Unfortunately, buying a terrarium animal is no longer a problem today. Why unfortunately? The answer is obvious. The fact that they can easily acquire amphibians, reptiles, birds and small mammals via the Internet, stock exchanges, pet shops or elsewhere, leads to the fact that almost anyone can buy such animals. Thus, even persons without previous experience, without any information or at least without the basic biological and zoological consciousness, can acquire such animals. Keep in mind, for example, that the attitude of reptiles is very demanding, and this applies to turtles, chameleons … even to large snakes or lizards. Like many popular turtles, whether tortoises or turtles (and not only these) are known because they are cute and quiet and are very often recommended as “gifts for children”, they are bought, although often not even the parents know how high the requirements of such animals are and thus the suffering of the animals takes its course. The basic thing every breeder should recognize and understand is that the captive attitude did not choose the animals voluntarily. Therefore it is necessary to act accordingly and to create as optimal and natural living conditions as possible. In our area, we often meet tragic fates of captive-bred reptiles. Every day we see what bad information, too little knowledge before buying and because of the bad attitude of these animals are accompanied by devastating consequences. We see animals that are in such a bad condition that there is no salvation and all help comes too late. If it succeeds in saving the life of an animal, then it is often affected by lasting consequences and would no longer be able to survive in the wild. It is a cruel punishment for any animal, just because of the irresponsibility of the breeder, do not you think?
With the basal ignorance and the resulting lack of willingness to inform interested parties for the animal, we meet first and foremost – then even with some sellers. Some of them are only about business, that animal welfare is secondary there. Every future owner / breeder has a duty to inform himself before buying, by reading on the Internet or the appropriate literature, the purchase of an animal must be well planned, a living being is not just spontaneous, just on a whim. Every responsible person plans the purchase and prepares everything so that it is optimally adapted for the animal. If everything fits, you can bring your favorite animal home. A lack of information through books, etc. would be just excuses, there is a variety of good literature and even on the Internet there are many ways to read and see. Bad breeders, who only want to sell and pass on no or bad information, should be avoided and not be bought there, even if offers seem very cheap. Hands off ! Our working group, gladly advises you and can also give you good, recommended sources of information. When thinking about bringing a new family member into the house, remember they depend on us and any behavior from the owner, good or bad, will end up bearing the animal. There is this wisdom that you should always take to heart:
“You are responsible, forever, for what you have bound to you” (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry).
