Herpetoculture

Herpetoculture is the keeping of live reptiles and amphibians in captivity, whether as a hobby or as a commercial breeding operation. "Herps" is an informal term that refers to both reptiles and amphibians. It is undertaken by people of all ages and from all walks of life, including career herpetologists, professional reptile or amphibian breeders, and casual hobbyists. It is considered by many to be different from pet keeping in that few of its practitioners consider their animals as "pets"; most herpetoculturists do not give their animals names, and most do not bond in the same way as pet keepers bond with their cats and dogs. However, some amateur herpetoculturists do treat their animals as pets and interact with them accordingly.