Reptiles Now More Popular Than Dogs
Gen Wright
Reptiles like bearded dragons, snakes,and geckos are now such popular pets that they outnumber dogs, new research has discovered.
Who would have thought that would be the case in Britain, where we have always been believed to be as a nation of dog lovers. Seems like the dog has gone the way of fish and chips, which itself has been replaced by curry as our most popular dish.
Calculations by the British Federation of Herpetologists (BFH) suggests that there are now as many as 8,000,000 amphibians and reptiles being kept as pets in the UK. This compares to an estimated dog population of 6.5 million.
Chairman of the Federation, Chris Newman said: "There are now, without question, more pet reptiles than pet dogs in the UK. You only have to look at the way the market has grown. I have no doubt that there are now between seven and eight million reptiles living as pets in the UK?.
Reptiles' popularity as everyday pets has grown rapid rise in numbers. They have moved into mainstream form being niche.
Reptiles fit the hectic schedules of today?s modern life as they are more time friendly, and can also be easier to keep, than traditional cats and dogs.
The growth in reptile numbers is so rapid that within years they will surpass the country's nine million cats to become Britain's first choice pet.
Reptiles are comparably cheaper to buy and to keep. Most are kept in heated tanks for at least part of the day. They require less attention than other caged animals, as their waste is dry and solid.
The calculation of reptile numbers has been made from the volume of food suppliers to the market, based on elements like insects and mice. Since 2004 when the reptile populations was recorded as 5m, sales of crickets has doubled from 10 to 20m a week, Locusts had more than quadrupled to around a million a week.
The five most popular species are {leopard geckos, bearded dragons, corn snakes, royal pythons (ball pythons), and Hermann's tortoises| bearded dragons, corn snakes| leopard geckos| royal pythons (ball pythons), and Hermann's tortoises.
Other common species are the colubrid snake, veiled chameleon and crested gecko. Which is now the fifth most commonly bred lizard in captivity. The biggest snakes being kept as pets are thought to be Burmese pythons, which can grow up to 20ft in length, with the biggest lizards being water monitors, which can reach sizes of up to 7ft.
One of the most common reptiles is the bearded dragon, they are very sociable and are happy to sit and curl up on your lap to watch TV, then run off around the room for a bit of fun, many report that they blend in well with their existing more tradition animals also. Although it is an odd sight to see a dog, a cat a tortoise and a lizard all curled up together in front of the fire!
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