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Before commencing this article, I believe it is necessary to decide what defines "the best pet". Some would argue it is a pet which is fun, or easy to keep, or both. Others would say an animal that can protect you. Personally, I say an animal that can open your eyes to a world you do not yet fully understand.

Reptiles specifically, in my opinion, should never be adopted as pets as purely a source of entertainment, simply because they are not animals which have not yet been bred to full domestication, yet more so because of the part they play in the world.

In this modern age, we are slowly beginning to realise that a lot of our actions up to this point have been destroying the world in which we live. The urgency to take action against current global disasters, such as climate change, is becoming more and more apparent. So what does all this have to do with pets, and indeed, reptiles?

Reptiles have been long renowned for their incredible adaptability in this world, they were one of the earliest and longest lasting dominant groups of animals known to man, the dinosaurs, who, even after the incredible disaster that caused their extinction, still have close relatives thriving today (for example, the crocodile). They also show signs of adapting to our modern way of life, and, perhaps one day, outliving even us.

The amount to be gained from the greater understanding of reptiles is staggering, including the antibacterial power that exists in the physiology of the crocodile, which lies in stagnant water teeming with bacteria all day, or the indisposition of the cells of the leatherback to turtle to mutation, possibly one day leading to a cure for cancer.

My suggestion, however, is not that we adopt the crocodile or the leatherback turtle (endangered), but rather that we recognise the role that reptiles play in our world, and could play in our future. In acknowledging the role they play, we must also surely fight to preserve this niche.

Therefore, I say do NOT choose a reptile, or any pet for that matter, purely for the purposes of entertainment. Choose a reptile which you feel you do not yet fully understand, or could give you an insight into the natural world, but of course, within reason. I suggest adopting indigenous, non-threatened reptiles. This will show you the nature of the wildlife that exists around you, and we all know that pets escape from time to time, therefore exotics can only disrupt the ecology.

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