In the 25 years I have been keeping reptiles an amphibians, I have seen great transitions in the way we are able to maintain our specimens, and in the motives we have for keeping them.
For example, in the beginning it was unheard of to buy live crickets and other livefoods from commercial farms and shops. Rodents had to be bred in house. Vitamins were those designed for use with cats and dogs. And all heating, lighting and housing was borrowed from the aquatic hobby, or the local hardware shop.
More importantly, there was a general lack of knowledge with regard to the husbandry techniques required to successfully manage our animals.
In years past, if something laid eggs or produced babies, it was something of a achievement. But truth was, we just didn’t know why or how to get them to do it the following year.
These days things are different, with the advent of specialised manufacturers producing goods tailored to the specific needs of reptiles and amphibians, coupled with the wealth of books, multimedia and websites available, we now have an exceptionally high degree of success in the captive care and reproduction of virtually all available taxon.
Indeed, as time ticked on, hobbyists realised there was a good market for their captive bred offspring. This in turn could not only help pay for feed, equipment etc., but could also increase their collection or even turn a cash profit. Whereas some people are embarrassed or even opposed to a money motive with regard to the keeping of animals, there is know doubt that this has led to the majority of specialised knowledge we have today. “Conservation through commercialisation”.
As a retailer, I have noticed how initially customers would spend the big bucks on the animal only to ask the cheapest way to accommodate them; enter the era of the melamine vivarium. Meanwhile, our neighbours over the water in Holland and Germany, were experimenting with naturalistic, planted, purpose made glass terrariums. Rather than having vast collections of species in wooden boxes, they wanted to see a little piece of the jungle, in their own homes with real tropical plants, mosses, vines, creepers and decorative natural branches. In time they added misting systems, waterfalls etc. Sometimes these displays would be of huge dimensions taking up whole walls, or conversely would consist of several smaller set ups.
It goes without saying, that not all species are suited to naturalistic arrangements. Green Iguana’s, large Monitors, Burmese Pythons etc. are going to trash all but the most simple of set ups overnight. The outcome is that keepers now get inspired by the terrarium design and select species that will suit e.g. Day Geckos, Mantella Frogs, Poison Arrow Frogs, Anoles, Chameleons, Uroplatus, New Caledonian Geckos, Takydromus, Lygodactylus etc.. With care and design even larger species such as Basilisks, Water Dragons, Plated lizards, Frilled Dragons and Dwarf Monitors can make great display subjects. To the other extreme, not much looks more awe inspiring than a Waglers Pit Viper or an Eyelash Viper displayed in a naturalistic style.
Naturerep have sought out a range of carefully selected natural decor, substrates and terrarium enhancement products to help the hobbyist provide the very best possible microhabit for their animals.
©Naturerep Ltd 2006
