Because of their ectothermic physiology, reptiles require specialised environments to thrive. For example, thermal and humidity parameters are critical for growth and reproduction. Production requirements are very different to those required by traditional warm-blooded livestock. These fundamental understandings are not always intuitive, and therefore require specialised education and training. Private and public sector actors have hosted workshops and produced resource materials (e.g., ‘how to’ principles and guidelines, posters) to assist farmers.
Institutional capacity, public sector support (ITC, CITES, VN government), private sector financing (e.g., reptile leather industry). In September 2022, Vietnam held a workshop to introduce the Responsible Reptile Sourcing Standard. This standard is specifically designed to align the reptile industry with modern international standards in animal welfare, humane slaughter, and production.
Introducing novel food and livelihood systems to risk-adverse communities operating in the informal sector, and particularly those with deep rooted traditions in warm-blooded livestock, can be challenging. Most reptile farmers are unaware of the synergies that exist between reptile husbandry and modern agricultural technologies. For example, dovetailing the biology of reptiles (e.g., basking behaviour) with modern greenhouse technology can have a multiplier effect on produciton outputs. The Vietnamese reptile industry is still some way behind modern, mainstream livestock sytems in many regards. Going forward, ongoing research and development (particulary in the fields of reptile livestock veterinary science and environmental sustainability) will be essential.