Our Mission: Responsible Herpetoculture
Our Values
The most valuable thing in this world is life itself. All life is precious, and each one is nothing short of a miracle.
When you acquire a pet, you are not just getting an animal—you are taking on a responsibility. We are here to help you along the way.
It is possible to keep pets responsibly and to respect the environment. By observing animals (both wild and captive) we can learn more about the "health" of the environment and how we can improve our impact on it. There is so much we can benefit from by keeping pets responsibly.
We only know a fraction of what there is to know about these animals, and much of what we "know" is wrong! It is a great opportunity to learn more about these animals, and to learn more about ourselves.
We believe that children who learn to respect and appreciate the world around them are more likely to grow up learning to respect and appreciate each other. We are supporters of local school environmental studies programs as we believe these are vitally important and can teach many valuable social and ecological lessons. Caring for reptiles can give young people a sense of importance and show them that they too can have a positive impact on the world around them.
You can help! As educational funding becomes scarce, many schools have had to abandon their environmental studies programs. Many teachers have taken it upon themselves to privately fund these programs. By donating money, caging and supplies YOU can make a difference in your local children's lives and education. Simply call your local schools and ask if they have environmental studies programs in need of support. Even used caging and equipment is extremely valuable to these programs if you aren't comfortable giving a monetary donation.
Our Ethics
It is our responsibility the moment we acquire a pet to give the animal dignity and respect.
Throughout the entire life of the animal we believe it is our duty to allow it to have compassionate care. This is true through all stages of life from birth to death.
If you cannot (or will not) give each animal proper care throughout its entire life, then we do not believe that you should acquire the animal. Animals in captivity are completely dependent on their keepers for the basic necessities of life.
Regardless of how skilled a keeper you are, there is no substitute for proper veterinary care! These animals need medical attention from time to time just like you and me, but they cannot drive themselves to the doctor. They rely on you, their keeper, to make sure all of their needs are met. As a survival defense reptiles "mask" illness. This is to prevent them from being targets for other predators in nature. The result is this: By the time you notice that your animal is ill, it has probably been ill for quite some time and can no longer hide its weakness. If you simply wait to see if the problem resolves itself, the outcome is often death.
Not everyone should keep reptiles as pets. Children under 5, the very old, and those with immune disorders can be susceptible to Salmonella infections.
If you find that you are no longer able to keep a pet then it is your responsibility to find someone that will give the animal the care it needs. An animal should never be let loose to fend for itself in nature. This is irresponsible not only to the animal (especially in different climatic zones—for example, a leopard gecko would not survive in Minnesota over the winter), but also to native wildlife. Feral (non-native) animals can wipe out native species.
With proper care and treatment, your pet reptiles can be a source of education and enjoyment for years to come. If you have any questions about the needs of your animal, please contact us. We are here to help!
