Why do you keep herps?

[gfisher2002]

Some for joy some for money, some for enviromental reasons. I'm just curious What everyone's motivations for Herp keeping are. I keep them Because I love watching them and enjoy creating as real of an environment as possible for them. I enjoy recreating places around the world into an enclosure and watching a happy herp lounge around in it.

[Invictus]

I have been obssessed with reptiles since I was very young. It has always been a life long dream of mine to completely surround myself with them, and raise as many of them as I possibly can.

[snakegal12345]

for the joy of keeping them and to satisfy my love for herps

[burmer]

I've alwlays been interested in reptiles and can't remember a time when I haven't kept them. I haven't done too much with breeding in the past but that may change. I just keep them for the joy of keeping them.

[Jeff Hathaway]

We keep them (at least in the numbers we do) for use in educating the public about them. More education = more conservation! If not for our programs, I think we'd have a small number just for the personal satisfaction element, probably corn snakes since they're so great!

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[Lisa]

yay corn snakes!

[Linds]

I could only pick one, so I chose other, but I would've chocsen:

"To satisfy my love of reptiles and the challenge of keeping them"
"For the challenge of Breeding them"
"For the pure joy of their company"

and also for a few other reasons such as the fact they are so beautiful, interesting, misunderstood, they don't talk back, and they are honest - you get what you see and you get what you give.

[snakebeginner]

I love any kind of snakes period.

[Lrptls]

i keep herps for alot of reasons but mainly because they are my favorite animals. some of my herps i saved from bad homes. some i got because i was amazed by their looks. and a few other reasons for the others i have. but they are all just like any other pets to me, more like my children. i spend alot of money on them but i dont breed so i get no money back. but money doesn't matter, they give me enjoyment and...1 or 2 of them might ocasionaly show me love. i expect nothing from them and give them every thing =)

[~Suntiger~]

It's a combination of the joy of their company, and for the challenge of keeping them/my love of reptiles.

[PaulBar]

Most reptile afficiando's have liked reptiles since they were young kids. Just like me. I have a picture of myself as a seven year old holding a bullfrog with a Blandings Turtle next to me (I had found them) when my parents rented a cottage near Bon Echo provincial park in 1968. You either like Reptiles or you don't. Its a born with trait. I keep them now because I admire their beauty and I enjoy the challenge of breeding them to see what I can produce. Making money would be nice too, but it is hard because you spend so much feeding them properly and housing them. Its not cheap. Its also easier to buy reptiles than to sell them.

Paul

[sapphire_moon]

I put for the pure joy of owning them.
I could sit and watch them cruise around forever.

Also for the challenge of keeping them.
I know that the snakes I have are considered "begginers" (though I'm not to sure on the hognose one because of the topic of "is it venomous, or toxic saliva, or what").
But it is fun to learn everything you can.
I always make sure to learn the basics before getting the animal.
like temps, humidity, average size when grown, size of enclosure needed, diet, and ease of care....

Then (I usually get one after that) I learn more about natural history, species count (if they are abundant in the wild or not, not sure what it is called) and temperment

I personally don't care whether or not it is a nippy snake, as I don't handle mine unless necessary. But I want to make sure it is something that won't be able to take me down!

I hope to get an ATB one day.......certainly no more herps for a while!!!!!! (But are looking into another dog, we have no space in our room. enough room to get to the cages, get to the bed, and get to the closet. lol)

[drako]

I just love any kind of reptile, there all beautiful.

[herpcrazy]

I simply love them because no matter how much you watch them theres always something new to see

[chas*e]

I wonder why no one said they keep reptiles for the skin trade....lol

[gfisher2002]

Ever try to skin an angry Chameleon? Doesn't go over well. Think an Adult Cham can't bite, you've never been bit by one then. It hurts like hell!!

[asphyxia]

I keep Snakes for the Skin Trade and the odd meal

[lizardmom]

I love my herps, my lizards, my snakes-my babies, my family-
Most of my life 40 some years i had a maternal fear-my mother passed the fear on to me-I promised myself that i would not pass that on to my kids.-a fear of snakes- that is.
It was my 9 year old daughter that got me over my fear.We got her a northern pine at the show, and well we now have over 24 different snakes as well as numerous lizards-chams , scorps, beardies,skinks-I got a ball python for christmas this year from my hubby.
I show my snakes as pets, and love them like my extended family.
lizardmom

[HerpHannah]

My Love of reptiles of course!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!
i lub ,lub lub dem
xxxxxxx
HerpHannah
0.1Jungle Leo Gecko
0.1Rabbit (blak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

[Randolph]

It's not like i'm brand new to herping, i've had a turtle for the past 13 years, but i'm certainly new to snakes. Just last year i picked up my first, a baby male boa. I was really prepared for the worst but he turned out to be a little sweetheart and has yet to give me a prbolem with temperment or feeding. My second snake again i was expecting the worst when it came to feeding, since it was a ball python. Luckily the only challenge i have with her is, she will only eat live prey as of now... Then just recently i picked up my third snake, another boa. This time a female and if you can put two and two together, yes she will be bred with the male, but not for a few years still. Anyways she has turned out to be the most ill-tempered boa i have ever seen. She will be my biggest test yet. But that's what i love about it. I mean it's worked out perfectly, as a starter i had the perfect snake with now problems and now that i'm gaining experience i'm faced with more problems. Anyways to end this now, i love all my herps and the challenges they present me with. Thanks.