Our hobby, which revolves around keeping reptiles and amphibians, has made tremendous progress over the years. However, significant challenges remain, both within herpetoculture and from external parties. The quality of care, nutrition, healthcare, and animal welfare has improved significantly, but we still face various obstacles.

Internal and External Challenges
Challenges within herpetoculture include establishing proper care guidelines, the correct use of materials, good breeding practices, and implementing venom protocols. Additionally, we must ensure that animals are kept responsibly. External challenges come from legislators and animal rights activists who often lack sufficient knowledge of the subject, leading to restrictions on keeping certain species. This lack of expertise often results in misinformation and the use of outdated statistics to support their views.

The Creation of the EHA
To address these challenges, the Dutch Herpetofauna Foundation and the Responsible Herpetoculture Foundation from Ukraine, with support from DGHT in Germany, have established the European Herpetoculture Alliance (EHA). Terrafile, along with other organizations such as Responsible Reptile Keeping from the UK, is proud to be part of this alliance.

Objectives of the EHA
The primary goal of the EHA is to share knowledge and hold regular meetings to discuss current issues. Additionally, we aim to provide advice where needed and begin lobbying at the European Parliament based on scientific data. A herpetological advisory board, consisting of specialists and renowned herpetologists, will be formed to provide policymakers with accurate and up-to-date information. In this way, we hope to contribute to better policies regarding animal welfare.

The Role of Terrafile
At Terrafile, we are proud to play an active role within the EHA. Our platform enables hobbyists to digitally manage their records, helping to ensure the legal origin and health of animals. This digital system offers several advantages:

• Transparency: By digitally recording data, other parties can gain better insight into the responsibility taken by hobbyists, without sharing personal information.

• Breeding Records: Keeping breeding records helps prevent inbreeding and contributes to the health and diversity of captive populations.

• Responsible Animal Ownership: With accurate records, we can demonstrate that there is sufficient captive breeding to sustain the hobby without capturing wild animals, contributing to the preservation of natural populations.

• Care Guidelines: Digitally distributing care sheets when transferring animals ensures that new owners have immediate access to the proper care information for their new pets.

Collaborating for a Better Future
The EHA website will be operational by the end of the year, and we encourage all organizations with similar missions to join. By working together, we can secure the future of herpetoculture and enhance responsibility and transparency within our hobby.

Contact us at info@terrafile.eu for more information or to join this important alliance. Together, we can contribute to the preservation, education, and research within herpetology, and protect and improve a wonderful hobby. At Terrafile, we are dedicated to this mission and proud to be part of the EHA.