Posts by Nigel

Reptile keeping in 2026 is in a slightly strange position. On one hand, it’s never been more popular – millions of people care for reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates with impressive levels of dedication. On the other hand, it sometimes feels like the hobby is under attack from all directions, like a bearded dragon surrounded by…

Humans have spent thousands of years staring suspiciously at reptiles and amphibians. Somewhere along the line, people decided that frogs cause warts, snakes chase people out of spite, and touching a toad is apparently the first step toward becoming a medieval swamp witch.

Reptiles have long been surrounded by misunderstanding, shaped by cultural portrayals, outdated husbandry practices, the occasional advice from “that guy on the internet”, and my mate Tom who once owned a gecko in 1993.

If you owned a tortoise in Britain in the 1980s, there was a fair chance it lived in the hallway, ate a suspicious amount of iceberg lettuce, and spent most of its life wandering purposefully towards the nearest skirting board.

Do Reptiles Recognise Their Owners?
Ah yes, the age-old question: does your reptile love you, or are you simply a warm, food-dispensing object with legs?

Reptiles are often marketed as low-maintenance, convenient pets—ideal for beginners or people with busy lifestyles.
“Easy pets,” they say.
“Just a tank and you’re sorted,” they say.
In reality? Not quite.

Five of the Best Royal Python Owner Stories (Featuring Drama, Disappearances, and Selective Eating)
Royal pythons, also known as ball pythons, have a reputation for being calm, gentle, and about as dramatic as a sleepy sock.
This is misleading.

In conjunction with NRKD, we will be publishing a series of articles focusing on educating any first-time keepers or anyone looking to start keeping reptiles.

This is one of those questions that sounds simple but opens a surprisingly large (and slightly judgmental) can of worms—or, more appropriately, a box of dubia roaches.

Keeping reptiles can be an incredibly rewarding experience. From the calm curiosity of a leopard gecko, the localised chaos of an anole colony to the striking beauty of a corn snake, reptiles make fascinating pets. However, many new reptile owners unintentionally make mistakes that can affect their pet’s health and wellbeing.