Reptile Pet Shops

Ideally a reptile shop would have natural enclosures that provide the reptile with what the lizard or snake etc. would experience in its natural habitat. Like trees, grass or sand, ponds or running water but this is not always possible for a reptile pet shop.

While natural environments greatly increase the overall health of a reptilian animal most shops for reptiles have to consider economics more than natural quality of life. But there are some things you must insure before buying a reptile from a pet store and they might be as follows...

For their housing:
* Look for clean housing and cages
* make sure there is water that is clean
* check the cleanliness of the decorations and ask how they are cleaned and or disinfected
* if more than one animal is together, do they have enough room to move around and are they getting along with each other

For health and injury:
* do any reptiles have raw rubbed spots
* are there sunken eyes, hip bones that jut out, legs with saggy skin, dullness to the skin
* do the critters seem to have mites, ticks, bugs
* do they seem to have a cold with open mouth when breathing or fluids in weird places
* does the back or tail look crooked
* are there any cuts or bumps
* do all the various creatures appear to be in the proper kind of environment wet, dry, trees, logs, rocks etc...

* Is the staff capable of answering your questions about a particular animal? Are there reference materials in the store and books to buy on reptiles?

If an animal is in poor or questionable condition, keep in mind that some store might want to say the reptile just arrived and therefore they have not had a chance to make the reptile comfortable or better; but if you constantly see problems with the animals then you might want to shop elsewhere. Often the wrong environment maintained in order to save space and therefore make maximum profits by a shop can be the leading cause of poor herp health.

You will find good shops old and new. some will have growing pains while others have learned a lot already. You will even find good reptile stores that have a rotten day now and then, but they will quickly recover from the experience and make things right again. Just by doing some research at various locations, you will surely find a reptile shop that has quality reptiles for you to purchase.

 
Also See:
Supplies for Your Reptile Pet
Pet Reptile Cages
Reptile Misting Systems
Reptile Shows
Pet Reptile Terrarium
Reptile Medicine
Wholesale Reptile Pets