What do you class yourself as then.. eh?

[Dan]

I am a herpetologist (feels like i'm at an AA meeting!!)

Websters dictionary:
One versed in herpetology, or the natural history of reptiles.

Dictionary.com:
a zoologist (a specialist in the branch of biology dealing with animals) who studies reptiles and amphibians

[HABU]

Originally Posted by reticulatus

I am a herpetologist (feels like i'm at an AA meeting!!)

Websters dictionary:
One versed in herpetology, or the natural history of reptiles.

Dictionary.com:
a zoologist (a specialist in the branch of biology dealing with animals) who studies reptiles and amphibians

so what is your favorite desmognathus?...i like fuscus the best.......just a teasing!!

[This is my Clone]

I think of myself as a Zoo keeper and a teacher. I love to observe my Reptiles, and to let others observe them. I also like to teach people about them, and there's no better feeling than helping someone overcome an irrational fear of snakes/reptiles.

My dream come true would be to like David Attenborough (sp?) and spend my life observing them in the wild.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by HABU

so what is your favorite desmognathus?...i like fuscus the best.......just a teasing!!

I prefer D.monticola.
You picked the wrong one i'm afraid - i was playing with this genus last week

[HABU]

Originally Posted by EddieLizzard

I think of myself as a Zoo keeper and a teacher. I love to observe my Reptiles, and to let others observe them. I also like to teach people about them, and there's no better feeling than helping someone overcome an irrational fear of snakes/reptiles.

My dream come true would be to like David Attenborough (sp?) and spend my life observing them in the wild.

that's a naturalist all day long!!

[toyah]

Originally Posted by TSKA Rory Matier

The new term 'companion animal' l struggle with tbh, l am willing to be flamed for this statement alone, but l think it fair that where as a dog, cat, ...parrot, and yeah skunk [they are!! lol], and perhaps a few others can be seen as a companion.

While a pet may provide companionship for the owner, I am really against the term companion animal. It is an AR term that is gradually being used to erode the rights of pet owners. I am not the "legal guardian" of a "companion animal" - I am the owner of my pets. Small but major distinction.

I would call myself a pet owner for most of the species I own, and possibly use the term fancier, particularly for the corns. The dictionary defines a pet as an animal kept for companionship or amusement - and I imagine that the vast majority of people here choose to keep the animals they have for their own amusement (or else - why are you keeping them? to make yourself miserable?).

The whole collection/collector term annoys me as much as hobby seems to annoy you, Rory. A collection to me is stamps, and the term collector when applied to animals, to me brings to mind an animal hoarder.

[TSKA Rory Matier]

Originally Posted by toyah

While a pet may provide companionship for the owner, I am really against the term companion animal. It is an AR term that is gradually being used to erode the rights of pet owners. I am not the "legal guardian" of a "companion animal" - I am the owner of my pets. Small but major distinction.

I would call myself a pet owner for most of the species I own, and possibly use the term fancier, particularly for the corns. The dictionary defines a pet as an animal kept for companionship or amusement - and I imagine that the vast majority of people here choose to keep the animals they have for their own amusement (or else - why are you keeping them? to make yourself miserable?).

The whole collection/collector term annoys me as much as hobby seems to annoy you, Rory. A collection to me is stamps, and the term collector when applied to animals, to me brings to mind an animal hoarder.

The terms used in this poll are predom terms applied to us by the exotic keeping community as well as you have pointed out by the AR community.

AR recently called everything an exotic, everything - cats, dogs the lot!

I don't like the term hobby, this has been discussed.

I don't like the term Collector, it is an AR term of recent times, for they wish to show to those who keep no animals that we are not keepers but we are hoarders.

I have 'collectors' on my client base, but the difference is that they do collect, butterflies and insects - all dead. They are collectors.

I think the term hobby should be dropped for l do believe it does indicate to others external to the keeping of animals as a disposability, not really worth caring about.

I think the term collector to live animal species is wrong, but not to the collector of specimen [DEAD].

And no, with reference to exotic animals - companion is also l feel wrong, l will stand the hypocritical replies on my comment about skunks, as they are still an exotic species, they are not a domesticated species to the likes of cats and dogs - they can be, as can many other animals - domesticated to a degree.

They can use a litter tray, they do respond when their names are called. But then equally as much the porcupine Wilma, recognises her name, or our smell or even just our presence but she is not a companion animal, nor would she respond well to the household environment nor is she litter trained.

Its a difficult term - companionship, especially when used with animals. It is hard enough to find true companionship with humans at times. So to coign the term alongside animals - hmmm.

A touchy subject l do agree, but with exotics such as reptiles, l struggle to see that and them as anything bar exotic animals or in the pet term. For they can be referred to as pets and many keepers do, hence why the inclusion of exotic pet keeper.

So flame away, y'all.

R

[Scoffa]

Originally Posted by reticulatus

I am a herpetologist (feels like i'm at an AA meeting!!)

Websters dictionary:
One versed in herpetology, or the natural history of reptiles.

Dictionary.com:
a zoologist (a specialist in the branch of biology dealing with animals) who studies reptiles and amphibians

I'm more of a herpetoculturalist myself.

[bradhollands999]

I'm an exotic pet owner!!

[Dan]

Originally Posted by Scoffa

I'm more of a herpetoculturalist myself.

As i would think most of this forums members are.