My Favorite Bad Reptile Advice I've Gotten

jjhill001 · 03-04-15, 07:56 PM

Ok so we've all gotten advice based on myth or stupidity on the care of our reptiles. These are some of my favorites I've heard or read online.

I'm overhearing a pet store employee tell someone about a snake to someone who wants a kingsnake but one of the other kids in the family wants an anole.

Customer-"Can you keep the snake with the lizard?"

Employee- "Of course you can they'll get along great"

Me - "That's not going to work at all."

Employee from around the corner- "I'll have you know I keep my snakes with my leopard geckos and they are fine together"

Me- "No you don't"

To the customer- "Lizards are the natural prey of snakes in the wild if you buy this snake and put it with this lizard the lizard will be dead within the day"

Mr. Employee not willing to lose a sale on a 4 dollar lizard- "I'm the expert here I think I know what I'm talking about"

Me- "Just because you put on a blue shirt doesn't mean you are an expert I've been keeping reptiles the better part of my life and I have actually had to feed a snake lizards to get them to start eating"

To the customer- Grabbing a kingsnake book off the nearby shelf "this is the only thing you should buy here, you'll get everything for less or equal price online and the advice of a responsible breeder who actually knows what they are talking about."

Mr. Employee with manager now- "We think you should leave you are affecting a sale here."

Me- "You should just be smart and sell them separately and sell twice as much supplies which is where the real money is at you idiots."

Proceed to pantomime a mic drop and leave as the customer is checking the book out.

jjhill001 · 03-04-15, 08:01 PM

Sometimes I just like to ask questions to see what the answer will be even when I know the answer already.

What do iguanas eat? Crickets.
How big do they get? As large as the cage you keep them in.
Are these dangerous? No reticulated pythons are one of the smaller pythons they are really like ball pythons.
Can I feed my snake lettuce? No (ok they aren't all stupid)
What kind of lightbulb does this bearded dragon need? Well just a normal bulb in your house will be fine, these ones we sell are expensive.
Do frogs like to be held? Some do but this one is mean (pacman).

I overheard a customer asking about cocaine and turtles. I just left that one alone.

elkied243 · 04-15-15, 02:38 PM

At petsmart once looking for stuff for mites and they would NOT let me leave.
They had nothing that would help me and I said I was going to another pet store that I was sure would have it. In a last ditch attempt to sell me something the manager told me to spray frontline all over my snake and his tank...I told him I wanted to kill mites not snakes and left.

mistersprinkles · 04-25-15, 11:44 AM

I used to work in the aquarium section of a pet store. I'd like to think that my advice was pretty solid- but here are some of the stupid questions I got:

Customer: Can I keep my hamster with my fish?
Me: No, hamsters come from the desert and can't swim
Customer: But I was going to make it like an island
Me: I really don't see this working out
Customer: I have several ideas (Produces a sketch pad from his bag)

Customer: Do you sell seahorses?
My boss: Yes but they are very advanced level pets. Do you have experience with them?
Customer: I have real horses. I think I can take care of sea horses.

**lady_bug87** · 04-25-15, 01:54 PM

Me: do you have any medium rats?
Employee: yes. Which colour would you like? Or does it not matter? I know some snakes will only eat white ones Or one color
Me:.... whut?
Employee: yea some guy told me that.
Me: yea... no. Tell him he's wrong.

jjhill001 · 04-25-15, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

Me: do you have any medium rats?
Employee: yes. Which colour would you like? Or does it not matter? I know some snakes will only eat white ones Or one color
Me:.... whut?
Employee: yea some guy told me that.
Me: yea... no. Tell him he's wrong.

This is actually a thing with Ball Pythons if I'm not mistaken.

**lady_bug87** · 04-25-15, 09:18 PM

No. It isnt.

**Aaron_S** · 04-25-15, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjhill001

This is actually a thing with Ball Pythons if I'm not mistaken.

I own a lot of ball pythons. I have owned many. I have worked with many from various sources over the past 15 years. I have never experienced this.

Quite often what happens is that the snake isn't eating for some other reason and the person isn't wanting to recognize or believe it could be their fault. So when the snake finally eats for whatever reason they chalk it up to some silly reason like colour of prey.

grapefruit · 04-26-15, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjhill001

I overheard a customer asking about cocaine and turtles. I just left that one alone.

LOL i just spat my coffee out

jjhill001 · 04-26-15, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I own a lot of ball pythons. I have owned many. I have worked with many from various sources over the past 15 years. I have never experienced this.

Quite often what happens is that the snake isn't eating for some other reason and the person isn't wanting to recognize or believe it could be their fault. So when the snake finally eats for whatever reason they chalk it up to some silly reason like colour of prey.

I don't keep ball pythons but I remember this in books I've read about them. Maybe just one of those myths.

**Aaron_S** · 04-26-15, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjhill001

I don't keep ball pythons but I remember this in books I've read about them. Maybe just one of those myths.

Yeah unfortunately nobody checks the books for accuracy all the time. We all wonder how they get started sometimes and it's in the places we tell people to research!

jjhill001 · 04-26-15, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Yeah unfortunately nobody checks the books for accuracy all the time. We all wonder how they get started sometimes and it's in the places we tell people to research!

Well It's obviously pervasive enough that both of you immediately knew about it.

**lady_bug87** · 04-26-15, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjhill001

Well It's obviously pervasive enough that both of you immediately knew about it.

that comes with experience as well as taking part in active communities with other hobbyists.

elkied243 · 04-29-15, 10:00 AM

Got in a debate with somebody's 14 year old over the species of snake that was found... not wanting to anger momma on FaceBook I simply gave a hiddenly sarcastic response saying:
You're probably right, I've only been caring for and researching snakes for 11 years...I bet I'm wrong.

Kid: Yeah, you are. I know way better than anybody.

......this one was hard for me to restrain myself. (she was wrong by the way.)