I would LOVE to see cats banned! They do too much damage to wild songbird, herp, and mammal population.

That said, what is the point of keeping pets of any kind in our modern world? Mouse traps don't need to be fed and burgler alarms don't need shots. Electric fences protect cattle. And reptiles do nothing for people in captivity. Oh, I can see breeding fence lizards to studying lime disease or frogs for science/education/medication needs. But what do you herpetoculturists do for the animals? I laugh when private herpers say they are promoting conservation by breeding their animals. Let me ask you this: how many of you actually ship the offspring of your animals back to their native habitat? How many bearded dragons and blue-tongued skinks hatched out each year go back to Australia? Think all those weird varieties of corn snake and the leopard gecko could survive in the wild? Not likely.

You see? It's not a matter of right or wrong. It's a matter of wasting money on something that is, well...pointless. I invit new herpers to consider this point and take up worthwhile hobbies like creative writing, reading a freakin book, or watching birds or getting some exersize or working on a career in wildlife conservation rather than spending pots of money on denying reptiles their natural freedom and supporting a basically needless trade with no real purpose.

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