Buying a reptile or any animal at petco or petsmart?

Question

if i was going to buy a ball python at petco or petsmart can i ask them 2 feed it so i can know it will eat beofre buying it and how can i say that to them like "can you feed the python so i can know it is healthy?"

Answer 1

Seriously, no.  They feed them on a limited schedule, and not in front of customers.

Answer 2

no because they treat theyre animals badlybut here is a ball python breeder:

http://www.vmsherp.com/ViewBalls.htm

or visit your reptile store they may be more expensive but they are sick at all

Answer 3

go to a blazin reptiles or something that only sells reptiles, that way u know u getting a snake that has gotten good care!

Answer 4

well it would depend on the store i work at a petco and our animals just fine and we send any animal no matter what it cost to the vet if its sick, not many breeders would send an anole to a vet and pay $100 to treat a $4 animal. managers don't teach the employees they try to hire people that have experience with the animals first sometimes its just that easy to find those people.

i have seen just as many bad private breeders at pet store if.  the snakes are not feed on any specific day but they wont feed it in front of you most likely you can ask tho  no problem with asking.. there is a 15 day guarantee

Answer 5

Go to a local pet store dont listen to the employes at petsmart or petco the managers teach them c**p most likely your pet will be dead in a week if you dont believe me just look at the pets, they keep dead fish and say their "pets"  only buy the supplies from chain stores not the pets

Answer 6

It is unlikely they will feed the snake upon request. It's not that it's a bad idea for you to gauge the "domestication" of the snake, but imagine the predicament they'd be in if they indulged every curious customer's request to feed their animals.

I'd do some research online to determine the readily observable characteristics of a healthy snake. I'd start by checking if the snake appears full-bodied (good sign) or if it seems abnormally thin. Obviously younger snakes will be thinner than older specimens, but they shouldn't appear starving. The scales should be fairly shiny, without any observable sores or injuries (the exception is right before they shed, where their skin turns rather dull before it sloughs off). The eyes should seem alert, not cloudy (again, except during shedding), and the snake should be somewhat active, though healthy pythons will often sit around a lot.

Another very common-sense approach is just to observe how the store treats their animals. If their tanks seem littered with half-dead, floating fish, if the animal cages are dirty, if most of their pets seem sluggish, chances are none of their pets are kept too well. The best bet is often to buy from a smaller, local store with good stock. Too many of the big stores get careless in caring for their pets (in my experience). The good news is, the ball python is a fairly hardy breed, and most specimens will probably do fine if you care for it well. Also ask about the stores return policy. Not all stores, but some (especially local ones with good customer rapport) will agree to exchange a pet that is unhealthy, or replace it if it dies within a short time (usually about one week).

Answer 7

i recommend petsmart better than petco. trust me from experience.

Answer 8

Pet stores usually don't feed reptiles in front of customers. The most you'll see is them misting the tanks.

Answer 9

well they probably wont do that because at petco they usely feed them on sunday when they close...but im pretty sure it will be healty

Answer 10

I wouldn't suggest buying a pet from either. Almost any pet that I've gotten from a chain store such as those has had some kind of initial problem that I either have or haven't been able to cure. They don't treat their animals well anyway. I would suggest going to a local pet store instead and I'm sure they would be happy to help your needs.

Answer 11

All I have to say is DON'T buy from a pet store.  Surprisingly or perhaps not there are a lot of reptile breeders around North America.  I personally breed leopard gecko and corn snakes and will soon be getting into green tree pythons (have bred bearded dragons and ball pythons in the past).  Reptiles at any petstore is improperly cared for... fed sparingly, they never give you the correct advice and will often be in poor if not grave health.  Just search for reptile breeders in your area and purchase from them instead.  Beyond the fact that it will be garunteed healthy, you will surely be given proper care advice... it's like to also be much cheaper than a petstore as they greatly overcharge on all their animals.

Hope that helps!