New directions in reptile keeping

Until relatively recently, the pet supplies trade focused primarily on snakes, tarantulas and bearded dragons when it came to reptile keeping. Other more exotic species were bought and sold primarily at reptile fairs. A few years ago, a trend then emerged - prompted not least by major manufacturers - towards so-called nano-terrariums and the keeping of land invertebrates. In many countries, especially in Europe, this field has so far proved an attractive and economical option for getting involved in keeping reptiles and amphibians.The rise of land invertebrates and the corresponding accessories produced by the industry have helped in large part to draw the attention of consumers to the terrarium segment as a whole and to crank up sales and development. Europe has become a key element in the terrarium sector, with over a billion reptiles and amphibians being kept in around 8 mio households. Germany and Austria alone account for 30 per cent of the European market, according to experts.Here are three examples of booming markets:1. USAAlmost 12 mio live reptiles have been exported from the United States, while only 900 000 live reptiles have been imported. As reptile businesses have grown, so too has reptile ownership. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) reports that from 1994 onwards, the number of US households that own a reptile rose from 2.8 mio to almost 5 mio households, owning 13.6 mio pet reptiles. Reptile owners are spread throughout the United States without a concentration in any one area of the country.The strong position of reptile keeping in the USA is surely related to the fact that two of the foremost suppliers of terrarium products come from North America: Rolf C. Hagen with its house brand "Exo Terra" and the terrarium specialist Zoo Med. Gary Bagnall's company introduced the first American reptile vitamin back in 1982. Today the company holds almost 20 patents for reptile and aquatic products in the USA and internationally, with more pending. Zoo Med's greatest accomplishment has been the invention in 1993 of UVB lighting for reptiles, which has become the standard the world over for zoos, veterinarians and reptile hobbyists.2. ChinaA visit to the China International Pet Show in November 2012 made it crystal clear that reptile keeping is on the rise in China. Sector experts in China even report that reptiles are now among the most popular pets of choice for the Chinese, especially kids, who consider old-fashioned dogs and cats…