As an extremely broad generalization both the private individuals and the Zoos have followed the same general track with keeping animals



Stage 1. Simply keeping the animal alive



Stage 2. Keeping the animal alive long enough to get it to reproduce



Stage 3. Breeding the animal frequently enough to sustain the captive population (in other words at a rate equal to or greater than the rate of loss by the breeder)



Stage 4. keeping the animal alive long enough that the average maximal lifespan begins to get close to the maximal lifespan of the animal while meeting the requirements of stage 3 above



For some animals there is a stage 5..

Which is meeting all of the above requirements while keeping all of the natural behaviors of the wild populations (like tadpole transport in non-obligate egg feeding dendrobatids).



The stages don't have to occur in that exact order but it gives a decent (in my opinion) snap shot of much of herpetoculture.



If one thinks about all of the changes that have occured in knowledge, supplies and equipment (not to mention availability of species) since the 1970s, it is nothing short of amazing.



Ed

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