The verb "rant" means to "speak or shout at length in a wild, impassioned way". That's a bit of an overstatement for this page, but this is intended to be a place for us to state our opinions on a variety of subjects relating to herpetoculture. We have earned the right to publicly state our opinions by virtue of the fact that we've been involved in the care and thoughtful study of reptiles and amphibians for a long time. We don't expect everyone to agree with our views about everything we state here. Nothing written here is intended to be an attack against specific people, unless stated as such. If you choose to read any of the "rants" contained in this page, at least respectfully consider our opinions.
The "Anti-Venomoid" Issue
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
PetCo and PetSmart
Note: This is a rant against these two organizations and not a rant against their employees. We've got customers who are employees of both stores, and we've gotten many referrals from them as well. In our experience, many of those employees are thoughtful, conscientious people who do the best they can while working for these big chain stores.
Not All Reptiles Make Good Pets
Salmonella
Inset: Tim with "Chiquita" our reticulated gila monster.
Background: This is an adolescent female woma.
Copyright © 2006 by Tim Criswell. All rights reserved for all photos and text.