The Problem with Calling Our Pet Reptiles a “Collection”

Written by Mariah Healey, ReptiFiles.com

Many reptile keepers refer to their pets as a “collection”. Where multiple reptiles are involved, this is technically an appropriate use of the word — after all, Merriam-Webster defines a collection as “an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby.” However, just because the term is technically correct doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s appropriate. In fact, it can be argued that this word can be very harmful, and should not be used in our hobby.

What is a collection?

Denotation, or the literal definition of a word, is important, but so is connotation, which is the meaning commonly associated with a word. So take a moment to think: what do you immediately think of when you hear the word “collection”? Personally, I think of a hobby that involves accumulating inanimate objects, like stamps or coins or dolls. When someone asks me if I collect anything, I don’t reply, “reptiles” — I’m more likely to mention my penchant for accumulating graphic novels. Most of the people reading this article are likely to react similarly.  Our reptiles are our pets. We’re more than just emotionally attached to them; we love them, often like members of the family.

And yet.

What other pet owners refer to their animals as a “collection”? People with three dogs or five cats certainly don’t call them a collection. Chicken owners often refer to their animals as a “flock”. People with multiple horses might use the word “herd”. Where multiple species are concerned, I’ve heard them described as a “farm” or simply members of the “family”.

So why do reptile people tend to talk about their “collections”?

First, it very well could stem from reptile keeping’s roots in the exotic animal “menageries” which were popular in the 1800s. Second, to be honest, we do tend to take a bit of a collecting mentality into our hobby. We like to collect morphs or members of the same genus, or maybe diversity is the name of the game. And it’s a perfectly natural behavior, in a sense. After all, the human animal has an instinctive tendency toward collecting things. We like to accumulate the things that bring us joy, and surround ourselves with them. Books, plants, old coins, swords, art, video games, movies, music, cars, anime figures, sports memorabilia, model horses, decorative plates…it’s part of our self-expression and how we shape our environment to best suit our preference. It’s one of the delightful things about stepping into another person’s home and getting an immediate deeper understanding of their personality. This cultivation extends, in a sense, to our friend groups, and also applies to our pets. This instinct in itself is not bad. Like all instincts, it’s only when left to run unchecked that problems develop.

One problem is that, even if we don’t think of our pets that way, referring to them as a “collection” immediately reduces them to the status of inanimate objects, robbing them of sentience and even of pet status. They become things, not companions. It’s easy to justify slimming down the maintenance routine or using inadequate housing because you’ve just got to add [species/morph] to your reptile room. It’s harder to do the same when you consider the animals you already have to be sentient life partners.

What is hoarding?

Hoarding is the collecting instinct’s dark side. According to Cleveland Clinic, “Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition in which a person feels a strong need to save a large number of items…and experiences significant distress when attempting to get rid of the items. The hoarding impairs their daily life… Sometimes, people with hoarding disorder accumulate a large number of animals, which are often not properly cared for.”

For reptile owners, hoarding rarely (if ever) starts with the desire to accumulate as many reptiles as possible and then start neglecting them. Instead, it can start with a fascination with reptiles and simply wanting more of them to feed that fascination with nature. It can start with a desire to provide sanctuary to unwanted animals that need new homes. It can even happen without accumulating more animals – I would argue that hoarding can start simply with holding on to animals that you can no longer care for properly.

In other words, the situation is a collection which has spiraled out of control. Perhaps not to the degree where the home or reptile room looks like the “hoarder houses” you’ve seen online and on TV, but the fact remains that things are out of control and animal welfare is in serious doubt. At this point, the reptiles are more of a burden on their human than they are a benefit.

What makes a pet owner?

We are pet owners, not collectors, and there needs to be a little more pride in that fact if we are to safeguard ourselves against the animal welfare problems that a collecting mentality can create. Here’s how you can remind yourself that your reptiles are chosen companions in life, not just another species or morph to add to your social media feed:

• Take on only what animals you have the space and budget to house and feed appropriately, as well as the time to maintain good hygiene and otherwise tend to their care.
• Avoid the word “collection” as much as possible. Refer to them as your “animals,” your “pets,” or even your “family”. Remember that these are living beings that you brought into your home with the intent to nurture. This is very different from stashing another set of stamps in a binder.
• Take the time to enjoy them. If they’re just taking up space in your home, you’ve lost that connection. Sit and watch them. Work on handling. Reconnect. Remember what made you fall in love in the first place.
• Give them names and focusing on each animal as an individual, rather than reducing them to species or numbers.
• Invest and reinvest. Give them a generous amount of space and the best housing you can manage. Often, if you start to feel that spark of excitement start to die, it can help to reinvest by adding something to enhance the enclosure’s functionality or simply rearrange.

Conclusion

Pets are meant to be enjoyed, so enjoy them! Enjoying your animals doesn’t make you any less “legitimate” of a reptile owner, and this kind of pretentious “menagerie” attitude doesn’t belong in the modern reptile hobby. In fact, the progress of our industry toward better welfare may very well depend on it.

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