About Extant Relatives

The animal kingdom is a fascinating and diverse realm. Humans have been living and working with animals for millennia. We domesticate and keep animals as pets, workers, and family members. Recent advances in technology and information have allowed humans to expand the species of reptiles and amphibians that we keep as pets. The US, along with many other nations, is are currently seeing a spike in the number of reptiles and amphibians kept in households.

 

Despite their increasing popularity, reptiles and amphibians are still "exotic" pets and often poorly understood. Reliable information about their acquisition, care, and household suitability can be difficult to find. We believe that the right reptile or amphibian can be an extremely valuable member of any household. Therefore, Extant Relatives' goal is to sort out and provide that reliable information through evidence-based practices, community conversations, and educational programming.

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So, what do we we do and why?

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We can summarize our work with E's: Experience, Exchange, Education, Ecology, Evolution. . 

 

Experience.  ExRe works with a variety of reptiles and amphibians to offer hands-on interactive experiences for humans of all ages and interest levels. Our goal is to learn more about the personalities and attributes of each animal that we keep to better our own herpetoculture practices. Meeting our charismatic and socialized animals increases awareness and knowledge, dispels myths and misinformation, and relieves repti-phobias.  

See our "Meet Us" page to learn more about the ever-growing collection of species we work with. Or, check our social media page to find out what we are learning  in real-time!

 

Exchange. Herpetoculture improves as we learn more about each species and develop new technologies to support them. ExRe believes that information should be easy to find and access. We strive to streamline the exchange of information about species, practices, and general animal nerdiness by disseminating evidence-based information in a healthy, judgement-free environment. Our website contains information that we have learned through a combination of classes, experience, and the reptile community. We also link to trusted and reputable sources.

Warning: we still don't know everything! That's why ExRe also encourages community input regarding herpetoculture practices and ethics to better the lives of all animals under our care and in our community.

 

Education, Evolution, and Ecology.  ExRe's underlying philosophy is that ethical and effective herpetoculture stems from the understanding of species' life histories. We place high importance on understanding evolution and ecology of the animals that we keep and their native region. Evolution informs us of a species' current biological functions and limitations. Understanding ecology informs us of a species' natural behaviors and interactions so that we can us to provide stimulation, enrichment, and habitat protection. Together, these concepts tell us what our animals need in captivity and how to keep animals without importing and decimating wild populations. Ecology and evolution form the base of our herpetoculture practice as well as our educational services. We encourage all people to develop some understanding of these concepts, whether or not they care for an animal.

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So, how do we do what we do?

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ExRe offers hands-on experiences, both highly education and less-educational. Humans understand reptiles and amphibians from varied perspectives and seek varied types of interactions. From simple meet-and-greets, to classes, to in-depth one-on-one sessions, we offer a variety of services that meet the needs of any reptile-enthusiast or herpetoculture hopeful. Check out our "Book Online" Page to learn more about what we offer. 

 

Future Goals

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Everything that ExRe does is intended to respond to community needs and interests. As we gauge need and interest, we see ourselves working through three phases:

1. Our current phase. Reptile "shows", community involvement, small-scale interactions.

2. Open a brick-and-mortar location to host herp-based events or classes and invite the community in to see or interact with our reptiles and amphibians. Phase two considers a herpetoculture store that vends equipment, food, and potentially animals. ExRe captive-breeds a few lizard species. We hope to expand into more species, focusing on species that make particularly good pets and those that require conservation efforts.

3. Expand into a larger indoor space to develop more spacious and complex enclosures, and acquire land to create outdoor enclosures. Phase three includes a plan to obtain licensing for native species and the potential to expand into birds - the true dinosaurs and close relatives of reptiles. An increase in space further allows for collaboration with reptile rescues and other groups.

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