The Responsible Reptile Owner
Many people think reptiles are cheap pets, easily accessible and easy to care for. However, after purchasing or being given a reptile several things can happen.
1. The reptile becomes ill and/or dies because of improper care.
2. The person becomes bored with their pet and leaves it unattended or lets it go in an unsatisfactory environment.
3. The cost of the reptile becomes overwhelming.
4. The responsible owner enjoys the companionship of the pet for life.
A reptile in captivity depends on its owner completely. While it may have defenses, it is still basically defenseless. Unable to care for itself, it is at the mercy of the caregiver and every element of its care is important.
To neglect responsibility as an owner can mean torture for the reptile. If you think it shouldn't matter because a reptile is incapable of emotion, maybe you should refrain from acquiring any pet. Whether or not it does or does not show or experience emotion is irrelevant. There is still the element of pain and suffering to be considered should it be neglected.
Any living being deserves to obtain adequate care, especially one held in captivity. A reptile that has been provided for may not know how to adequately care for itself once it is put back into the wild. Maybe the reptile is released in an environment that lacks the right food sources or temperature. Protection from predators may be inadequate.
If you give your pet away or sell it, please make sure the person receiving the reptile has proper knowledge of what it takes to care for and shelter the animal.
If you decide to own a reptile for a pet and don't practice the proper handling, you could be attacked. Who would be to blame? You.
Reptiles can be interesting as pets. The experience can be rewarding and educational. The responsibility lies in the hands of the owner. If you want a fulfilling and long lasting experience as a reptile owner, take the time and make the effort to learn about what's involved before you purchase or accept a reptile.
If you choose a pet shop, choose a reputable pet shop. Don't count on their expertise. Some pets unfortunately are sold merely as profit pieces. It's often a wonder they even made it to the pet shop in one piece and alive. Exotic pet sales have gone through the roof, so many of these wonderful creatures are handled wrong right from the start. It pays to research how a healthy reptile should look before you make the commitment to purchase. Just having a license to sell a reptile does not make the management responsible people with consciences.
A responsible pet owner is not just someone who loves animals. It's someone who makes the effort to care for the animals properly. There are many well-meaning people who call themselves animal lovers and still don't have what it takes to be the right caregiver for reptiles. You may be the perfect match for a dog and far from the perfect match for a turtle or a lizard! Know your limits before you commit.
|
|
|
|
Dangerous Reptiles When people decide to buy reptiles for pets, some inevitably cross the line of safety and wisdom. Although ...
read more
Setting Up A Terrarium for Your Reptile A terrarium is similar to an aquarium except that it isn't full of ...
read more
Watch out for Reptiles! Reptiles seem more like creatures from another planet than any other animal, and snakes even more ...
read more
Gigantic Reptiles! Of all the reptiles, we are usually most interested in the largest ones - alligators, crocodiles, komodo dragons, ...
read more
Choosing A Vet for Your Reptile Carefully research your options for proper veterinary care before you decide to purchase a ...
read more
Searching for Small Reptiles Lizards are one of an interesting group of animals that you might not think about too ...
read more
A Lizard's Eye View of Life as a Reptile If you think of lizards at all, you think of those ...
read more
Learning about Reptiles Children often, at one time or another, will have an interest in learning about reptiles. Even if ...
read more
Reptile History Many people overlook that dinosaurs were reptiles, as are tortoises and turtles. Frogs are often lumped into the ...
read more
What Types of Lizards Make Good Reptile Pets? There is nothing wrong with wanting a reptile for a pet, provided ...
read more
Vacation With a Reptile! Are you fascinated with shows on TV that show wrestling, wrestling between man and alligator? Do ...
read more
Where to Buy a Reptile to Keep as a Pet Reptiles can be intimidating. They can also be great pets. ...
read more
Introducing the Reptiles! The family of reptiles is made up of turtles, lizards, snakes, different kinds of crocodiles, and a ...
read more
Rattlers - The Dangerous Reptiles! Snakes are probably the reptiles that fascinate and repel us the most. One of the ...
read more
Reptile Diseases Dangers exist when keeping reptiles as pets, but not just as bites and scratches. You can also contract ...
read more
Understanding Reptiles Did you think a frog is a reptile? Maybe it would help to learn the difference in reptiles ...
read more
A Day in the Life of a Fascinating Reptile, the Alligator Let's travel to Florida to meet one of the ...
read more
Reptile Accessories and Supplies Large reptiles need large cages or other enclosures. They will also need bedding, a water source, ...
read more
Safety With Reptiles Reptiles are animals to be respected. Many people think it's funny to irritate a reptile to get ...
read more
Snakes As Reptile Pets Most common snakes kept as pets in the reptile category are the corn snakes and the ...
read more
The Responsible Reptile Owner Many people think reptiles are cheap pets, easily accessible and easy to care for. However, after ...
read more
The Slow and Steady Reptile: the Turtle Of all the reptiles that can be found in an average neighborhood, turtles ...
read more
Reptiles Have Special Needs People have all kinds of different pets. Some people only feel safe with what is considered ...
read more
Raising a Reptile as a Pet You may have admired the unusual looking lizards at your local wildlife center, or ...
read more
Which Reptiles Do Not Make Good Pets? Basically, any reptile that is caught in the wild is discouraged for use ...
read more
|
|
Disclaimer
The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this website, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet.
This site is a common sense guide to The Responsible Reptile Owner. In practical advice websites, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.
This site is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field.
Any perceived slights of specific people or organizations are unintentional.
|
|
Dangerous Reptiles
Setting Up A Terrarium for Your Reptile
Watch out for Reptiles!
Gigantic Reptiles!
Choosing A Vet for Your Reptile
Searching for Small Reptiles
A Lizard's Eye View of Life as a Reptile
Learning about Reptiles
Reptile History
What Types of Lizards Make Good Reptile Pets?
Vacation With a Reptile!
Where to Buy a Reptile to Keep as a Pet
Introducing the Reptiles!
Rattlers - The Dangerous Reptiles!
Reptile Diseases
Understanding Reptiles
A Day in the Life of a Fascinating Reptile, the Alligator
Reptile Accessories and Supplies
Safety With Reptiles
Snakes As Reptile Pets
The Responsible Reptile Owner
The Slow and Steady Reptile: the Turtle
Reptiles Have Special Needs
Raising a Reptile as a Pet
Which Reptiles Do Not Make Good Pets?
| 