I think there is value in changing the language we in the herp-keeping community use--this may seem fairly minor but it helps frame our hobby in a more positive light.

It's simple: change "in captivity" to "in the home" or "domestically" and "captive-bred" to "domestically-produced." We don't hear of people keeping dogs and cats, or even fish, "in captivity." "Captivity" has significant emotional "baggage" associated with it and I think it unfairly colors our argument.

For example, "the popularity of herps in the home is increasing" sounds a lot more agreeable to the unititiated than "the keeping of herps in captivity is increasing."

I think it would go a long way to changing the mindset of people who are otherwise neutral towards herp-keeping, and might help sway these "undecided" to our message vs. those of the anti-herp crowd.

Thoughts?


-----
Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

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