Reptiles Canada Forum

One thing you’ll find out quickly if you stick around to read my blog is that I’m all about education. I believe as pet owners and hobbyists, we are responsible to provide for the needs of the animals we keep.
With that in mind, I want to introduce you to the wonderful world of the forum, if you’re not already familiar.
There are a few ways you can educate yourself about a new pet you’re considering bringing home. You can talk to the pet store staff or breeder, you can purchase books, or you can look up care sheets online. Personally I find the use of online forums to be the best education tool you can discover. Why? You can ask specific questions about specific problems that may not be covered in other static sources, and you can receive knowledgeable answers from a variety of people with real experience.
But this also brings up the main fault of a forum as well, as it demands you to take what you read with a grain of salt and think critically. Some people may answer your question, but not give you the correct answer, or may be speaking from a source they’ve read instead of actual experience. So the bottom line is, forums are fantastic, as long as you know how to take advantage of the resource.
Now, before you go running to the forums to ask the almighty experts about how to care for your corn snake, remember this! These are dedicated people volunteering their time to help you and the animal your caring for, and just about anyone will eventually get ticked off at answering the same basic question over and over and over again. So go to other sources first. Read up on a care book or a few internet care sheets and compare information across the sources: learn the basics. Then take your questions to the forum!
There are many reptile themed forums out there, including ones that target specific families or species. However, I strongly encourage Canadian herpers to become a member of Reptiles Canada. This will link you with other Canadians interested in the same thing as you, inform you of herp events going on, allow you to learn the national and local legislation, allow you to share photos and see what sort of animals other Canadians are keeping, and give you access to the best herp classifieds.
I definitely encourage any Canadian reptile lover to join! See you there!