Question: What is training a reptile?

Answer: Training is not dog tricks. Training is really something we do everyday with our reptiles. It's the technique we use to feed them, the time or manner in which we visit them, and in the environment that is provided. There are some things that are considered acceptable for us to do with animals, but for some reason people feel that it is unacceptable to train other animals such as reptiles. Most people don't realize that training works hand in hand with husbandry.

Training animals started out as something practical like for hunting and survival. These reasons are no longer common or needed in our society; so why does it continue? Simple, to create a relationship between human and animal by developing safer practices among owner and other animals, changing undesireable behaviors, and even for entertainment.

Question: Isn't training unnatural for a reptile?

Answer: It is unnatural becuase captivity is unnatural. Training becomes necessary to maintain order, safety, assist in providing needed behaviors for captive health, and provide enrichment to a captive environment.

Question: So why do I train?

Answer: For all of the reasons mentioned. I want to show an intelligence, a relationship, and amazing character of reptiles. Training is just a small area of keeping reptiles that I have chosen to explore and show my discoveries here for others to enjoy and learn.

Training, taming, and tricks are all words that are misunderstood and misused when it comes to reptiles. Bottom line is that you cannot get a reptile to do anything it does not want to do. These words are an attempt to relate behaviors of something that is domesticated to something that is NOT and will NEVER be tame or domesticated. What I encourage is BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION comes in 2 parts:

1) most importantly on the part of the owner
2) on the part of the animal. If the part 1 is done properly, the second will follow naturally.

Which leaves us with the question of how? And that is the real trick.