Last updated 31 May 2021: removed dead links and updated RSPCA Section.
The following page is a list of some issues that have cropped up in the past two or three years, since I've been reading the herpetocultural press and talking to people, both keepers and traders. Some are simply my own thoughts, but which explore an area in which I would welcome feedback. Some of these issues are contentious, some less so. Some call for fairly immediate action - especially the iguana problem - others need long-term provision, notably breeding.
The Plight of the Green Iguana and some suggestions as to how to deal with it.
The Pitfalls of Large Collections and how to avoid them.
Downsizing - what to do when things go wrong, and suggestions for the worst case scenario of having to lose some of your animals.
Why we should value our native species more, and some suggestions for study.
Breeding - some urgent programs required.
Is it possible to make money from reptiles?
A Bad Case of Bad Publicity - why herpetology needs to put its own house in order, and how it can do so.
Ignorant and Ill-Conceived Ordinances - a spotlight on bad or bizarre laws or legislative proposals relating to reptiles, amphibians and animals in general.
Some thoughts on Australia's Wildlife and Wildlife Laws - updated November 2005, with a reply from a courteous Australian reader.
Some thoughts and comments on the Panorama documentary "Animal Underworld" of 25 February 2001.
In the early years of the 21st century there was some considerable mistrust between animal keepers and the RSPCA. Some years have passed since the articles below were written, which are therefore here for historical veracity.
The RSPCA's letter to Local Authorities calling for the elimination of animal sales from pet shops
The RSPCA's letter to Local Authorities pushing their flawed report, "Morbidity and Mortality".
The RSPCA and Reptile Shows - a problem for British herpetologists.
We hate to keep hammering the RSPCA, who do sometimes do good work, but they do themselves no favours with venomous snake hysteria.
A reply to Clifford Warwick's emotive and misleading article in the March 2001 issue of BBC Wildlife magazine.
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