What are some old trends from the hobby that you are happy to see totally phased out or on their way out? A couple that come to mind for me are the promotion of feeding human baby food to various gecko species and the idea that iguanas make great pets for most keepers. Is there anything that was previously widely accepted within the hobby that you’re glad is gone?
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Chameleons being seen as beginner/easy to take care of this sadly though is still a common chain pet site thing
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I can’t think of one thing in particular (aside from heat rocks lol) that I’m glad is gone but I do like the fact that modern herpetoculture is much more finely tuned to certain species/genera. Species that zoos couldn’t even keep alive, let alone breed, 30 years ago are now staples in collections and breeding projects. So I like the fact that care and attention to detail have become much more of a thing with the obscure species and having overwhelming success as a result. For all its faults, the internet has done some good in some areas of our lives lol.
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HOT ROCKS. No idea why pet stores insist on carrying them but a lot of them don’t anymore!
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How could I have forgotten 
Sadly they are still quite readily available, but thankfully heat rocks have lost their popularity for the most part.
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I wish thry would stop touting that beared dragons were a beginner lizard.
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Everything in this hobby was done by a begginer at some point. They really are not that difficult and with the availability of resources any begginer that wants to do it right can be successful. Their requirements are not difficult to attain, they don’t get to an unmanageable size like some tegus/monitors. My wife and I were very successful with our first pair but we did our due diligence. As long as the keeper is willing to do whats necessary they will be successful. One problem is selling reptiles to kids with parents who have no clue that i wish for to stop but that goes for anything hobby related. I wish heat rocks were long gone, lol.
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I agree on heat rocks they burned many animals. I still see some at pets stores and im like no.
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Doesn’t literally everyone say bearded dragons are great beginner reptile? also the main problem is that People think low care=no care.
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They are in the business to sell animals. 
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I agree that bearded dragons are not for beginners. Leopard geckos are for beginners, so are crested geckos, ball pythons, or corn snakes. All of those animals require small enclosures and low maintenance (except crested geckos, but they are very simple). Bearded dragons require essentially daily care, a very large enclosure (for a beginner species), and they need expensive lighting, heat, and food. I definitely think that a beginner could keep them if they were dedicated enough but I don’t think that makes them a beginners species. I think part of the reason they were/are considered a beginner species is that the females lay so many eggs that they are found for sale everywhere and they are cheap and “replaceable”.
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100% agreed with this. Ive had snakes years ago that were easy, but getting back into the hobby recently, i got a beardie as my first reptile. I considered myself a beginner, and only because i had a lot of help did it work put well. Beardies are definitely a time consuming and expensive pet.
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I can see why people would say that I respect the opinion!
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Just make sure you have all the proper equipment and supplies ahead of time. Also listen to the people here when they give you advice, nobody is gonna give you information or advice they haven’t used with success in the past. Good luck with you new reptile. Is this your 1st ever reptile or animal?
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First reptile, had a cat but it unfortunately passed away
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4x2 used to be the standard size enclosure for adult boas.
Many breeders are using larger enclosures.
Our standard is now 8x2.
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Live feeding with rodents no longer being the standard but the exception, for when it’s needed or the keeper has reasons to be doing it- otherwise there’s now a heavy trend to F/T, which is what I personally prefer for ethical an safety reasons, but which I know isn’t always possible.
I really like that we seem to be moving away from “Tank with a Water Dish” and into Enrichment, with even minimal setups meant for ease of care, like rack systems, now often including varying substrates, snug hides, things to stimulate interest or interaction, and so on. Paper towel tubes are a side product of human life but make great easy-disposal enrichment, for one example.
A general increase in interest of the well being and health of the animal. We’re not just sticking any thing into a 20 gallon and calling it good since it’s still alive. Keepers and breeders, racks, tubs, tanks and enclosures are ALL improving and innovating all the time to figure out how to keep animals healthier, give better breeding outcomes, and provide better lives.
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My Snowfall loves his paper towel rolls.
I think many factors have contributed to these positive changes in keepers. Change in attitudes about the animals in general, acess to a wealth of information on the species, seeing our animals as more than just a pet, but a beloved family member. Breeders have an incentive to breed healthy animals and to built our trust.
I can remember my days in the 70s and 80s as a young keeper, many pet stores were dingy hole in the wall establishments, they were dirty, smelly and had tons of flies and gnats buzzing. Many of the enclosures were over crowded and were often far removed from the environment that the animals came from.
Im glad that many positive changes have been made and that people are willing to go the extra mile to as closely replicate the animals environment as possible or at the very least offer enrichment.
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