Many people mistakenly argue that UVB is not necessary for reptiles in captivity, and that it is optional or should not be used at all for certain species. These outdated, folklore-based beliefs harm hundreds and thousands of pet reptiles every year. In this guest post, Liam Sinclair of Reptiles and Research provides a brief essay on how UVB works and why it should be a requirement for all pet reptiles, not just some. Continue Reading
The final video that I filmed with Josh was on the topic of UVB. The primary objective here was to do a broad comparison of the many UVB bulbs that are commonly available on the US market. Between using a Solarmeter 6.5R to measure the bulbs’ output, we tackled a lot of common questions and misconceptions associated with using UVB for reptiles. Continue Reading
We touched a bit on the subject of bioactive enclosures back when Josh Halter of The Bio Dude contributed his article, How to Build a Bioactive Terrarium for Your Reptile: An Introduction. The article introduced us to bioactive enclosures, but in this YouTube video, Josh and I expand on this post. We discuss the benefits of bioactive and naturalistic setups, plus one common dilemma that faces people who are considering making the switch. Continue Reading
Anthropomorphism in the reptile hobby is universally considered to be a Bad Thing. After all, why shouldn’t it be? Some of the most common mistakes in the hobby can be traced to anthropomorphism. But there’s more than one kind of anthropomorphism, and the right kind may hold the key to changing the reptile industry for the better. Continue Reading
There is a LOT of debate between reptile owners and reptile breeders on how best to keep and care for pet reptiles, and the ensuing discussions/arguments often become messy. The problem is, however, that we’re ignoring one very important fact here: Breeders and pet owners are VERY different and have TOTALLY different goals and agendas. Continue Reading
The reptile industry is young, and although we’ve come a long way since the early days, we still have a long way to go. Casual keepers and collectors are housing their reptiles like breeders, and there’s a critical lack of proper husbandry education and demonstration. Here’s how we as reptile keepers can apply the 5 Provisions of Animal Welfare to provide better and more ethical husbandry for the animals in our care. Continue Reading
Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Dillon on the Animals At Home podcast. We had a great conversation covering a few different topics, including why I started ReptiFiles, and the challenges of standardizing and improving reptile care. Watch or listen to the podcast episode here! Continue Reading
In light of another inflammatory and argumentative article written by known PETA sympathizer Clifford Warwick, “Many animals across all classes are increasingly becoming victims of folklore husbandry,” many reptile owners (and exotic animal keepers in general) find themselves asking a controversial question about the ethics of reptile keeping: Is it inhumane to keep exotic animals as pets? My answer — Only if you don’t care for them properly. Continue Reading