Reptiles are among the most welfare-compromised companion animals due to widespread misunderstanding of their environmental, nutritional, and behavioral needs.
Reptile welfare suffers from the assumption that they are simple, undemanding animals requiring only basic husbandry. In reality, reptiles have precise environmental requirements for temperature gradients, UV-B radiation, humidity, and substrate that are difficult to provide correctly in home enclosures. Without proper UV-B, they cannot synthesize Vitamin D3, leading to metabolic bone disease causing deformities and fractures. Thermal gradients are critical because reptiles are ectotherms that self-regulate body temperature behaviorally. Reptiles also have behavioral needs including exploratory activity, hiding, and for some species, social interaction.