My disturbing trip to the pet store

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I visited a local pet store this morning and I couldn't believe what I saw and heard. The guy had 4 different boas for sale: adult rainbow boa, adult dumerils boa, adult colombian bci, and a yearling guyana. ALL 4 WERE IN THE SAME CAGE (6x2x2)!!!!The water bowl had fungus growing in it and it looked like it hadn't been changed in weeks. He only had a small incadescent bulb for the heat source and no thermometers in sight.
Not only was there bad husbandry, his knowledge of the boas was poor. He told me guyana red tails are smaller than colombian bci. He said colombians are the biggest boas.
I don't think people should be selling animals they don't understand.

[ClayEnglish]

Re: My disturbing trip to the pet store

To be honest with you I just completely stopped going into the small pet stores. Because of this very reason.

Now I know that some stores are clean and the animals are well taken care of, but by and large, the opposite is true.

I will go in the franchise stores PETCO, PETSMART etc, but sometimes I still see things that just make me mad.

Lori may have some advise for you in who to contact for situations like this.

Unfortuanely ignorance is the root cause. "Hey a snake is a snake" is too often the case in a get one of each pet store...

Trying to offer variety in a place with little or no dedicated reptile enclosures is what often happens.

You should voice your opinion to the owner, and recommend the INTERNET to them, you know the place where ALL information can be found, and learn a little about what they are selling.

[LORI]

Re: My disturbing trip to the pet store

UGH...

Lori may have some advise for you in who to contact for situations like this.

Start with.. Where are you located again ?

As for the mis-information they gave out and all...I though you were talking about a petco or one of those type stores while reading the post. ???

I will say.. I am still looking to see a PIC and/or in person of a HUGE BCC like the Guyanas. Have NEVER seen any of them over like 9 / 10' length at all myself ....EVER. My theories for this lie in the "let's breed em young and into the ground supposition" of the matter basically. Least that's what i keep telling myself. Like I said.. theories..which btw is something that needs to be proven to make it fact. Maybe one day it will be one way or the other for me. Still waiting though for it to happen. Now as for the BCI's..I have seen HUGE ones no doubt..even have some in my personal collection here that are in excess of 10'ers. Take that where ya want np. ;D