Exo Terra Division Experts

Roland Zobel

Roland Zobel
Aquatics/Reptiles Product Manager at Hagen Deutschland
roland.zobel@rchagen.com

Roland Zobel has been with Hagen Deutschland, a subsidiary of Rolf C. Hagen Inc., for more than 38 years. As Aquatics/Reptiles Product Manager for Hagen, he brings a wealth of indispensible knowledge and experience which dates back to when he was a young child.

When he was 7, he received an iron-framed aquarium as a gift from one of his neighbours. The aquarium immediately captured his imagination and created a huge interest in aquatics that has never faded. After successfully breeding various fish species for a couple of years and exploring many natural ponds, he then got his first terrarium with newts. It spawned a deep and growing interest in salamanders, frogs, geckos, lizards and other reptiles, as well as invertebrates.

He gradually became very interested in geckos, particularly beautiful day geckos of the genus Phelsuma. For almost 30 years, Roland focused on breeding various Phelsuma species on a regular basis. During this period, it was not unusual for him to have over 50 terrariums at a time.

After serving in the army for 4 years (during this time he continued to practice his hobby, thanks in part to the fact that his company commander was an aquarium hobbyist as well), he started travelling around the globe to study day geckos in their natural habitat and gain an understanding of their needs in terrarium environments.

On his first trip abroad in 1975 he visited the Seychelles and later went to Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Zanzibar, and Pemba, among other places, to explore more exotic species.
As his interest in reptiles evolved, he went to Australia, Oman, Tanzania, Uganda, Gabon and Cameroon to pursue further hands-on studies in a variety of natural settings. Throughout the course of his travels, he has also continually monitored European reptiles and amphibians for new discoveries.

For nearly 35 years, Roland Zobel has been a member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde (DGHT) in Dortmund/German Association of Herpetology and Terrarium Studies.
An avid aquarist for 53 years and herpetologist for 50 years, Roland Zobel has never ceased to expand his knowledge about fish, reptiles and amphibians. His deep passion inspires him to teach others about the fascinating world of aquatics and reptiles. As a respected expert, he continually brings valuable insights and ideas to Exo Terra to further evolve product innovation and design.