Our answer may seem a little weird to you considering our business is based around reptile pet owners, but I’ll explain. 

Maybe you shouldn’t get one at all. 

HerpCare.org is a bit different from other reptile suppliers. Our mission is to promote responsible pet ownership, NOT sell as much as we possibly can like virtually every pet store, online reptile retailer, or other reptile pet supplier. 

To understand why this is such a big deal, I’d like to introduce a line of reasoning from the partner of famed investor Warren Buffit, Charlie Munger. 

“If you have a dumb incentive system, you get dumb outcomes”

In this case, pet stores, both online and brick and mortar, care about one thing: their bottom-line. They are incentivized to persuade you to buy the most expensive pet that will generate the most amount of money in sales. 

So if that’s the incentive system, what’s the outcome? 70% of pet reptiles die in their first year at home. Pet stores oversell animals and undersell the difficulty of providing these animals proper care as to not scare you off. After all, if you come back next year and buy another animal, they just made more money. 

How are we different? Our mission is to promote the well being of reptiles both in the wild and in captivity. We intentionally do not sell any reptile pets. Our site is instead designed to provide free high quality care information and simplify the proper care of reptiles with our food subscription offering. We work closely with organizations like the Center for Snake Conservation to help contribute toward their mission.

As you can clearly see, our incentives are quite a bit different from others in the reptile space, hence the answer, maybe you shouldn’t buy a pet reptile. Let me explain why:

Myth #1: Reptiles are easy to care for.

Fact #1: Reptiles can be just as difficult to care for as a pet dog or cat, and in some cases even more difficult. This is magnified by the fact that reptiles are not cuddly like cats and dogs. It can be all too easy to neglect your reptile if you are not prepared to provide consistent attention without reminders. 

Myth #2: Reptiles are disposable.

Fact #2: Pet stores make these animals seem completely replaceable, which is simply not the case. They are living things and should you choose to bring one home as a pet, you are responsible for their well-being. 

Myth #3: Reptiles are cheap

Fact #3: While some reptiles are fairly inexpensive to get set-up and care for, that is not that case with all reptiles. Some require large enclosures and expensive diets. The idea that having a reptile as a pet is cheap is entirely inaccurate.  

Myth #4: My kid can take care of their reptile themselves

Fact #4: While some responsible older children can comfortably care for a reptile themselves, you cannot expect your child to be completely responsible for their new pet. If you are unable or unwilling to help in the care of a reptile, do not get one. 

Myth #5: Reptiles don’t live very long naturally

Fact #5: This couldn’t be further from the truth. Some reptiles have been known to live to 50 years of age. Your decision to take one home as a pet needs to be based in the reality that you’ll have that reptile for a very long time. If you are not prepared for that, then do not get one. 

Still want a pet reptile? Here’s how to pick the right one:

Establish the level of care effort you’d be comfortable with. Ask yourself the following questions:

What do your prior obligations look like? Do you work long hours or travel a lot? Historically, have you had and enjoyed having other types of pets? Who will be responsible for the day to day care of your reptile? Can you handle the complexities of caring for a fickle animal? 

Generally speaking, snakes require less care than their legged counter-parts. Most lizards require frequent feeding and more complex enclosure setups. Go through our Care Guides and familiarize yourself with the level of care required for each animal. If it seems like it would be too much “work”, it will be. 

Establish your budget: What is your set-up budget? What about your budget for ongoing food costs? How well can you handle an expensive vet bill should one come up? 

Examples:

Generally speaking, snakes again tend to be cheaper than other reptile pet options. When considering your budget, analyze the costs of a complete enclosure set up as well as ongoing costs such as food, vet care, and disposable things like substrate. 

General Advice:

For those new to reptiles who really have their heart set on taking one as a pet, a great place to start can be a corn snake. The species is relatively simple to care for and can be a very economical option. 

Bottom Line:

If you were expecting an article to tell you exactly what pet to get, I’m sorry I wasn’t of more help. The truth is, without understanding your circumstances I simply cannot recommend a certain species for you. What I encourage you to do is to familiarize yourself with reptile care (both on our site as well as other resources). Armed with this knowledge you can decide if you would still like to get a reptile and if so, which one would best suit your situation. Take this process one step at a time. Do not rush. This is a big decision and you should treat it as such.