Quote Originally Posted by chris-uk View Post
Threads like this can never come to any good.
Not completely so my friend. It is this very topic that got me thinking about what I can do to not only cut down the out of pocket expenses but also reduce the massive footprint our captive pets can have on the environment. I don't have any hard facts or data backing up this claim but my guess is that a garter in captivity results in 100x the environmental strain when compared to their wild counterparts, and I believe that to be a conservative estimate. I feel most if not all of us here think of ourselves as a group that at least attempts to do our part to preserve the amazing resources around us so I am not calling out any individuals or any group, just suggesting that as we look at different ways to save money we could also look at ways to minimize the negative impact our hobby has on the environment.

This is something I have thought about for awhile and as a result I am currently in the design stage of developing an edifice on my lot that is as close as possible to being off the grid, which would not only minimize my impact on the environment but would also go a long way in reducing the monetary cost of my hobby over the long run.

-Thomas