Sector of disappointed expectations

Compared with other pet categories, knowledge regarding the market significance of terrarium keeping remains very limited. No official figures exist either for the number of pets owned or relating to the sales trend in the food and accessory segments. What is significant is that, in the latest market data published by the European pet industry federation Fediaf, the population of terrarium pets was not even recorded.Is the terrarium market really so inconsequential? It is striking that over the last few years, lizards, turtles and even snakes have become a permanent feature of the range in many pet stores. In the USA as well as Central and Latin America, keeping terrarium pets has always been popular and is becoming increasingly professional. Even in Europe, the desire to keep terrarium pets in one's own home has evidently grown. Youngsters in particular are attracted to these undoubtedly fascinating creatures. Keeping a lizard, a spider or a snake is regarded as "cool" by many young people, at least for a while.Number of products growingIt has never been so simple to become a terrarium enthusiast. 20 or 30 years ago, hobbyists had to make the necessary accessory products themselves or seek out any possible sources; now a vast range of high-quality products awaits them. The two market-leading companies Zoo Med and Hagen produce a full range of items that enable pet owners to satisfy virtually every need. The companies Tetra, Sera and JBL from the aquatics sector present a steady stream of innovations to the market that enrich the terrarium market considerably on the whole. It is also clear from the growing number of products that terrarium research in the R&D departments of the companies has made noticeable progress.The ambitious expectations of many sector experts that terrarium keeping could perhaps attain or even surpass the market significance of aquatics in a few years have by no means been fulfilled, however. Terrarium pets are still a long way from evolving into pets that span generations, even though it is far easier to keep them nowadays than it is to maintain an aquarium, thanks to modern technology. The argument often put forward that terrarium creatures make perfect pets for those stressed by modern living, because they don't take up a lot of time, has not led to a marked increase in the number of terrarium keepers.Because terrarium pets continue to be kept primarily by specialists and enthusiasts, the pet supplies trade still struggles…