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I am very sad to say my daughters Nigerian uro passed yesterday. It was a red phase uro that we purchased at a reptile show in the New Orleans area a month or so ago. She was thin when we got her, but I thought with my knowledge and success keeping snakes I could get her going. She was a cheap WC import for sure, but my daughter loved her and tried very hard to get her feeding. Needless to say, know who you are buying your animals from!!! I will never by a WC animal again EVER unless from a very reputable dealer that is well recognized and is selling the animal as well acclimated and feeding. Because she was only $40, it was a tempting buy. DO NOT ever fall into this trap. If we keep buying them for that price, horrid imports will keep coming into the market. I know some good hearted people will succumb and buy out of pity, but it would be better for the vendor to lose all his stock and not subject more animals to be captured, mistreated, and sold due to lack of sales. I hear of many who buy animals from big chain stores, etc. out of pity and the desire to save the animal. All these types of vendors see is a sale, and therefore a need to replace with similar animals. I think we can do more good by not buying these animals then when they are rescued and die on our hands after spending money at vet clinics. The vendors do not see our struggles, only their successfull sale. I hope the half dozen or so other uros the vendor at this show had did not suffer the same fate as Spike.

I'm sorry to hear you lost your uro. It's a good point you make. They might seem tempting because of price or because it's in miserable environment. But it isn't a "rescue" if an animal is purchased, even if the conditions are deplorable. It's a sale. And that's all the vendor sees.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.1 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

My heart goes out to you and your daughter. I totally agree with you. Its so sad that they would even put an unhealthy animal out there to sell. But they are just vendors or wholesalers, many of them just don't care about their animals, its just money in their pockets. I have gone into pet stores and wanted so badly to buy up the sickly stock, but refuse to do so. But when kids are involved, its really not fair. I just bought a uro, from a pet store, first time ever. But so far this animal is pretty healthy and the store has a wonderful owner, they even do fecals in the store, the owner is a biology teacher at a local school here. Even then, I came in here worried to death about my uro. Thanks for posting those words of wisdom. I hope someone else will heed this lesson without going through what your family and Spike has suffered.

**RIP SPIKE**

A sad but all too common post here, Kevin. Can you, or any of us on this forum, even guess as to just how many Uros die every year in order to supply the pet trade just in this country alone?? Give it some thought, folks. I'd love to see export/import bans on Uros ( & more ). Either that or some extinctions. Which dow we want?

I am sorry that you lost Spike, unfortunately this is commonplace with many purchases made from shows. These poor animals go through h@@@ from capture to their arrival for sale. I would like to know the percentage that actually survive. The Saharans are beautiful uros, so very tempting to purchase for a low price. They are usually highly parasitized, emaciated and dehydrated, only to go to good intentioned, unsuspecting new owners that will watch their poor animal waste away. Sometimes the vets can help, but many times the poor things are too far gone or traumatized to survive.
I know you have learned a hard lesson, so maybe next time you can find a reputable breeder with some nice, captive bred animals. The extra cost will be well worth it. Best to you and your daughter.

Pam
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1.1 varanus acanthurus brachyurus (Dorado & Dora)
1.1 u. macfadyeni (Amani & Abeba)
1.2 u. ornata (Husani, Zari, & Bintu)
0.0.1 geochelone carbonaria (Rojo)
0.0.1 cyclura hybrid lewisi x caymanensis x nubila (Sweetpea)
1.1 hyla chrysoscelis (Pudge & Squirt)
Herps Are Awesome!

Very Sad Mike, very sad!

Unfortunitely as this industry grows, and the demand for reptiles is there, there will be many lizards that suffer from people who are more interested in the "buck" than in a life.

We do need more captive breds from keepers who are passionate about their animals. And as you said wc's that are sold by responsible caring people who have made sure they are extremely well acclimated before they sell.

I hope you and your little girl feel better soon,

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PHEve / Eve

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