More Pet Reptiles than Dogs in UK

This kind of boggles my mind, really. According to Telegraph.co.uk, the British Federation of Herpetologists estimates there are 7-8 million reptiles and amphibians being kept as pets in the UK. This compares to a recent estimate of 6.5 million dogs. And, if the growth in popularity of reptiles continues as it has been, reptiles are poised to become the most popular pet in the UK, surpassing cats whose population is estimated at around 9 million. Wow.

According to the article, the estimates were made based on the increase in demand for reptile food since the reptile population was recorded at 5 million (2004), so I'm not sure how accurate the numbers are. But, since 2004, the number of crickets sold has doubled, the numbers of locusts produced has quadrupled, and 3.5 tons of frozen rodents are imported from outside the EU every month (on top of those bred in the UK and EU for food) -- that's a lot of reptile food!

In the US, the pet population numbers are quite different: there are estimated to be around 75 million dogs and 88 million cats, compared to about 13 million pet reptiles. But if you look at the pet ownership statistics over the last few years, reptiles and small animals are the group growing in ownership the most (though I'm not sure they'll ever catch up to cats and dogs here). I wonder what makes reptiles as popular as cats and dogs in the UK?

Related Reading: Reptiles 101