‘A dirty business’: Should you really keep an exotic pet?

The number of pet reptiles in Britain is on the rise. But with reports of abandonments, escapes and failures in care, is owning an exotic pet really a good idea, asks James Moore

Pet snakes for sale in Bangkok (Getty)

Netflix’s smash-hit documentary Tiger King turned exotic animals – and the shocking lack of oversight when it comes to their keeping, care and breeding – into an international talking point. But for most people exotic pets aren’t giant, carnivorous mammals. They are smaller, scalier and cold rather than warm blooded.

Reptile keeping is booming as a hobby. Estimates of the number in UK homes vary wildly. When the RSPCA conducted a study a few years ago it admitted that “good data is generally lacking”, but said it believed there were in the region of 700,000 snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises in Britain’s homes, up from 400,000 in 2008. However, it noted that another report using a different methodology in the latter year came up with in excess of 7 million.

What the charity does say is that reptile-related calls are rising, and that is as good an indicator of growth as any.