Do reptile shops/pet shops have a clue wot they are talking bout???

[LauraandLee]

I feel like I should write this thread, as for past few wks I have been looking into getting collard lizards. I have reserved some now and so exicted
However am glad I look into it first cause last week or so I have visited reptile/pet shops 4 of them selling collard lizards the amount for different advice I have had is unbeliveable
One shop was say 3 adult males can be kept together?
Another said 3 collards can be kept in 2 ft viv?
Another said that 5% uvb is plenty?
Whilst I was told by another reptile place NO uvb was needed?
I am amazed that reptile shop owners can sell reptiles and not have a clue wot there on about!!!
I am not talking about all reptile places lucky one of the guys seemed to know wot he was on bout and recomened at least 3 ft, 12% uvb, and never to house males as aggressive! which is some of the things I reseached!
Im just wondering if anyone as had similar or same probs!!!!!
Also point im making is make sure you research, im no expert, but shouldnt really give advice if they dont know wot there on about, a simply I dont know would have been ok, at least honest!!!
Maybe we should recomended this forum to people who talk
Pls add your expernices??????

[quadrapop]

i agree with the shop thing and good luck with the collards my mum kept them a good ten years when i was young so i grew up with them and she has just bought a male again after saying she wouldnt I love watching them!

[Caboose]

one of my friends owns & runs a reptile shop

he knows what hes talking about, i think it all depends on if they do it for money

or they do it because they enjoy them

unfortunatly he enjoys it too much and most of the stuff he gets in he has a tendancy to keep for himself lol.

including a monkeytail skink with a weird tendancy to be all nice to you then climb up your arm and bite your earlobe off.

trust me... it comes OFF... ive seen him do it

but it is all dependant on if their hobby is their job or if its just a job, aslong as they make money they dont really care.

[vickylolage]

Ive heard all sorts over time from shops round my area.
I was told if you have 2 male beardies if they grew up together they would NEVER fight.
Calci-sand was the nly typw of substrate any lizard should be kept on.
A sub-adult corn should have 1 pinky a week

The list is ridiculous

[donstapley]

i dont think its fair to generalise so much. yes some shops dont know what they are talking about but many do. i used to work part time in a reptile shop and ive never met a few people that were so clued up on thier reptile stuff, they never once gave any information that i felt was unhelpful or wrong. So i think that their are a few that are genuinly good shop that have intelligent and helpful staff

[vickylolage]

Originally Posted by donstapley

i dont think its fair to generalise so much. yes some shops dont know what they are talking about but many do. i used to work part time in a reptile shop and ive never met a few people that were so clued up on thier reptile stuff, they never once gave any information that i felt was unhelpful or wrong. So i think that their are a few that are genuinly good shop that have intelligent and helpful staff

I agree some are reeeeally good
I used to work in one which I found to be very helpful
I guess a lot of normal pet shops sometimes jump on the band wagon and dont always read up on everything. Garden centre sometimes do that aswell.

[ToxicSiren]

Personally id never really trust a pet shop with reps or garden centre as they dont always have rep specialists. But a proper rep shop i would trust.
My favs being Tyrannosaurus Pet in Leeds and Snakes and Adders in Sheffield. Those guys are great....x

[LauraandLee]

I dont think its fair to generalise so much.

I am not generalising as I did say -

I am not talking about all reptile places

I am glad that you have had postive expernices, however I was just making people aware of the diferent advice that some rep/pet shops give, and just for people to know that you cant always trust reptile/pet owners.

So i think that their are a few that are genuinly good shop that have intelligent and helpful staff

I totally agree as I mentioned one of the guys seemed to know wot he was on bout, so I know there are ntelligent and helpful staff.

I just wanted other rep owners to add there expernices?

Also I forgot to mention the people who have given me advice about collards u know who u r, many thanks

[sparkle]

Some shops are great some are horrific

theres 2 near me that are dreadful

ive sent 4 or 5 mates of mine in undercover to ask the most basic of questions just to double check im not imagining how bad they are.. i did this as i was accused of being biased cos they had lied to me about wild caught animals being captive bred.. but honestly they are dreadful. owned and ran by the same people too.. strangely enough. theres also one in ayr thats even worse... mites al over the animals and no heat or Uv and chams in with torts etc etc


but then theres also another few that are good.. so its swings and roundabouts

[grumpyoldtrout]

Originally Posted by sparkle

Some shops are great some are horrific


theres also one in ayr thats even worse... mites al over the animals and no heat or Uv and chams in with torts etc etc

AHH the hellhole, I know that one. GRRR, Will not even buy livefood from them!

Are you talking about the Veiled that was in the middle row a couple of months ago, total height of tank about 14 inches? There were Golden Geckos in with it at one point.

I have found the Paisley one to be good, at least in our experience all have been eating / shedding / healthy, when we got them.