HaileyJones

EnglishIV
Mrs.Battle
03/22/2016
Herpetology
ReptilesandAmphibians

Herpetophobiaisthefearofreptilesandamphibians,thisphobiahasbeenaroundfor
manyyears.Thefearitselfhasalottodowithwhymanypeoplebelievethatreptilesand
amphibiansshouldnotbecommonhouseholdpets.However,whatpeopledontunderstandisa
lotoftheseanimalsserveapurposeinpeopleslives.Theycanbeusedtohelptreatchildrenand
adultswithanxiety,andbykeepingcertainspeciesincaptivitycanpotentiallyhelpsavean
endangeredspecies.Manyofthereptilesandamphibiansthatareheldincaptivitywerebornin
captivity,orarebeingrehabilitatedandcannotbereleasedbackintothewildotherwisethey
mightnotbeabletosurviveontheirown.Certainreptilesandamphibianslivewheretherecould
potentiallybealotofpollutionandcanharmthemandtheirfamilies.Manyreptilesand
amphibiansliveinplaceswherethehumanraceistakingoverandeventuallytheywillrunoutof
placestolive,sobybreedingtheseanimalsintocaptivityaswellasthemlivinginthewildthe
populationwillbebroughtbackupalongwiththelongerlifespanincaptivityduetonothaving
anypredatorstocomeafterthem(NHSRecruitsSnakestoTreatDepression).Reptilesand
amphibiansserveanimportantroleasindicatorsofenvironmentalhealthandifraisedin
captivitycanmakegreatpetsandactuallysaveendangeredspecies.

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Salamandersandotheramphibiansplayalargeroleinenvironmentalhealth.Theylive
alongstreamsandwetlandsthatcouldbepollutedandharmfultotheseanimals.Saythatthereis
afarmnearbythathasbeenusingpesticidesandherbicidesthatarefilledwithchemicals,it
couldrainandrunoffintothestreams.Salamandersandmanyotheramphibianshavewhatis
calledsemipermeableskin,meaningthatwaterandchemicalsseepinandoutoftheirskin,
potentiallyharmingthem.Salamanderslaytheireggsalongthebanksofthestreamwherethere
isplentyofvegetationtoprotecttheeggsfromultravioletradiation(UV).UVradiationcan
affectthegrowthanddevelopmentofthesalamandereggsandcouldpossiblykillthem,soif
thereisnovegetationbecauseofchemicalsandotherpollution,thepopulationwillbe
dramaticallydecreased.Acidrainisanotherfactorthatcanaffectthepopulationofsalamanders
andotherreptilesandamphibianslivinginthewild.AcidrainlowersthepHofthewaterthat
theseamphibianslivein,meaningthereistoomuchacidinthewaterthatwillseepintotheir
semipermeableskinandharmthem.Additionally,accordingtoMelissaQuinn,abiology
teacher,theseanimalscanplayabigroleinenvironmentalhealth.Takebeardeddragonsfor
example,theyliveindesertareasthatarereallyhotandtherearenotmanypeople,sowhen
biologistsseetheminareaswithalotofpeopleandcoolerclimatestheyknowthatsomethingin
theareawherethebeardeddragonswerelivingiswrong.Allinall,thesereptilesandamphibians
helpbiologiststoseeinamoreclearaspectthatthingscanbegoingwrongintheanimals
habitats.(SalamandersSensitiveIndicatorsofEnvironmentalQuality)
Notonlycanreptilesandamphibiansbeindicatorsofenvironmentalhealth,buttheycan
alsoserveastherapypets,oreveninsomecasesbetraditionalpetstopeoplewhoareinterested
inalessfurryanimal.Reptilesandamphibianscanbeusedtohelptreatchildrenandadultswith

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anxietyanddepression.TakeDaltonRoundsforexample,afiveyearoldautisticboywhohas
problemswithtextures.Daltonhasalotoftroublecalmingdownanddoesnotlikethefeelof
manythingsinhishands.Daltondoesntknowhowtograsphisstrengthasincontrollinghis
motions,sobyallowingSherra,hisfiveandahalffootpythontoslitherthroughhishands,itis
helpinghimmakesenseoftheworldaroundhim.Daltonsmotherhadtoforcehimtoevenstick
hishandinwater.Mrs.Roundsstatesthathewillletherwraparoundhisneck,andhelldothat
untilhissensesarefull.HellbelikeImdone.Daltonsfamilyhastriedmanythingssuchas
rice,beans,shavingcream,frogs,andhamsters,butnoneofthemdidthetrickofhelpinghim
learntexturestomakeitthroughhisday.SherrahashelpedDaltongettowherehecantouch
slimythingslikeplaydoughhehascomeaverylongway.ToensurethatSherrafeelsthatsheis
inanaturalfeelinghabitat,sheisfedamediumsizedratonceortwiceamonth,andiskeptina
nicesizedcagewithamistingmachineandplantsthatmimicarainforest(Scherer).

https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/140715a.aspx

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Inthesameway,patientsatHuntercombeHospitalinRoehampton,a5footcornsnakeis
usedtohelpmajorityofthepeoplewithaddictionsandeatingdisorders.Snakesandother
reptilesarefantasticforhelpingpeoplerecoverfrommentalhealthproblems.Doctorsat
Huntercombesaythatthepeopleinthehospitalthatareinvolvedwithanimalassistedtherapy
havealreadyshownmajorimprovementsintheirconcentrationandmood.Atthehospitalthere
arepatientswhocantevengetoutofbedbecausetheyaresodepressed,butthesnakesmotivate
themandgivethemsomethingforwhichtolookforward..Thesnakesgivethemsomethingto
sharewiththeirfriendsandfamilythatcanbelookedatassomethingtheyhaveaccomplished
proudly.Thisprogramhasbeenespeciallybeneficialtomalepatientswhooftentimesdont
wanttolookafterafurryanimal.Thesnakesofferanunconditionalacceptance,theydonot
judgeanyone,andarenotcriticalofthosewhohavescarsfromselfharm.Thesepeoplefindthat
snakesandotherreptilesandamphibianshavehelpedthembetterthemselvesandactuallymake
themfeelhappy.(NHSrecruitssnakestotreatdepression).
Takingtheseanimalsoutoftheirnaturalhabitatscanleadtoamajordecreasein
populationduetoshorterlifespansbecauseofpeoplenotknowinghowtocareforthem.Take
intoconsiderationthattheseanimalscanbecomeverystressedandevenmalnourishedvery
easily.Itistruethatmanyanimalsaretakenfromtheirnaturalhabitatsandplacedinunfamiliar
areaswheretheymightnotbetakencareofandgetstressedandcouldpotentiallydiefromtoo
muchstress.Therearemanypeoplewhoownexoticanimalswhodontunderstandthecareand
timeandmoneythatittakestoowntheseanimals,andtheygiveuponthemandstopcaringfor
themthewaytheyneedtobecaredfor.Howeverwhatmostpeopledonttakeintoconsideration
isthatalotofthetimemostoftheseanimalsthathavebeenremovedfromtheirhabitatsare

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beingrehabilitatedorareindangerbecausepeoplearetakingovertheareasinwhichtheylive.If
youhaveanunderstandingofwhatittakestoproperlycarefortheseanimals,ninetimesoutof
tentheanimalwillbeplacedinabettersituationthantheywerebefore,aswellasbeingtakento
arehabilitationcenterorcaretakershome.Therearemanynegativefactorsofkeepinganimalsin
captivity,butalotofpeopledontrealizethatmosttimesitisfortheanimalswellbeingorthey
werebornintocaptivity.(Peta)
Inconclusion,eventhoughherpetophobiahasbeenaroundforsolong,manypeoplehave
startedtoopenupandgetcomfortablewiththeseanimals,alongwithgettingabetter
understandingofallthethingstheycanbegoodfor.Theseanimalsimpactsomanypeoples
lives,andsomanyotherthingssuchasenvironmentalhealth,treatinganxietyanddepression,
alongwithsavingendangeredspeciesbykeepingthemincaptivity.Ifmorepeopleknewabout
allthethingsthatreptilesandamphibianscandoforpeople,theymightunderstandwhere
herpetologistarecomingfromwhentheydescribethethingstheydo.Manypeoplearesoafraid
oftheseanimalsbuttheydontunderstandthatyoumustformabondwiththem,youhavetolet
themtrustyoubeforeyoucanjumpintohandlingthem.Mostofthetimetheanimalsthatare
usedtotreatanxietyanddepressionwerebornincaptivityandhavebeenhandledbypeople
sincebirthandthatshowtheybuildtrust.Takeintoconsiderationthesituationsthatmanyof
theseanimalsarebeingtakenfrom,beingmistreated,malnourished,andstressedoutfrombeing
keptincagesthataretoosmall.Oncetherightpersongetsaholdoftheseanimals,andshows
themloveandaffection,theywillbecomethemostkind,loving,andnonjudgementalcreatures
youwilleverknow.

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WorksCited
"CaringforReptiles."
Www.peta.org
.PETA,n.d.Web.03Mar.2016.
"NHSRecruitsSnakestoTreatDepression."
EveningStandard
.N.p.,12June2009.Web.15
Mar.2016.
<http://www.standard.co.uk/news/nhsrecruitssnakestotreatdepression6764438.html>.
Quinn,Melissa."MelissaQuinnandHerThoughts."Personalinterview.07Apr.2016.
"Salamanders."
Salamanders
.Smithsonian,n.d.Web.15Mar.2016.
<http://www.serc.si.edu/education/resources/watershed/stories/salamanders.aspx>.
Scherer,Ray."PetSnakeUnusualTherapyforAutisticBoy."
St.JosephNewsPress(MO)
30
Apr.2007:n.pag.
NewspaperSourcePlus[EBSCO]
.Web.08Mar.2016.