Many people today own pet pythons, anacondas, iguanas and other snakes and lizards

RFID can help if this sort of pet ever gets out of its cage.

Many people today are choosing to own more exotic pets than the traditional cats, dogs, hamsters or goldfish. Indeed, having pet reptiles, such as pythons, anacondas, iguanas and other snakes and lizards, is much less unusual than it used to be.

The problem, of course, is what happens if this sort of pet gets out of its cage. A lost dog is very sad; a lost boa constrictor can be a true problem in the neighbourhood! Snakes and lizards can be much harder to find than a lost cat or dog. Furthermore, because they prey on smaller animals, their presence can be very destabilizing in an ecosystem where they are not naturally found.

That is why some governments around the world are setting up rules that require pet reptiles to be tagged with a very small implantable RFID chip. Just like the RFID chips used for cats and dogs, these chips are harmless for the reptiles.

By allowing them to be easily found if ever they escape, these RFID tags help reunite owners with lost pets and they help keep the local ecosystem safe and stable.