The Captive Breeding Committee (CBC) was founded in the 1970s and is chaired by Dr Simon Townson. The Committee was formed to help develop and publish on techniques and scientific advances in captive breeding and husbandry, and to generally promote responsible animal keeping. The work of the CBC has expanded over the years to cover a wide range of activities including the establishment of a series of both popular and more scientific meetings with lectures given by prominent herpetologists; advising other organizations and Government on issues such as animal welfare, husbandry and dangerous animals; the publication of information booklets on keeping a range of commonly kept reptiles, and also a series of books containing more detailed scientific and applied information.

In more recent years the CBC has embarked on a significant new initiative to collaborate with outside organizations and individuals to fund applied research and training projects concerned with captive breeding and conservation programmes. Funding for this initiative has come almost entirely from monies raised by the CBC from publication sales and from private donations. Some ten projects have been funded to date including a contribution to (i) the Mallorcan Midwife Toad Recovery Programme at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (2004), (ii) a project concerned with studying the biology and breeding of the Malagasy Rainbow Frog at the Zoological Society of London (2005), (iii) a reptile workshop in Kenya in association with the Nairobi Snake Park and the National Museum of Kenya (2007).

For the three most recent and current CBC projects, on the Cayman Island Blue Iguana, the Belalanda Chameleon of Madagascar, and the Golden Mantella Frog of Madagascar, please see the links below.

The CBC also organise the annual BHS/Thames and Chiltern Group Autumn meeting in Amersham (please see the meetings page).