A chronic collecting issue with the hobby

[Snagrio]

Some of you have known me long enough to know that, even with a BP and several other animals, I've spent a lot of time here planning and discussing further additions when my financial and logistical background is screaming otherwise. Well, after mulling it over for a few days, I think I'm understanding why I have gotten into the mindset of wanting more snakes when I'm really not ready for it. It involves the internet and the reptile keeping culture attached to it.

I really took a step back and analyzed things and noticed a pattern of what you could call "acquisition syndrome." Wherein it feels like a major driving force of the hobby at large is to continuously get more animals at varying but steady rates. At first you'd think this is primarily just reptile YouTubers who do it for the views but, no. This behavior seems prevalent everywhere. On YouTube, social media, reptile groups, convention goers, even forums including this one; all of them sport a disproportionate number of people who seem to have a compulsive habit of needing to fill an entire room (if not multiple) of JUST reptiles and/or other exotic pets to fulfill whatever "collection quota" they've got in their heads. and I got caught up in it all that easily.

I should stress the difference between having a lot of animals in general and the almost clockwork rate at which the above mentioned seem to amass a host of critters within a given time frame. Namely, the animals feel more like they were acquired in the same vein as how one collects figurines or cards; rapidly and vapidly. In my personal case for example I knew from the start I'd probably want multiple snakes in due time after the circumstances and resources were sufficient, but it quickly got out of hand to me almost auto-planning for half a dozen species when I had barely gotten into a routine with the snake I had just brought home.