Disclaimer: This post is NOT bashing the reptile hobby. I love the reptile hobby. But these are some serious problems the hobby needs to deal with.

Hey I'm writing a couple papers on reptile issues myself. I'm certainly no humaniac, but the sad fact is that the bad owners in reptile hobby leave a pretty big mess to be cleaned up. What's worse, it's a lot harder to find a GOOD herp owner sometimes than it is a BAD one. I also run a reptile rescue, so I have to see the negative effects of the hobby on a regular basis.

First and foremost: GREEN IGUANAS. Ten dollar sticker price, thousand dollar investment. Most people aren't willing to pay. Terrible for the hobby. There are so many unwanted iguanas, it's almost impossible to unload one. Granted they make good pets for maybe 5% of owners, but in general people are unwilling to provide for their rapid growth, heat, UV lighting, humidity, and nutritional requirements. Number one rescue call for every reptile rescue in the country, I GUARANTEE IT.

Also quite problematic: Burmese pythons, red ear sliders, and other stuff that gets pretty big. Google "Burmese Pythons in Florida" and you will learn a lot about pet exotics released from captivity totally messing up the ecosystem. Florida actually has 47 non-native reptile species in the wild that don't belong there. Many other states do as well.

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, "Invasive species are the primary threat to ecosystems across the nation." Where do most invasive species come from in the United States? You guessed it....the reptile hobby.

So if nothing else you've certainly picked a rich topic. I'd like to hear what solution you come up with...keep in mind outlawing reptiles won't help much because many abuse cases come from people who owned stuff illegally anyway.

Email me if you'd like to borrow any of my work, or I can send you a couple links.
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Jesse Rothacker
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary
Find out how YOU can get involved in reptile rescue...
www.forgottenfriend.org

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