• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

The Big, Bad Petco

A

Aquilegia

Rodent Paradox
I know Petco gets a lot of bad press around here, and I went along with it until I went there for my rats (pets, not feeders, heh). Turns out that at least some of the staff know what they're talking about (they all keep animals themselves), and they encourage adoptions rather than just buying their animals. The rats I got from them (adoptions, not bought) don't seem to have any health problems. And they have corn snakes.

I'm in the market for a second snake, but unfortunately I can't afford the shipping from a breeder. Would it be a total sin for me to get one of the adorable Petco hatchlings, since they've got a snow right now and I'm not planning to breed? If so, what precautions should I take? I'm planning to get the new snakey to my really excellent vet ASAP after I bring her home, so she can go straight back to Petco (or start treatment) if she's got parasites or anything. Is there a need to keep her away from my other snake (an adult) until I know if she's healthy? (I'm NOT going to cohab them; I just mean can they be in the same room).

Also, I'm kinda new to hatchlings, so is there anything I should know that isn't standard info in "the book" (which in this case is Kathy Love's)?
 
My first response (as a former Petco manager): if you're interested in morphs other than the "standards" of normal, amel, snow, and anery, and you can't afford shipping, try to find a reptile show/expo within a 100 mile radius from where you live. You just may be able to find something very nice there.

If you don't plan on breeding, be very careful...when I started three years ago, I didn't plan on breeding either, but this hobby is VERY addictive.

If you can "stick to your guns" on that, I would have NO problem with a Petco purchase, as you won't know the complete genotype of the snake. Two of my first three snakes were Petco purchases - an amel and an anery - and I'll be spending a couple of breeding seasons with them to see if they have any "surprise" hets. That's an "added cost", so to speak.

As for precautions, there's the usual.....do your 'homework' and you'll be fine. That fact that you made this thread indicates that you're not doing this on impulse.

I'd doubt if the Petco snake would have parasites, but do a visual double-check for mites. If you plan on taking the new purchase to the vet, have s/he sex the snake for you (and your current one, if you don't know it already).

Having an adult in the same room as a hatchling is a non-issue. I've got a dozen adults/subadults in the same room as 8 hatchlings/yearlings...and two clutches about to hatch as well.

Good luck!

regards,
jazz
 
Lots of people get great animals from well run shops. And lots of people get not so great animals. I know the breeder for most of the Petco shops, and he has great animals. Unfortunately, some of the shops refuse to listen to his advice, so they don't always STAY great. But if your shop houses them separately, and cares for them properly, they might be a good pet for you.

Be sure to quarantine ANY new snake, even from a respected breeder. Keep it as far away from your other reptiles as possible, at least for a month, preferably for a few months. New animals are stressed and more prone to succumbing to even common pathogens compared to an established animal. Either the new snake or the old one could harbor something detrimental to the other. But if the new snake eats and digests well, and seems healthy for at least a couple of months or more, it is not too likely to have something deadly (there are exceptions, of course). And by that time, the new snake should be over the initial stress of a new home and should be less susceptible to anything your old snake might have (that could be lurking inside, without causing any problems so far).

Be sure the shop will guarantee that it feeds and is healthy. If it won't feed within their guarantee time, or regurges, be sure you contact them right away.

If you are going to spend money on a vet, be sure it is an experienced reptile vet. Most people don't go for a vet visit for an apparently healthy new snake, but I guess it can't hurt anything if it is a herp vet and you can afford it. A fecal exam (fresh poop you can collect and take in to the vet) will usually turn up the most likely problems.

Follow the care sheet on my site for the first month, although either of my books (or Don's book) has much more detailed info.

Good luck!
 
Jazz and Kathy pretty much covered everything, but I would just like to add my two cents,
If you were going to my local Petco, I'd say don't do it. They have a bad mite problem that nobody seems to care about. Every time I complain the snakes disappear for treatment, then a month or so later they are back. With mites. If you bought a snake with mites, would it be possible to treat? Sure! But factor the time and money into the price.. That said, every individual Petco is as likely to have healthy snakes as any other pet store, and your local might be great! Check for black dots in the water bowl, black red or brown dots around the snakes eyes and under the chin, and look for a bunch of snakes crowded into the water bowl as those are the tell tale signs. And don't look for the one that doesn't have them on it. If they are in the cage together and one has them, they all have them.
Another thing to worry about though is feeding. When you have a bunch of stressed out hatchlings sitting in a tank together stressing each other out more, and no hides to go to when these giant animals (people) keep staring in at them (tapping on the glass and whatever else), I would worry that you might end up with a difficult feeder. But that's easy to answer. Pick the one you want and ask the employees to show you that snake eating. If they won't- I would NOT buy it.
My last point is the price. If you were to pick a pretty little amel or snow at the Petco, compare the price to the price of a breeders amel or snow. Go ahead and factor in the shipping price and/or the price to get into the show. I'll bet the price is still comparable and sometimes cheaper.

Bottom line- Can you get a good one at the Petco- It's very possible with the right precautions.
Would I?- Nope too many things to worry about. I worry too much with snakes that are known to be healthy, lol.
 
well, I bought my snow corn Nevada from petco (it was before i knew about this site and the breeders here) and he is beautiful. he is a great eater and has wonderful colors. of course, you are never guaranteed anything...
 
tom e said:
My last point is the price. If you were to pick a pretty little amel or snow at the Petco, compare the price to the price of a breeders amel or snow. Go ahead and factor in the shipping price and/or the price to get into the show. I'll bet the price is still comparable and sometimes cheaper.
Click to expand...
Heh, sorry, Petco price is $30... breeder price is at least $20 plus maybe $40 shipping.

Everyone -- thanks for the advice. I may or may not go through with this; it seems my brother's got the corn bug too and he may be putting in an order to a breeder, in which case we can split the shipping cost... but either way I'll let you know how it goes. :)
 
I am Motley and Peaches owner. I am our local Petco's C.A.S (Companion Animal Specialist). Currently I am certified in birds and small animals but will be certified soon in reptiles, fish, dogs, and cats.

I purchased Motley from our Petco. Good things about Petco's reptiles:

They are garuanteed for 15 days
Nice variety
MOST are decent eaters
MOST are in perfect health
MOST employees have the basics of snake care down.

I chose Motley because I had never seen ANY Petco carry a Motley pattern, let alone sell it for the same price as the normals!! When I saw him and his cute little orange 'polka dots' I just had to have him. The downside is that he only fed at my store voluntarily and hasn't since in the last two months at my home. He also has four minor kinks in the middle of his back that don't seem to hinder him in any way but I know they are a flaw.

Petco feeds once a week and it would be pointless to feed one in front of a prospective buyer as one poster suggested. First, some snakes are shy and wouldn't eat in that situation, and also, if the snake ate on Tuesday for example, you would have to tell the customer to come back in at LEAST four days to watch it possibly feed. That is impractical for many customers.


I got Peaches from a FLEA MARKET (which many consider to be the WORST place to purchase a reptile). She was out in the blazing hot sun in an aquarium with at least five other snakes. She was in a stuffy, heaping mass of writhing snakes. Every bone in my body said "NO" yet I caved when I saw her beauty and guess what?? She is a gorgeous, healthy, mite-free, good eater, and friendly to boot. The guy at the booth (of whom I was initially skeptical of) claimed he owned a pet shop in a nearby city. He gave me a business card as proof, but I was still a bit nervous. Turns out the guy really does own a pet-store/bait shop and there was a pretty cool write up on his store that I found doing a google search.

Now, remember, Petco offered the garuantee (which Motley turned out to be the non-feeder w/kinks) and the guy at the flea market basically told me, "I can garuantee this snake (Peaches) is alive when I sell her to you." Not exactly comforting words but she is a sturdy, healthy girl and I guess that guy really knows his business.

You have to sometimes trust your instincts. Examine the snake closely. Know some things BEFORE you buy so you can tell if someone isn't knowledgeable (some Petco employees). Do your homework. Be prepared to deal with a non-feeder or imperfect snake if you want it and you KNOW the reptile isn't garuanteed. Not all Petcos are bad and not all vendors at flea markets are trustworthy.
 
I got my snake at Petco, They do take good care of thier animals. But Petsmat... not so much. I took alook at thier snakes first, and found that not very many of them were shoing sings of being healthy.
 
Aquilegia said:
Heh, sorry, Petco price is $30... breeder price is at least $20 plus maybe $40 shipping.

Everyone -- thanks for the advice. I may or may not go through with this; it seems my brother's got the corn bug too and he may be putting in an order to a breeder, in which case we can split the shipping cost... but either way I'll let you know how it goes. :)
Click to expand...

Well your local is cheaper than mine! By all means factor that in.. Let us know how it goes either way.
 
tom e said:
Well your local is cheaper than mine! By all means factor that in.. Let us know how it goes either way.
Click to expand...

Same here! Corns here cost $129.00-$159.00 at pet stores... and those are HATCHLINGS!! Good thing there are a couple yearly shows in Calgary, Edmonton, and the large one in Red Deer. :cheers:

Lisa
 
but do a visual double-check for mites.
Click to expand...

Well, Dale has hit the nail on the head, and Kathy knows about one of the major PetCo suppliers..

I have got a few corns from PetCo.. First one I got was mite infested.. It took me many monthes to get rid of those pesky little twerps.. Otherwise, the staff had very little knowledge of proper care and husbandtry, and I pretty much ignore thier staff at this point.. :twoguns:

Regards.. Tim of T and J
 
I had someone e-mail me asking why their kingsnake they purchased had died at 6 months old. Turned out they were feeding it crickets per Petco's paper they gave them at purchase. They did no other research on snakes and went along with that. I don't have much to say about a place like that. $30 is certainly cheap compared to what the pet places I've been around. Most routinely sell small hatchlings for $60- $70 or more. Reptile shows are a great place to buy snakes for cheap from breeders who will give you all the info you need on the baby, along with proper advice.
 
MegF. said:
I had someone e-mail me asking why their kingsnake they purchased had died at 6 months old. Turned out they were feeding it crickets per Petco's paper they gave them at purchase.
Click to expand...


Did you actually see the sheet?? Go to Petco.com and look for yourself. NOWHERE on that care sheet does it recommend feeding it crickets. It says to feed rodents and not to feed live as it may injure the snake. Your source either lied or heard this advice from the individual salesperson, NOT Petco's caresheet.
Click to expand...
 
No I didn't see that on their sheet either, but it does recommend a lamp over a UTH.

I think it's bad advice geared towards how much money gets spent...
 
I like to go to pet shops and look at the animals, meet the staff and play dumb by asking a ton of questions to test them for a few weeks before I purchase animals from them. There's a petco nearby that's absolutely fantastic - the owner's wife breeds bearded dragons and is a personal friend of mine. And then there are not so great petstores. I've found that you can't really generalize by chain, because every store is different.
 
They had two sheets evidently-one from Petco and another they got from I don't know where. I don't know if they both were printed with it, or someone told them to feed them crickets. Personally I find it hard to believe that people don't do further research on their pets either before or after they get them to learn more! I know for a FACT that they've told people to feed crickets. Heck, I hear it at petstores all the time. I make it a point to ask about caring for the snakes, just to see if they know what they're talking about. Here in Aiken, we only have a Petsmart and they don't sell snakes so they don't have a caresheet for them-and therefore I can't ask them what they know.
 
There is no way in **** that the caresheet said to feed them crickets, at least not petco's, that's just the person being stupid or listening to a stupid person, but even the entire company of petco isn't that messed in the head.
Although I will say that often through no fault of our own crickets got into the corns enclosures because of most everything else eatting crickets. But we always told the customers not to feed them crickets, the only time they thought that was when they made their own baseless assumptions and clearly did zero research.

Just to add to the price comparision, at my petco we only have snows and amels (I live in NJ so pretty much everything else is illegal or way expensive) and they're $39.99 but at the mom and pop a snow is $89.99 and I saw an amel strip for $125
 
Oh, I absolutely agree with you as far as research. This guy is supposedly a person that's got a modicum of intelligence. I don't understand anyone who doesn't do more research on their animals. Especially exotics. I told him that. If they have the time to find someone to ask about it, they sure had time to look on the internet for answers. I have had people at various places tell me they eat crickets. I don't know who decided that they did, but the idea runs rampant out there.
 
Although this is a personal experience, a friend of mine bought her corn at a Petco near us. She had the hatchling for less than a week when they found it dead in the cage. She returned the snake and then bought one from a local pet store.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top