Authored by John F. Taylor of Reptile Apartment
Best Practices in Herpetoculture
A number of years ago I asked some reptile folks I respect what they thought when it came to the ‘5 Best Practices’ regarding herpetoculture and the industry. The responses varied according to the specific niche elements each person was involved in. There were some very obvious overlaps in their responses.
This was all done blindly, the people who responded had no idea who or how others responded to the same questions.
With that said here is what I collected.
5 Best Practices of Herpetoculture
- Set the highest quality standard
- Knowledgeable employees and or staff
- Honesty and Education of Customers
- Cleanliness
- Appropriate sized enclosures and lighting available
Other commentary were along the following lines. (I’ve taken the liberty of summarizing the entirety of the content while remaining true to the message given by the speakers.)
Know your suppliers and only promote captive breeding when at all possible.
Keep detailed records of everything. Size, weight, breeding, shedding, clutching, hatch-rates, feeding, etc.
Avoid escapes at all costs
Knowledge of the specific species you’re working with
These are living animals not just an inanimate object to be tossed away. Invest in your animals and their health.