"I don't know, its uh, brown with spots?"

This goes along with the "People who can't spell Burm" thread....what gets me mad is people who have a reptile, or any other type of pet for that matter, but have no idea what it is.

Ive worked at pet stores for almost 4 years now and there are just so many people who come in buying supplies for their herps, and when i try and help them, they dont even know what it is they have!! It will go something like this:

"Hi, I have a snake, and I need a new light bulb, it burned out."
"Ok. What type of snake?"
"Umm... I think its a python?"
"What kind of python?"
"Umm...I dont know. Its umm, brown. Oh, and its about...this long" *spreads arms out, because i will be able to tell exactly what kind of python it is by looking at how long they think it is.*

I just dont get it! How can you have an animal yet have no clue what it is?? why would you get an animal without knowing what species it is?? Why do they only seem to know them as "snake" or "lizard" or "turtle" ? This sort of thing happens on a weekly, sometimes daily basis at my store.

"Umm...hi I have a lizard thats i've had for about a year now, how many crickets do you think I should get for it? Its small and green."

I know you've seen the look.. where not only don't they know, they think you're weird for even being curious "Hey, I just wanted to watch it kill stuff, I'm not like involved with it or anything".

(It's not really a mystery though... it's 'cause people can buy pets and just not give a crap about them.)

Erin B.

We constantly are amazed by the level of stupidity shown by others who are supposed to be knowledgeable about reptiles.

No kidding...about a year ago..we were at one of the pet store chains (I won't say which, but it rhymes with Sweat Pearhouse).

The reptile guy was talking about his Ball Python to a couple that were looking for a snake for their son. He was pushing the cornsnakes and they were asking about the balls, having been told they were one of the more popular pets as far as pythons go.

Well, it turns out this guy has a record snake! We couldn't believe our luck! He had a Ball Python that was about 3 years old and 8 feet long. The snake was still growing a lot and was taking large rabbits at this point.

While the couple were talking it over to themselves Terese, being the business-smart woman she is, asked the snake guy to give her a call because she we just so happen to be looking for an 8ft male breeder ball python. She flipped out a business card and handed it to him then practically RAN out the door to catch the couple that had left seeing as they had no idea Balls got so huge and now had to go and rethink their decision.

Well, longer story short, they got a juvie ball python within a few days for about $20 as opposed to the store's $79.99 on special animals and we have two new friends.

By the way - the kid never called us. Damn our luck!

LMAO..too funny..What I really enjoy is getting the calls from folks with snakes in their yard,or one they saw on their andventure to the grocery store. ALWAYS a copperhead or a rattlesnake,unless it's near the water,then it's a cottonmouth.I believe I told you and Terese the story of the infamous "Mojave Green" here around town didn't I Steve?

Yep, you did. But let me pose to you this question:

How many calls are for snakes that are "..just a small one.." as opposed to all of them being the biggest thing that's EVERY slithered on the face of the planet?

Easy one bro...about 2%


Now for the mojave green story for the rest of ya'll:

A while back at the local tobacco store,where I am a regular, a lady was explaining to me the snake she saw in her garden. By all that she could tell me it was a Speckled kingsnake,one of my favorite species. After telling her the benefits of having such a snake around,cue in the grimy,grundgy,mechanic type guy..and all 6 of his remaining teeth. He commenced to tell me that it might be a Mojave green rattlesnake,since he saw one of TV. Her snake was green(see where I'm going here), her snake rattled it's tail(rocket science folks). I then explained to the man,in a very calm tone of voice(from choking down my laughter) that It might be possible that it was a Mojave,except:

this is Arkansas...mojave Is some 2000 miles away..one helluva range extension.

Her snake Didn't have a rattle.No point in going there

To make a long story short,I pissed the guy off,he left,and myself and the store clerk had a good laugh about.


Ahhh..the memories.

Originally posted by meretseger
I know you've seen the look.. where not only don't they know, they think you're weird for even being curious "Hey, I just wanted to watch it kill stuff, I'm not like involved with it or anything".

Of course. I always get the "look." and, they cant seem to fathom in their teeny little minds why I need to know the snake species or even care. i mean, its just a snake, right?

When I get them the mice... I just ask if they're feeding a cat. Then when they say it's a snake, I say "People have SNAKES for PETS? That's CRAZY! You must be a very brave nonconformist. This is TOTALLY blowing my mind."
It doesn't accomplish anything, but neither does asking them what sort of snake they have.

Erin B.

I bought my first Water Dragon and knew absolutely zero about how much it takes to care for one. I DID know what it was but that was about it. Not only was I ignorant for not learning more than I did, but the girl who helped me had no knowledge either or it was very limited at best. There in lies the problem. Those big chains have no problem selling reptiles to an unimformed public.

I don't work for at a pet store and only use MetsPart when absolutely necessary but when ever I see someone with that 'look' I recommend a few websites, kid friendly ones anyway.
That's about all you can do...can't save everyone (reptile I mean). It won't stop any time soon and that gives the kooks at PETA ammunition to use against us.

Anyway, I don't have a point I guess, I would ask that you TRY to be patient with the clueless among us, I'd think we were all one at some point.

Take care,

Just one question..do you all have some sort of "field guide" that show reptiles common to the trade? Maybe they can spot the one they own, kinda like a mug shot?

Take care,