Publications
The FBH has worked on various publications including guidelines, surveys and statements to inform hobbyists and the general public on issues that matter to our community.
FBH Keeper Survey 2022
Royal Statisticians Analysis
We are pleased to announce the release of a further report on the 2022 Reptile Keeper Survey, conducted by an independent statistician from the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) through their Statistics for Society scheme.
The report provides analysis of reptile keeper demographics, husbandry practices, the geographical distribution of respondents and we now have an estimate including an Inter-quartile range, for the total number of reptiles and amphibians kept in the UK.
This analysis estimated that there are 4.8m (from 2m to 12.2m) reptiles and amphibians in the UK. While this is lower than our previous estimate of 8.8m the range clearly highlights the level of uncertainty around this and the value and could in fact be much higher. This is an area we will continue to refine – and where possible, increase the precision of our estimate.
Other key findings include:
• Similarities between snake and lizard keepers
• Distinct profile for newt and salamander keepers (but we always knew they were a bit odd…)
• Intermediate profiles for turtle, tortoise and frog/toad keepers.The report also highlights a concentration of respondents from the Southeast of England. This raises a crucial question:
• Does this reflect a genuine higher concentration of reptile keepers in the Southeast, or is it a result of more targeted survey distribution in that region?
We invite the reptile keeping community to explore the full report and share their insights based on the RSS analysis.
This will help us refine future surveys and better understand the reptile keeping landscape across the UK.With many thanks to Kim Stevens and the Royal Statistical Society.
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Click on the image to download the report
FBH Keeper Survey 2023
Have a look at the preliminary results for our 2023 survey and watch this space for the full report!
FBH Code of Practice for recommended minimum enclosures sizes for Reptiles
The FBH is proud to announce the launch of it's Code of Practice for recommended minimum enclosure sizes for reptiles
The Federation of British Herpetologists (FBH) has produced guidance for the recommended minimum enclosure sizes for reptiles kept privately in the UK.
The guidance has been developed by the FBH in conjunction with specialist keeper groups, experienced hobbyists, the British Veterinary Zoological Society and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. Covering all of the main groups of reptiles it provides practical guidance for private keepers, enabling them to select the appropriate sized housing for their pets based on the size and habits of the species concerned.
The enclosure sizes recommended have been selected using current thinking on the provision of good welfare, the opinions of vets and hobbyists, and experience from countries that already have such guidance. The recommendations exceed the smallest housing that could be used to keep reptiles, instead focussing on providing the extra space required to maximise welfare benefits.
Dave Hayden, Chair of the FBH said “We wanted to produce a document that helped keepers select housing that enabled them to provide more than just the bare necessities. Although there is little in the way of concrete evidence to guide our decisions we were able to draw on the collective knowledge of the hobbyists, vets and organisations that have helped us develop the guidelines.”
Sid James, FBH Project coordinator said: “This project demonstrates the commitment of the reptile keeping community to constantly improve. It is the first set of guidelines of its kind in the UK and is underpinned by the latest research and expertise. We plan to continue to update the document as the evidence base evolves”
The Code Of Practice can be downloaded by clicking on the photo
FBH Keeper Survey 2022
The FBH ran its keeper survey again in 2022 we wanted to get get comparible data over time.
Check out the results in the main report by clicking on the first look results poster.
FBH Keeper Survey 2021
The FBH are pleased to publish the results from the 2021 survey of reptile and amphibian keepers run jointly with the Pet Food Manufacturer Association (PFMA).
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We hope that these results reflect reptile and amphibian keeping in the UK in 2021 and the data can be used to support work within the hobby.
Click the image below to access the full PDF document
FBH Statements
The FBH will publish statements on various issues in the hobby, please click on the logo to visit the News page to find all the latest.
