It’s believed that most of these newly acquired animals die from stress related to captivity. Animal rights activists are up in arms over it, while there is also no consensus among experts. But dogs ARE in captivity, many are loyal captives, but that doesn't change anything. Is it cruel to take them away from their natural environment? I think your reptile keeping experience is a little limited. Reptiles do actually need a bit of looking after ever day, but as long as you make sure they are fed and watered, they won’t care if you are not around. ... then keeping a dog or even a cat that requires human contact is cruel. Should we stop keeping pets? Do you think it's ethical to keep reptiles as pets? But as lizards have grown in popularity, so has the range, making it ever more challenging to select a suitable species of lizard as a pet. The issue of keeping exotic pets is a divisive one. “Captive environments just can’t … Keeping a snake for a pet is a way for one to learn more about them as a species, and also learn that there is a lot of care involved with keeping a snake as a pet. ... Keeping reptiles is addictive. Should People Be Allowed to Keep Exotic Animals as Pets? With reptiles, it is still a "wild west" era when there is much less empirical evidence as to what constitutes best practice. A study published by the U.K.’s Royal Society of Biology found that at least 75 percent of pet snakes, lizards, tortoises, and turtles die within one year in a human home. “Must-have pets” become inconvenient burdens very quickly. They … It's a hard question, but I feel like as long as we do the best we can with them, it's okay to keep them as pets. So, everyone with an interest in making it sound like a humane and somewhat easy proposition to keep captive reptiles becomes an "expert," frequently contemptuous of … In contrast, wild reptiles are able to move between microhabitats with differing microclimates to meet their needs — not only during the day, but from season to season as well. My answer — Only if you don’t care for them properly. Before you read the reasons you shouldn't get a tortoise or a turtle, I want to emphasize that I speak as someone who was convinced that he had the means and environment to keep such a wonderful pet. These tortoises are native to Central-Asia and are commonly kept as pets. My personal experience with tortoises is that the hibernation period can be a little tense, but they are … These species are typically docile to handle, easy to keep and easily found in most reptile … Pet stores routinely tell customers that all reptiles need is a cool area and a warm area to help them regulate their body temperature, and perhaps a mist of water to maintain humidity levels, says Cant. Is it inhumane to keep exotic animals as pets? A debate that’s been swirling in conservation and animal welfare circles was brought to the forefront recently, when a review paper and several responses called out some of the alarming realities of the exotic pet industry. Thread starter Tortus; ... but to release them would be cruel. Do you think they should stay in the wild? Reptiles shouldn't be kept as pets because three in four die within a year, according to a leading biologist. Also, people with allergies to dogs or cats won’t have the same issues with reptiles.