Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 24/01) - The blue spot anole barely hesitated before leaping from its woody perch and greedily gulping down its quarry -- one squirming cricket.

Perhaps it is not a scene one would expect this far North. Anoles -- lizards usually no longer than 15 centimetres in length, of which there are several species, are indigenous to the southeastern United States and Central America.

Yet, in Anne Gunn's Old Town home, the anole is oblivious to its present geography. Bugs and finding a warm log to sleep on seem to be the only thing on its mind.

The same goes for the geckoes she keeps. All her lizards are housed in terrariums equipped with heat lamps and potted plants. Opening the lid to one of them releases an unfamiliar waft of warm, tropical air.

"Geckoes live for a long time, so I imagine when I'm 80, I'll still be looking for crickets," says Gunn, who ,when not caring for her reptilian charges, works as a biologist for the territorial government.

Lizards, tropical fish, exotic birds -- none of these creatures are indigenous to the North, but live here they do.

Of course, keeping our subarctic climate in mind, you're not going to find any of these animals side by side with ptarmigan or lake trout. Yet, there are many Yellowknife homes where these animals -- for better or worse -- eke out a living.

Over the last eight years, Gunn has raised several of the lizards -- from pea-sized egg to maturity -- herself. Her pair of Madagascar day geckoes are particular prolific. They lay eggs so often she no longer bothers to try and hatch them, though she has several times in the past.

"I was giving them away until a year or two ago," says Gunn. "Lots of people would want them because they're attractive, but not everyone will make the effort."

Gunn is sheepishly aware of the ethical quandary she has stepped into.

She loves her lizards and meticulously cares for them. She ensures they receive all the proper nutrients and vitamins they need to stay healthy, and is diligent in making sure her terrariums are as close to the lizard's natural environment as possible.

Yet, Gunn acknowledges that not everybody might be as thoughtful as she is. It is why she has stopped giving away her hatched geckoes.

"Before you ever buy anything you should find out how long it's going to live, how big it's going to grow, and how to take care of it," Gunn warns.

Scores of lizards

Most exotic pets that find their way into Yellowknife homes are purchased at J.J. Hobbies. Over the last 25 years, the store has sold thousands of tropical fish, as well as scores of lizards amphibians, small mammals and birds.

"I don't like impulse buyers for pets," says Wendy Eggenberger, who oversees the pet department.

"If I had a child who wanted a pet, I'd ask them to write a report. They see it (the pet) today, but then they don't see it tomorrow. They forget about it."

Eggenberger says she will often ask prospective buyers how they intend to house their pets, and offer some helpful pointers on diet and temperature requirements.

Like Gunn, Eggenberger recommends spending some time researching an animal before buying it. J.J. Hobbies sells books on just about any creature that can be purchased at a pet store.

Even though she is still confronted time to time with wide-eyed hobbyists -- more ambitious than realistic -- she says she finds people more knowledgeable about animals than they have been in the past.

With the proliferation of nature shows on TV, and instant information access on the Internet, prospective buyers tend to be a little more aware of what they are getting themselves into before making a purchase.

Nonetheless, there is still an argument that people should not keep exotic pets, period. One group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) -- based out of Norfolk, Virginia -- says keeping exotic pets of any kind constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Hobby condemned

A phone call made to PETA headquarters produced a faxed fact sheet, sourced with dozens of entries from scientific journals and other publications condemning the hobby.

It listed every sort of pet shop horror from cockatiels dying of loneliness in cramped breeding cages to saltwater fishes acquired by poisoning tropical reefs with cyanide.

Many hobbyists argue that while it is wrong to take animals from the wild for pets, so many exotic animals have become firmly entrenched in the hobby -- through decades of captive breeding -- that they are no longer really "wild" animals. The PETA fact sheet itself, acknowledges that captive animals cannot simply be returned to the environment.

"We have more of a problem with domestic animals than anything else," says Dr. Tom Pisz, who operates the Great Slave Animal Hospital.

Another point, says Gunn, is "wanting something different." That is the positive benefit of opening oneself to the world around them through exotic pets.

"There's the educational side to it," says Gunn.

"To be fair, there are a number of organizations that are trying to promote conservation through captive breeding and not taking animals from the wild," says Gunn.

Tammy Saunders describes her household as "like living in National Geographic."

She too, has mixed feelings about her hobby. She knows first-hand that some people often get more than they bargained for when they decide to bring home a pet.

"People buy tropical fish because they're cute, but when they get a foot-and-a-half long..." Saunders says, while showing off her two bigger aquariums.

Over the last 12 years, Saunders has taken in a multitude of abandoned pets: Dogs, cats, ferrets, doves, cockatiels, rabbits, hamsters, a three-legged hedgehog, and several very large tropical fish.

"The ferret had been left behind by a band at the (Gold) Range. I hope they play their instruments better than they take care of their ferrets."

Saunders reiterates the need for prospective pet owners to do research, and weigh the consequences of bringing home a pet that may one day prove too much to handle.

"Make sure you know what you're getting into," says Saunders.