A debate over reptile pets erupted in a series of articles published recently in the journal, Veterinary Record. In a linked editorial, UT’s Gordon Burghardt said issues of health, best practices for keeping captives, and preventing disease transmission to humans “are important for veterinarians to address.” But he believes reptiles and amphibians “are compatible with modern lifestyles.”
Others argue that such views on captive reptile health and welfare are “unsustainable” and say tougher measures are needed to mitigate the destructiveness of reptile trading and keeping.
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Burghardt is an Alumni Distinguished Service professor in both the departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Psychology.