Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I was taking my weekly tour of Petco today (it's seemingly daily as I set up my new Dart tank) and what do I see?

This is the 2nd dead animal i've found in their enclosures, mind you, at MID DAY. This animal has been dead for awhile, you may not be able to notice the depressions in it's skin, but they are deffinately there. Does anyone even buy from Petco any more?

ahhhhh..I hate seeing reptiles being sold at places like Petco, Petsmart etc. They have ZERO education on the animals they keep.

It's sad and I hate the fact that no one seems to care. What if you walked in a saw a dead puppy would that make a difference?

Our local Petsmart carries a few lizards including chameleons which as most know aren't the best animal for a pets store like that.

Makes me sick.

thats a ball python if you look closely.. or maybe you need glasses

I just don't see why rude comments like that are necessary. That was not the point of the post, and just because it's not a boa does it mean we wouldn't care?

n/p
-----
www.junglestruck.com

Knowing Petco, it was probably marked Boa . I had a similar experience with my local Petco; they were feeding corn snakes crickets because pinky mice were to big (they said). I tried to tell them that crickets have no calcium and baby corns can easily eat mouse pinkys, but the manager told me corporate sets the diets. They also were feeding baby-bearded dragons mealworms. I showed them that books they sold and the care sheet they provide cautions against it until they are at least 6months… same answer. The last straw for me was the advice I over herd them telling a first time owner; the KID told the customer,” If you feed a baby Boa every 3 to 4 days, a meal twice the diameter of the snakes widest point, it will be 5 feet in one year.” I interjected and told them that they could kill the snake in far less time, and they should read the Boa article in Reptile Magazine.

I have turned them in twice but of coarse, to no avail! The local ASPCA is violently apposed to reptile ownership. I live in northern CA so that’s not a surprise!

I'm also in Northern CA and my petco here is the same... They are better than SuperPets but still not the best. I see ball pythons and RTB's together in the same enclosures... and chameleons with sand substrate.

LOL...there's always one... Thanks for your wisdom and the remarkably charismatic way you handled the ID correction.

Your welcome. It’s better to be nice and incorrect than mean and know it all.

I’m new to this forum. I usually post on the Morelia, Blood, or Python forum but I’m thinking about getting a Columbian (I haven’t decided on a morph just yet). I had two back in 87 but my future X wife hated snakes… should have been my first clue, I guess I had a thing for cold-blooded creatures I got them from East Bay V (before the freeway fell on the store in the big quake of 89. They had so much pink… Oh well, I hope to replace them. Any suggestions?

East Bay V has awsome RTB but I personally won't give them my business.
There will be a Reptile Exhibition on Feb.24th in Windsor,Ca -- should be some nice morphs there.
I got a rescue 8ft Red group circle back female RTB from East Bay that sold to a 12 yr old kid and kept the snake that was 6ft in a 10 gallon tank for 6 years.
I believe they tend to be more about making money and being a business than the quality of the homes. I'm constantly getting rescues from people that weren't educated when buying a snake from there, although i understand that its the owners responsibilty to be knowledgable. East bay will hand anyone a snake with money and I like to stay away from business' like that. No doubt about it though they have great setups and an awsome variety.

I live in Fremont and have a petstore that I'm in process of moving to San Leandro. Everytime I bought a snake from EBV they would lecture me and treat me like a 2 year old and I hated that. They seemed as though they didn't care if they got my business and I would often hear them lecturing other patrons on the care of animals so I have had the opposite experience.

Ya know, I think it’s just a case of bad customer service. I go in every year or so and they are always hammered with lots of customers. They are so backed up with people that they don’t take the time to find out your knowledge level. It’s like winning the lottery to try and get some help some days. A lot of people treat them like a zoo and just come in with their kids to just see the reptiles. We have to remember that they are in Berkley and a snotty attitude is part of the culture, but man do they have one of the best selections in Northern CA!

I’d like to check out you pet shop if you are still in Fremont, I’ll be in the east bay over the weekend.

PS: Let me apologize for insulting Berkley, we all don’t have such an overly developed and advanced ego as you all

Alex, I've always heard comments like yours about EBV. I know plenty of boa people who have done business with them, and even worked for them. Everything comes out good.
I think this case was a kid not practicing proper husbandry, although it would be nice, you can't force someone to properly take care of animals.
I've never bought from them, but I would.

Whoa buddy, my bad. So sorry to insult you, the god of snakes.

NOW THAT'S FUNNY!

I have a friend who works at Petco(unfourtunately she thought she could save the animals), any how, they recieved a batch of Common boas that were regurging, and twisting and stargazing. She called me and I thought IBD? So they bring one to the vet, the store does not want to pay to have the animal tested for IBD(liver biopsy), nor do they want to put it down(I don't know why they brought it in the first place if they don't want to help it), which the vet recomends.
So they bring it to the store and put it back in the cage with all the others that are showing the same signs, and they are right next to the other Boids??? How careless is that. Basicaly, they are saying"Who cares if it is sick, and who cares if it is contagious, we need to sell it anyway." They probably pay about $10 for their boas,and less for farmed male ball pythons(yes, they only get males), and all they are worried about is profit.
I wish we knew who they are supplied by so we could warn others of the potential IBD threat. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM, you are not saving any thing, but you may be putting your collection at serious risk!! Any way, enough of my rant.
Good luck all!!!!
J

I guess I am fortunate, my local petco has several very experienced reptile people that work there. I have had some great conversations with them and they know what they are talking about, though it is from EXPERIENCE not TRAINING.

Not that it excuses Petco from their crimes against nature.

Ray