Reptile pet culture has a history of several decades in developed countries in Europe and America, but it is almost a new concept in China. Compared with keeping cats, dogs, fish, and birds, many people still cannot understand what reptile enthusiasts are interested in.
This July, Zhu Tong was exceptionally busy. On one hand, he was hosting the third officially recognized reptile culture festival in mainland China in Dalian, and on the other hand, he was crowdfunding to film a reptile documentary, "The Journey of China's Reptiles: Overseas Edition," in the United States in August. Although sharing reptile knowledge and spreading reptile culture is not Zhu Tong's main job, it has indeed become an important part of his life.
Of course, if you haven't yet "got into crawling," or if your understanding of crawlers is still limited to the "terrifying cold-blooded animals" stage, you naturally won't understand crawler enthusiasts like Zhu Tong.
According to reptile enthusiasts themselves, the professional market for reptiles in China is pitifully small, the cultural atmosphere is weak, and they are easily subjected to strange looks from the public, so they can only play with them secretly.
But are reptiles really as ugly, ferocious, and harmful to people as people say? This is probably a prejudice based on mainstream aesthetics and perceptions in the pet world.
"Reptiles actually have a lot of fun to them."
Reptile pets refer to a new trend of keeping reptiles as pets. Later, amphibians and arthropods also joined the ranks of reptile pets. These animals have hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history, and their physiological structure and living habits are vastly different from those of mammals. Therefore, reptiles are a very unique type of pet. Moreover, most reptile species suitable for keeping as pets are very docile and will not attack humans unless provoked.
Even if people understand this aspect, compared to keeping cats, dogs, fish, or birds, many still cannot understand what reptile enthusiasts are interested in.
"Actually, reptiles have a lot of fun to play with," Zhu Tong said.
Currently, among the extant amphibians and reptiles worldwide, there are over 4,000 common species in the suborder Squamata, over 3,000 in the suborder Serpentes, over 220 in the order Testudines, and over 20 in the order Crocodilians. Amphibians include over 3,500 species in the order Anura (frogs and toads), over 350 species in the order Caudata (salamanders), and over 160 species in the order Caecilians. Arthropods, including insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and myriapods, comprise approximately 1.2 million species. "Let alone raising them, even getting to know them all would be impossible even in a lifetime."
The abundance of species means that these reptiles also have highly unique appearances. Therefore, the primary appeal of reptile collecting is their aesthetic appeal. Some species and strains even possess significant collectible value.
Reptile enthusiasts who have been involved in the sport for years may become fascinated by breeding. Bearded dragons are affectionately called "little lions" by reptile lovers; they are both majestic and adorable, and the joy of playing with bearded dragons often lies in the pleasure of their breeding. When the bearded dragons you've helped mate lay eggs, and the baby bearded dragons hatch, it's just as heartwarming.
For players who specialize in breeding special gene-based reptiles, they also need to have a solid theoretical foundation and long-term practical experience in gene combination, genetic laws, and mutation probability.
Another type of enthusiast enjoys delving into the art of raising reptiles. As the saying goes, "Keeping them alive isn't difficult, but cultivating their essence is," Zhu Tong explains. To successfully raise reptiles, one must first understand their habits and ecological behaviors. Besides consulting existing materials, sometimes it's even necessary to personally investigate their natural habitats. Only by spending a sufficient amount of time in the wild can one discover those previously unknown secrets. The breeding process, "is a process of patience, perseverance, and cultivating one's character." If one is impatient for quick results, resorting to artificial heating to accelerate growth or using hormones, it will not only damage their appearance and health but also significantly shorten their lifespan and affect their reproductive capacity.
In short, reptile enthusiasts can pursue a wide range of interests and expertise, including becoming professional biologists, animal conservation pioneers, breeders, aquascapers, animal husbandry experts, or successful business owners.
Promoting conservation through pets
Although reptile enthusiasts find these exotic pets just as appealing as traditional pets, their exposure and awareness are currently very low. Ordinary people have no access to these reptiles, let alone develop an interest in them. The main reason for this is the limited openness of the commercial market.
"Many reptile enthusiasts believe that the biggest factor hindering the development of China's reptile market is legal constraints. The biggest complaint is that it is not possible to legally buy, sell, or raise artificially bred protected reptiles," Zhu Tong said.
However, he remains optimistic as the newly revised Wildlife Protection Law further clarifies the distinction between wild and artificially bred animals, and as online awareness of legal and animal knowledge gradually increases.
In Zhu Tong's view, the law is necessary and beneficial for the protection of wild animals and the ecological environment. However, in the scope of amphibian and reptile protection alone, a complete ban on keeping and trading pets is not the only effective solution during law enforcement. The fundamental solution lies in guiding people to distinguish between reptiles and wild animals, and how to properly acquire, raise, and protect them, thereby changing people's perceptions.
The main problem in my country's wildlife protection is the rampant over-harvesting, illegal hunting, and smuggling of wild animals (and their products). He also admitted that the reptile pet market is still a niche market, and it is understandable that legislation would struggle to accommodate the wishes of reptile enthusiasts in the face of such a major conflict.
In fact, many grassroots law enforcement officers have limited ability to identify species, making it difficult and costly to distinguish between species that truly need protection and reptile enthusiasts and wildlife traffickers. Therefore, currently, enforcement is based solely on species category and population size.
Experts involved in the revision of the new Wildlife Protection Law worry that opening up the reptile pet market in China would lead to massive capture of various amphibians and reptiles both domestically and internationally, accelerating the extinction of wild species. Zhu Tong emphasized that this is the first issue that reptile enthusiasts need to address in promoting the legalization of reptile pets.
"Currently, there is still a lack of a solution in China that can simultaneously protect animals and promote their petting. We hope to find a way to promote animal protection through proper public education and guidance, provide policymakers with feasible implementation plans, and make legal management more humane, refined, and reasonable."
In developed countries, due to detailed and clear laws, the artificial breeding industry for reptiles is well-developed, the culture of eating wild animals has faded, animal protection concepts have taken root in people's hearts, and the effect of players participating in protection in the reptile market is better, truly achieving a virtuous cycle of mutual promotion between wildlife protection and the development of the pet industry.
