Responsible Reptile Keeping

03/10/2025

It shouldn’t matter whether your pet is considered exotic, but depending on where you live it could make a big difference. In some countries and provinces, exotic animals are banned. And, depending on which definition of ‘exotic’ is being used, it could mean that commonly kept pet species are considered illegal without good reason.

The word ‘exotic’ has been misappropriated by a tiny minority of radical campaigners who want to stop us keeping certain types of pet. Yet when we look at the reasoning behind these campaigns, it becomes clear they lack scientific logic. We think all pet animals should be appraised and judged equally and the same rules must be applied, regardless of whether an animal is considered exotic.

Thanks to Josh's Frogs for presenting this video.

01/10/2025

Responsible Reptile Keeping will be at the NARBC: North American Reptile Breeders Conference, Tinley Park, on the 11th and 12th of October.

From misinformation and media fearmongering to misguided legislation, reptile keeping is under threat.

RRK is an information and education resource, and we're here to cut through the noise and expose the lies. We are determined to set the record straight by broadcasting evidence-based data about reptile and exotic pet keeping.

Pop by our stand to learn more about what we do.

01/10/2025

It’s October's day. So show us yours!

Flying the flag for 🇬🇧 is Wayne Broomhall and Barry, his softshelled turtle. Barry is already quite a celebrity on TikTok, and he knows how to work the camera!

On the 1st of each month, we fill social media with reptile selfies to show the world how much our animals mean to us. We are pushing back against campaigners who want to prevent us from posting selfies with our animals.

📸 Get involved! Post a selfie with your animals on your page, tag RRK and add !

🎁 Each month, we’ll pick our favourite and the winner receives a cool mug, powered by Pangea Reptile. They'll also be the stars of next month’s video!

Join in for your chance to be the face of RRK's monthly !

30/09/2025

At Responsible Reptile Keeping, we are keen to support and promote those who also look after our community.

That's why we're creating a comprehensive worldwide list of herpetological clubs and societies, to connect like-minded people, wherever they may be.

Do you want your society featured?

Drop us a line with their details and we'll do the rest.
https://responsiblereptilekeeping.org/contact.

29/09/2025

Who really speaks for animals?

Extremist animal rights campaigners operate from a worrying ideology: that humans should not keep, breed, or utilise animals for any reason. For them, the aim is not welfare, but abolition. No zoos, no guide dogs, no captive breeding and no pets. In their eyes, even the most devoted and ethical animal keeping is wrong.

Yet these campaigners often have little or no real-world experience with the animals they seek to ‘protect’. Their knowledge is shaped by rhetoric, slogans and theory. They’re experts in protests, media manipulation and emotionally disingenuous campaigning – not animal care, veterinary expertise, ethology, or conservation.

Compare their inexperience and ignorance to the knowledge and experience of animal-keeping specialists, and the source of the most useful expertise should be obvious.

Yet, in legislative hearings, media reports and public debates, it is often the activists, not the specialists, who get the final say. The imbalance is not just frustrating. It’s dangerous.

When policy is driven by emotion rather than evidence, animals end up losing.

Join the fight for data-driven policy making. Become an RRK member today.
https://responsiblereptilekeeping.org/memberships

27/09/2025

Specialist reptile vet Tariq Abou-Zahr discusses the growing problem of reptile obesity, how it might occur and what you can do to tackle it.

For more information and advice about reptile obesity, check out our full-length podcast with Tariq: https://fb.watch/l9nmdrnJe7/.

25/09/2025

Why do people keep reptiles?

Dave Hayden explains why he chose to keep reptiles instead of a more traditional pet, and you might be surprised at his reasons.

22/09/2025

The salmonella risks are REAL... in red onions.

Let's look at the numbers.

16 - the number of confirmed cases of reptile/feeder rodent-related Salmonella in British Columbia, Canada, in the QUARTER CENTURY between 2000 and 2025.

121 - the number of Salmonella cases from red onions, in ONE YEAR (2020).

Extremist campaigners use exaggeration and scare tactics to push for reptile-keeping bans. Using out-of-context Salmonella data is just one of their underhanded methods.

Share this post to let as many people as possible know the truth.

🦠 Salmonella: Food vs Reptiles — What’s the Bigger Risk in BC? 🥬🐍

Don’t let misleading campaigns manipulate your families with fear. Bans and restrictions on pets should never be based on exaggerated or falsified claims. The truth is clear: reptiles are not driving Salmonella illness in our communities, foodborne sources are.

When people think of Salmonella, reptiles often get the blame. But let’s look at the real numbers from British Columbia.

👉 Reptile & Feeder Rodent Cases (since 2000):
2017–2020 (snakes & feeder rodents): 5 cases in BC
2018–2019 (feeder mice): 5 cases in BC
2022–2024 (snakes & feeder rodents): 3 cases in BC
2020–2024 (geckos, two outbreaks): 3 cases in BC

That’s about 16 confirmed cases over nearly 25 years.

👉 Food & Agriculture Cases:

In 2020 alone, BC had 121 cases of Salmonella from contaminated red onions.
Every year, BC reports hundreds of Salmonella infections from food sources like produce, poultry, eggs, and meat.
Over the past two decades, that adds up to well over 10,000 cases from food and agriculture, compared to just 16 cases from reptiles and their feed.

✅ The takeaway:
Reptiles can carry Salmonella, but they are a miniscule fraction of the problem in BC. The real driver of Salmonella illness is contaminated food and poor hygiene habits.

Wash your hands after handling pets, but don’t forget the bigger picture: food safety matters far more for protecting your family from Salmonella than avoiding pet reptiles.

20/09/2025

Have you ever considered the impact we can make when we come together as a community?
That's exactly what we're doing at Responsible Reptile Keeping.

We're dedicated to promoting and protecting responsible reptile ownership. But we can't do it alone! And that's where you come in.

By becoming an RRK member, you will help protect responsible reptile keepers around the world and ensure our future generations can enjoy reptile keeping and herpetology.

Help us put a stop to anti-reptile-keeping propaganda and unfair laws by joining us as a member.
https://responsiblereptilekeeping.org/memberships

Together, we can make a difference.

19/09/2025

In the USA it’s estimated around six million households have reptile pets, while in the UK there are around 8.8 million reptiles being kept.

So what is it about reptiles that makes them so popular? And do they enjoy being kept as pets?

12/09/2025