Loving the Uncommon: How to Choose an Uncommon Reptile or Amphibian Species to Work With
*Disclaimer: For intermediate to advanced level enthusiasts, primarily.
It should be no secret by now that reptiles and amphibians, collectively known as “herptiles” are among some of the most amazingly unique and diverse groups of animals on Earth. If the many various taxa alone are broken down and examined, there are roughly 3,400 species snakes, and as many as 356 or more chelonians, or turtles and tortoises. Species diversity is often even higher when it comes to amphibians from around the world, with well over 4,800+ species of anurans (or frogs and toads), and nearly 700 or more caudates, or salamanders and newts! As can also be expected, lizard diversity is also high up there, with over 4,800 species, of which, there are at least 1,600 gecko species alone!
With such high and amazingly diverse arrays of numbers of species all across the board, it can therefore oftentimes be very easy to see why these animals capture our interest and imagination, and there are also a select array of species which seem to often capture or develop our individual interests and excitement in particular! And when it comes to herpetoculture, or the keeping and breeding of reptiles and amphibians in captivity, there are many so called “oddball” species which have become increasingly popular and more widely available as captive bred and born animals than before thanks to the increasingly focused and dedicated approach many have decided to provide these towards these animals to better help ensure fewer animals are collected or removed from the wild, while also maintaining self-sustaining captive populations of the species’ existence for future generations to see and experience, and fulfilling the needs and demands of the ever growing international reptile and pet keeping industries.
There are certainly many species of reptiles and amphibians within the reptile industry which have become very common, entry level, or baseline species to keep, and rightfully so. Ball pythons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, bearded dragons, corn snakes and kingsnakes, and many others are all just a few of the many examples of these species, which most certainly do still fulfill a valid purpose, or wider niche, as their natural history, care, and breeding techniques have become very well known and established by now. There certainly isn’t anything wrong with choosing to work with those species. But what if one is looking to also advance their level of knowledge and skills, while maintaining a sense of personal enjoyment and/or satisfaction regarding the animals being kept? Most may be familiar by now with our list and criteria for choosing a beginner reptile, but what if some parts of the equation may be missing, or information harder to come by, when it comes to choosing a less common, or “oddball” species? Which resources do you trust, and who might one go to in order to learn more about them? Where does one even start? What if there are no “care sheets” out there for a given species? Well, in this article, several helpful tips and pointers, as well as what to avoid or watch out for, may just end up assisting you in selecting the right “uncommon” species for your next pleasurable pet keeping experience or even small breeding project!
How to Choose an Uncommon Reptile or Amphibian Tips and Pointers!
- Locating and connecting with the right people and networks within the reptile industry may be the single largest and most important consideration when considering a less common, “oddball” species. Many other points and considerations mentioned here will oftentimes lead back to this first, initial consideration, and they can be found through local or national reptile shows and expos, online classifieds and websites such as Kingsnake.com and FaunaClassifieds, or even your local or regional herpetological society.
-A second major consideration is that many of these types of animals are likely to be “wild caught or collected”, at least initially. This is not necessarily a bad thing on its own, and should not necessarily deter one from choosing an uncommon species, but do be aware of what may or may not be legally and ethically sourced, and ask questions while learning more. At the very minimum, the vendor or seller should be able to tell you where the animal was collected from, and then it may be up to you to do the rest of the research pertaining to that animal. If the vendor or supplier does not seem knowledgeable about the animals they are offering, it may be a better idea to forgo purchasing that animal from that particular seller.
-Be open and willing to learn, and change up one’s care and husbandry in order to best be able to meet the animal’s needs and requirements, if need be. Also do not be afraid of the possibilities of running into failures, stumbling blocks, or mistakes initially the first time, or even first several times when venturing out into keeping a new or uncommon species. Nearly everyone, if not everyone who does, also are in the same boat when it comes to species such as these.
-Learning scientific, or latin names, if one is not already familiar with them, is another highly useful tool for being able to best select many species of uncommon reptile or amphibians. This doesn’t mean you have to go around saying “Python regius” for ball pythons all the time, but for many more obscure species, it can be highly beneficial. As highlighted in one of our previous articles on taxonomy, and the use of scientific names, there can be several different reasons for this, one of which may be that a species may not have a widely used common name at all. Many different genera or taxa can also have the same, or very similar sounding common names when they may not actually be as closely related as one might think. Learning scientific or latin names may also help you immensely in determining what the species in question actually are, and/or what you may be about to purchase. By not familiarizing oneself with scientific names, you might be ending up with a species you might not have been exactly looking for.
-Remember, don’t impulse purchase animals at any reptile shows, expos, or pet stores. When it comes to purchasing or acquiring a more oddball, or uncommon species, or any species for that matter, always have at least a general level of knowledge and familiarity about the animal’s natural history and/or care when more readily available information about the species may otherwise be lacking. This can include having at least some previous knowledge and experience with other, similar species in the same genera or taxa, or having had previous or current experience with other species which are native to, or indigenous to the same geographic distribution. *This is an important distinction from impulse purchasing in which newer, or less knowledgeable or experienced enthusiasts should recognize and be able to differentiate, and thus the reason for the disclaimer at the top of the article in allowing for more advanced keepers greater liberty in being able to choose, house, and maintain a given species. Always still do one’s research, regardless!
-When it comes to many less common, or obscure species, information and natural history about them may often be more difficult to locate or access. Don’t be surprised if all that can be readily located about them is a single paragraph, or even couple of sentences mentioning them in the books and/or other literature and research. This is again where connecting with and networking with others who may currently maintain, or have had success in working with the species in question comes into play. In a worst case scenario where there may not be anyone readily available to learn from, there may be a greater amount of on-your-own guesswork or trial and error that may be required. There still may be other ways of indirectly learning about the species through researching the temperatures, rainfall amounts, humidity, seasonality, and other environmental factors of the nearest geographic locale or region to which the animal is native to. As previously mentioned, it can oftentimes be a helpful starting point to at least know the generals, or the basics as to where that species comes from.
-Alternatively, or if absolutely no other options or information is at all available, or can be located or accessed, it is then even more important to pay extra close attention to the animal’s establishment and progress when in captivity, and watch extremely closely for any and all signs of failure to thrive, adjust, or acclimate to captivity, or any other signs of deterioration such as dehydration, weight loss, overstressing, etc. Work with a trusted and reputable local veterinarian closely in examining and treating any newly acquired “oddball” species, or any species for that matter. They don’t necessarily need to know what a species exactly is in order to do their jobs, as much as they should be able to identify and diagnose any problems generally seen in captive reptiles and amphibians. Working with a veterinarian can often at least get you over the hump in treating and eliminating any parasites or other health issues a newly acquired uncommon or “oddball” species may have.
-Share your passion and successes, and even your pitfalls and stumbling blocks with your uncommon or oddball species with others, and spread the word about them! This way, others can also learn about them which then fuels potential additional interest and awareness of these species, which then subsequently fuels greater captive bred knowledge and availability of these species in captivity! There are many different ways to do this, including presenting at local or national reptile shows and expos as a presenter or vendor, coming in as a guest speaker at local, regular herpetological society and other reptile education and conservation minded organizations!
-And finally, still maintain realistic expectations as to what species may be available or what one may be able to acquire. Searching through the previously mentioned online classifieds and other websites can often provide one with some sense of whether the species has been, or is available in the hobby more so than just an Internet search. While some species can be exceptionally beautiful and colorful, or have some unique morphology or feature making them extremely unique in appearance, they may, historically have not fared well or may have been able to have been successfully kept previously, at least given the current state of our limited knowledge and husbandry technology. Also, national and international laws and regulations, such as CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna), the Endangered Species Act, and the Lacy Act, as well as even your state and local/municipal laws and ordinances, all governing the importation and/or export quotas of certain listed species each year, may prevent or severely limit the accessibility of the species in question. Some states can have strict permitting, licensing, or other annual reporting and records maintenance requirements when it comes to keeping certain species. More information on these requirements, if any, can be found through your local or regional herpetological society, state herpetologist/state Department of Natural Resources, or other similar acting, administering state departments or overseeing authorities. Always know and become familiar with any applicable local, state, and federal, or international laws and regulations pertaining to the sale and commerce of captive reptiles and amphibians. Joining USARK, or the United States Association of Reptile Keepers, should be a given step for anyone to better pay attention to these laws, and take necessary action whenever necessary or called upon!