Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was in a local petstore yesturday to pick up some rats for the boys when I noticed that they had a lot of new herps in from the last time I visited. Mostly hachling size stuff: burmXindian crosses, redtails, a normal burm or 2 and finally a baby african rock with "Very Friendly" in marker writen on the outside of the glass. So as a true tough guy I asks the clerk who I am relativly well aquainted with being in every week if I could handle him. He doesn't object like every other time only difference is he brings out the entire 10 gallon tank to me instead of just the snake. We exchange funny looks and I go to pick up the little guy and WACK right on the hand. With the little guy still on my hand I smile at the clerk and sarcsticly say "Very Friendly huh?" Just goes to show a pet store will say anything to sell an animal.
-----
1.0 Ball Python
1.0 Burmese Python

Ah, thats exactly true...today i held a BEAUTIFUL burm at the petland, im surprised how healthy and good looking he was, and he DIDNT bite me

Well some petstores will do anything to sell an animal, not all..sad to say that most of the reptile sellers i see around here don't know anything about the snakes, plus they give out the wrong kind of info, like the guy who bought a retic at another store in the area, and came to ours and said he was told it only got as big as a ball python, thats just wanting to sell an animal on the other stores part..I could go on and on with a few other stories like this, but I won't, but it does make you want to yell at the people that do it though..

I work at a Pet Store myself, however we don't sell snakes. I certainly am most interested in the animals' well being when selling animals. I tell people the real deal. I get ALOT of people who come to me and say "well, someone at Petco toldme this..." and such and come out with some crazy BS. I had one girl come in with a baby Albino Burm in her arms. I was immediately excited, because people don't bring snakes in very often. The person who sold it to her told her it was an Albino Ball Python. Sad it is really, that people buy pets like that and have NO clue. Came across another girl who was coming in for advice about getting rid of mites on a newly acquired snake from a Pet Store. The conversation went as follows:
Girl: "I need something to get rid of mites on a snake. I bought a snake at XYZ Pet Store and he's got mites."
Me: "What kind of snake is it?"
Girl:"I don't know"
Me: "Well, what does it look like?"
Girl: "It's brown and black and gold"
Me: "A Ball Python?"
Girl: "No"
Me: "Could it be a Burmese Python?"
Girl: "Yes yes that's it a Burmese!"
Me: "Do you know how big your snake is going to get?"
Girl: "Maybe 4 to 5 feet?"
Me: "Try 15 to 20 feet"
Girl: "No Way! They didn't tell me that!"
It's sad really, but I deal with thsi kind of stuff on a daily basis. I try to inform people as much as I can and hope they do the right thing.
-Cathy
-----
Cathy Hrusa
poetichusky@hotmail.

~My Ever-growing herp Collection~
1.0 Albino Green Burmese Python
0.1 Green Het for Albino Burmese Python
1.0 Het for Albino Ball Python
0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.3 Normal Leopard geckos
0.0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko
0.1 FL Cooter
1.0 Sunburst X Blue Veiled Chameleon