:
Large Constrictors consist of but are not limited to the Burmese Python, Reticulated Python, Green Anaconda, and African Rock Python. Three out of the four snakes outlined previously are not easy to work with and none of them are easy to house or maintain. These animals will inevitably need a cage no smaller than 8’ long by 2.5’ deep. Larger is certainly preferred as well as recommended. These animals are certainly not recommended for the beginner due to their large size and experience necessary for proper handling, care, and proper safety. Potential purchasers should have prior experience with constricting snakes of different sizes. If you are truly interested in taking upon the task of keeping a large constricting snake, then you will need to know at least for the proper captive care of the animal. I would recommend the following website pages to assist you in that direction:
The snakes listed above have been known to take a handful of human lives within the last 20 years. This was typically due to irresponsible handling and just overall, very poor husbandry skills. Since you will be interacting with this snake, you must understand the potential danger behind it. Please be sure to think this through thoroughly. There are a large number of these constrictors that are consistently being tossed aside when they get too big for their owners to care for. Please be absolutely positive that you are willing to share a good portion of your life with this animal. They can be fascinating and wonderful animals if cared for by the right person. Furthermore, if you are 100% certain that you are ready for this animal, PLEASE consider adopting from a rescue. These places are only able to take on so much and reptile rescues are constantly swamped with the big boys because of how unsuitable they are for the average keeper. Please think and act responsibly.
Venomous Snakes:
Can you say…Death Wish? Venomous snakes require a lot of experience to handle and care for properly. Don’t expect to purchase a venomous snake, and just keep it in the cage and never have to handle it. There will be necessary cage cleanings, vet visits and cage changes that will be necessary. Not all hospitals carry antivenin appropriate for the snake you are keeping and therefore it will be YOUR responsibility to acquire and keep antivenin stocked.
Zoos keep certain types of antivenin, however, as a Herpetoculturist it shows irresponsibility when antivenin must be used from zoos in order to save your life! Using zoo antivenin stock to save your life, puts their own employees at risk, and puts zoos at odds with private collectors. In short, if you can’t afford your own antivenin, you have NO business owning a venomous snake. Proper handling tools are a must and many of them require a bit of training in order to learn how to use them properly as to not put you at risk, or risk injury to the snake.
These snakes require special caging to prevent escapes due to liabilities with neighbors, etc being bitten. Every time a private keeper is bitten by their “Hot” snake, it is yet another nail in the coffin for reptile keepers. For a variety of information on keeping and handling venomous snakes, I would recommend the following resources:
Introduce yourself at:
To put it simply, a venomous snake is the LAST reptile that should be considered as a first reptile. There is too much liability and the risk of a bite is too great for the inexperienced reptile keeper and handler.
Crocodilians:
There is no animal on this planet in my opinion, which is more awe inspiring than our closest relative to the dinosaurs…..Crocodilians. These animals have been steeped in myth and legend for centuries. They are both feared and revered. As I am sure you have guessed by now, these animals are certainly not for beginners. They rank very close to the skill level requirements of a venomous snake in aspects of years of experience with a variety of different reptiles including but not limited to large lizards. These animals require a large enclosure with a large body of water. They require more than one person on many events to handle properly and safely and they have specific diet and temperature requirements to ensure proper growth, and digestion. Proper caging and good water filtration is a must as well as ensuring a proper diet. Crocodilians are very social animals for the exception of a couple species, and have a very complex nature that you must have a decent understanding of before acquiring a crocodilian of any type. Crocodilians can live 40 years or more if properly kept in captivity, so therefore you must be prepared to have a lifelong commitment to these ancient dinosaurs.
For more information on proper care and the requirements for keeping crocodilians in captivity, I would strongly recommend reading the Crocodilian FAQCompliments of Dr. Adam Britton of Crocodylus Park in Australia.
The above listed animals, while they are certainly not meant for beginning keepers, they can make very rewarding captives if you take the time to learn the ropes with a wide range of other reptiles in their class. If you are willing to take the time and research your preferred animal, acquire experience necessary with your preferred animal by volunteering at a zoo, or being mentored by someone who keeps and maintains the animal of your choice and has done so for quite some time, then you would be well on your way to being a responsible pet owner. Please remember that the decisions regarding exotic animals that you make don’t just affect you. They affect ALL exotic pet owners! Please think and act responsibly with your captives and you will have a very happy captive as well as be a feather in the cap for the hobby as a whole.
Recommended Beginning reptiles
Now that I have given a lecture on the animals that are not recommended, now I will go over a short list of recommended reptiles that make great first herps. The recommended reptiles on this list are based on several factors:
- Adult size of the animal
- Requirements for proper housing
- Complication of diet
- Average temperament
- Ease of handling
Depending on your preference of animal, there are several different available options that make really good selections for a first reptile. These animals are typically pretty common and don’t cost an arm and a leg to maintain.
Snakes:
Rat snakes and Corn snakes-
These snakes are very common in most pet stores for a reasonable price. Always check for the symbol on the tag (CB) which stands for “Captive-Bred”. These snakes can be a bit flighty as youngsters, but quickly calm down into very rewarding captives. Corn snakes are usually around 4’ but can get larger, while the Rat snake can get as large as 9’. Most will average out at around 6’ however. They are both slender snakes that are quick and often times confused with being “aggressive” as a result. These particular snakes do not require any special heating and will do just fine if kept in a room that stays in the high 70’s.
Kingsnakes and Milksnakes:
These snakes make excellent, hardy captives. Their docile temperament and manageable adult size put this animal on the recommended list. Their over-all keeping requirements are similar to that of the rat snake and corn snake. The only difference that I would recommend would be a slight raise of temperature. An ambient temperature in the low 80’s would be sufficient for this snake. For more information about the proper care of kingsnakes and milksnakes, please see
Ball Pythons-
Ball Pythons can be very rewarding pet snakes. These animals only average out around 3’ in length and don’t have very strict requirements for keeping. However, they are a little more difficult to keep than the snakes listed above. Their small adult size, preference for smaller enclosures, and general laid back disposition make this snake an ideal pet. For more information on the proper care of ball pythons, please see
Lizards
Leopard Geckos-
These cute little lizards are one of the highest recommended beginning lizards available. These animals are hardy in captivity, easy to maintain and they do it without taking up a whole room in your house. They come in a variety of colors, so you can almost always find one that fits your coloring preference. These animals average at about 7” long and are really fun to keep. For more care information, please see
Bearded Dragons-
These Australian native lizards are highly recommended as beginning lizards. Their docile nature, manageable adult size, rather easy diet, and relatively easy to achieve preferred temps puts this lizard on the recommended list. They are fun to watch, cool to carry around on your shoulder and most beginning keepers get plenty of joy from these interesting specimens. For more information regarding the care of the Bearded Dragon, please see
There are many other reptiles that can be fantastic captives. Many people choose the larger, more dangerous reptiles because of the “cool” impression they make on their peers. However, owning an animal to just neglect it and not provide it proper care is simply NOT COOL! Many large snakes, venomous, and crocodilians are abandoned each year because owners were not fully prepared to deal with the animal. A lot of people think it is OK to purchase a baby alligator to turn around and dump it when it gets to be an inconvenience. Some even go to the extent of altering the animal (i.e. pulling teeth, removing venom sacks, stunting growth) in order to make it a more “suitable” pet to them. Simply put, if you are unable to provide a long term home and allow the animal to be all that it can be, then you shouldn’t have the animal.
Responsible pet owners have to fight for their rights every single day due to irresponsibility of others. Please think long and hard about the animal that you wish to keep as a pet, as the decision you make doesn’t just affect you, its affects other keepers, and most importantly….it affects the animal. Good luck in your decision and thank you for taking your time to be a responsible pet owner.
Chris Law
Herpetoculture Element Representive
