{"id":329653,"date":"2021-08-24T17:10:01","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T14:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/dispelling-the-myths-about-reptiles-as-pets\/"},"modified":"2021-08-24T17:10:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T14:10:01","slug":"dispelling-the-myths-about-reptiles-as-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dispelling-the-myths-about-reptiles-as-pets\/","title":{"rendered":"#Dispelling the myths about reptiles as pets"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Dispelling the myths about reptiles as pets<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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\"Lizards,
\n Leopard geckos make fun and entertaining pets. Credit: Shutterstock
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Reptiles are all the rage. Mochi the bearded dragon is a viral sensation, with over 1.8 million views on YouTube<\/a>. Meanwhile, Chris Pratt is singing to his bearded dragon while walking it on a leash<\/a>, and he is just one of many other celebrities<\/a> with pet reptiles. It is obvious that having reptiles as pets has gained popularity in recent years.<\/p>\n


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But there is a growing number of people opposed to owning these animals as pets<\/a>. Their concerns range from reptiles posing a serious danger to public health to beliefs about reptiles being too cold to love. Why do reptiles get a bad rap?<\/p>\n

Reptile-borne diseases<\/b><\/p>\n

Critics of reptile pet ownership often state that reptiles are riddled with diseases<\/a>, and while it is true that reptiles do harbor disease, the risk is often far lower than people realize. This fear may be due to outbreaks of salmonella in people that occurred nearly half a century ago: In the 1970s, turtles suddenly became a popular pet, and reptile-borne salmonella incidences increased, representing about 11 percent of all human cases<\/a>. <\/p>\n

In North America, people are more likely to acquire salmonella from consuming animal products. Education campaigns and legislation in the 1990s led to a significant reduction in reptile-borne salmonella, decreasing it to just six percent of cases<\/a>. <\/p>\n

However, close study of reptile-caused illnesses in humans has only examined trends up to the early 2000s, so public health data may be subject to change as reptiles increase in popularity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, although diseases are highlighted as a reason to avoid pet reptiles, pet mammals like dogs and cats have been repeatedly linked to a variety of health problems, such as rabies<\/a> and asthma<\/a>. Yet these dangers are deemed acceptable by society, despite the public health risks (rabies is incurable and fatal<\/a>).<\/p>\n


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