How long has it been since you've seen one of these now-rare species?

With each passing year, as the various exporting countries close or open their seasons and/or shipping quotas, the herps we see in the pet trade change.

Availability of some changes from abundance to rarity, of others from rarity to abundance. As an example the Colombian horned frog, Ceratophrys calcarata, once available in the thousands each breeding season, has not been available for decades.

Those among us who are keepers (yes, I am one) owe each and every animal, be their cost mere pennies or thousands of dollars, the best of conditions and care. Research each species before acquisition, and then acquire only those that you can care for adequately and with relative ease.

More photos of species rarely seen today under the jump...

The beautiful little Cowan's Mantella, Mantella cowani of Madagascar, is now rarely available: Amazon Basin emerald boas, Corallus batesi, are now a rarity in captivity:

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.