ABSTRACT

Many of us fondly remember our own childhood experiences keeping common small reptiles and amphibians for brief periods in glass jars, coffee tins, and terraria. These nascent experiences were often our first introduction to what developed into a lifelong interest in biology and animal husbandry. In reality, these ectothermic vertebrates, which have changed little since millions of years ago, are fascinating to observe. Many are relatively inexpensive to acquire, easy to keep as terrarium animals, simple to feed, not demanding of their owners’ time, make no loud noises to disturb neighbors, and don’t require regular exercise. When provided with appropriate diet and care, many reptiles and amphibians will live longer than they would under wild, natural conditions. This is largely attributable to lack of predation and other naturally occurring environmental stresses.