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Hot pet store snakes?

B

Bree

New member
We were at Petsmart today and cruised by the reptile section just to look. All the snakes were smashed against between the veiwing glass and their water bowls. All of their temp gauges read 94-99-ish degrees. I know that's too hot for a corn (please correct me if I'm wrong), but I did a quick google search and it seems that those temps are too hot for the other species there as well (kingsnake, milksnake, and ball python).

My BF told an employee when he was getting crickets and was told that the entire reptile cage rack is on a thermostat so there wasn't anything he could do but he would check on them. I wonder if it's because the snakes were in the top sections and the heat rose and made them so hot... Or, perhaps, the stick-on temp dials were too close to the lights... But the snakes were still kind of acting like they were hot.
 
Sounds typical of the stores near me. I've complained to employees and managers alike and nothing is ever done other than a quick brush off. I really don't even think they check to see if maybe my complaint is valid. I don't go in those stores anymore.
 
I can't stand going to many pet stores because of that stuff. It's atypical really and makes me wanna buy all things reptilian and take them home but that is a ridiculous idea.
 
Pet stores are such a rip. Even if your particular Petsmart/Co happens to be one of the few good ones, you're still taken for a ride on prices. Was in just yesterday looking at an anery priced at $45. C'mon! Not to mention mice, substrate, hides, vivs . . . everything. 'Spensive.
 
Yeah I had a similar experience @ a local petsmart. The humidity gages I all the reptile cages were reading 20%. They also had a BP morph priced @ 180 : (
 
i saw a similar problem here in england, the only snakes they had on display were the breeding pairs the babies were kept out back without any heat lamps or mats etc. i think thats why i had a problem with yogi when i first got him, thats also why im hunting for a uk private breeder.
 
Those dial-type thermometers can be 10 or more degrees wrong in either direction. They're notoriously innaccurate.

I agree with Susan - run, don't walk, away from shops like that and never go in there again. Warn any of your friends that might be using them. With the smaller ones, starving them of customers will eventually get them out of business. That's sadly the best thing you can do for the reptiles that might end up there in future.

Buying anything from them - even a "rescue" - will just keep the smaller shops in business longer and convince the big chains that there's a profit to be made regardless of how poor their husbandry is.
 
IMO they don't care about the snakes. My Petsmart is afraid to get the cornsnakes out at all. They're afraid of them. They don't act like your normal corns either. They constantly strike. I wonder how often they're held. :nope:
 
Well, in petsmart's reptile cages,they can unscrew bulbs and turn off day basking, night, and regular light bulbs. It is also policy to do above statement when the temperature is too high for the animal. The guys there were just stupid/ignorant.
 
windowswisher said:
Pet stores are such a rip. Even if your particular Petsmart/Co happens to be one of the few good ones, you're still taken for a ride on prices. Was in just yesterday looking at an anery priced at $45. C'mon! Not to mention mice, substrate, hides, vivs . . . everything. 'Spensive.
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To me it's not even about the money. I don't go to pet shops at all, but to me if the animals are well cared for, and the people there have the animal's best interests at heart, I wouldn't really care what the prices are.

In my real life, money doesn't matter a whole lot when it comes to my animals. If I want it, I want it. An animal will be with me potentially for 15 years, so what is an extra $20 or $30 bucks?
 
Agree with you, Bethany. If I pay a few more £££ on a healthy animal and keep a good shop in business, then that's money well spent.
 
Saffleur said:
I can't stand going to many pet stores because of that stuff. It's atypical really and makes me wanna buy all things reptilian and take them home but that is a ridiculous idea.
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I have long felt that way with the birds (I have three birds). Now that I have a snake I'm feeling like that about them, too... but you're right, it's simply not possible to bring home every poor pet store animal. That would just open a spot for the next poor animal anyways. :(

Snakewhisperer said:
Well, in petsmart's reptile cages,they can unscrew bulbs and turn off day basking, night, and regular light bulbs. It is also policy to do above statement when the temperature is too high for the animal. The guys there were just stupid/ignorant.
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That's true, and a good idea. I wonder if they just didn't know that they could do that, or if they'd rather them be on so the animals can be seen...
 
My only pet store animal is a snake a bought in July. She is only a normal and was prices at $59.00. All their corns and kings and even pythons are $59.00 which is stupid. But one day her price was dropped to $35.00 and I bought her. She was very skinny and dehydrated when I got her but bounced back pretty quick once in my care.

Normally I don't worry about the snakes there too much because they usually go pretty fast. They usually only get amels and snows. This is the first normal I've seen there and she was there for over a month so their bad husbandry had plenty of time to affect her health.

I've vowed to never buy a snake from them again and hope that none I see get to be in such a state as the one I got.
 
It takes one person per store to change it around. By person I mean an employee. You NEED someone who cares, or else it all goes down the drain.

I've been working in my store for almost 2 years now. It all boils down to people not caring and trying to hand off the responsibility to others. To them, it isn't a big deal if a 15$ at cost reptile dies compared to a dog weve paid 250$.

There just needs to be someone in there with a drive for those creatures. From all the threads I constantly see popping on the forums it seems that A LOT of stores are missing said type of employee.
 
Putty said:
It takes one person per store to change it around. By person I mean an employee. You NEED someone who cares, or else it all goes down the drain.

I've been working in my store for almost 2 years now. It all boils down to people not caring and trying to hand off the responsibility to others. To them, it isn't a big deal if a 15$ at cost reptile dies compared to a dog weve paid 250$.

There just needs to be someone in there with a drive for those creatures. From all the threads I constantly see popping on the forums it seems that A LOT of stores are missing said type of employee.
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Yes, employees that care are definitely important in pet stores, but I wish the store itself was accountable for the animals they choose to bring in for sale. Even if nobody cared, the managers should still be making sure that the animals are receiving appropriate care. But you're right, if no one cares then it doesn't get done because the animals are cheap/disposable and there are no real repercussions for the store itself. Thanks for making a difference for the animals in your store! They are lucky to have you.
 
WingedSweetheart said:
My only pet store animal is a snake a bought in July. She is only a normal and was prices at $59.00. All their corns and kings and even pythons are $59.00 which is stupid. But one day her price was dropped to $35.00 and I bought her. She was very skinny and dehydrated when I got her but bounced back pretty quick once in my care.
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My one pet store snake was in decent physical shape when I got her last fall, but she is a kingsnake masquerading as a cornsnake, so they couldn't sell her. They seemed to have fed her OK, and all, but they called her "Attitude" and never handled her. So I bought her. Well, I'm calling the snake "her" but I really don't know. Now she is up to 55 gms of poo, musk & teeth!
 
Haha, I saw this thread title and I thought the thread was about stores selling hots. Oops! Had a long response thought out, but then I actually READ it. *Sneaks off now*
 
ceduke said:
Haha, I saw this thread title and I thought the thread was about stores selling hots. Oops! Had a long response thought out, but then I actually READ it. *Sneaks off now*
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Don't feel bad. I thought the exact same thing when I just glanced at it lol. But then I actually read the title and the post and made much more sense.
 
I live in Lynnwood and all the petco/petsmarts are the same up here. :/ Last week there was a little dead amel in the tank and he seemed like he just baked to death.
 
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