"A Life of Pain, for Someone's Gain"

Yes it is, a life of pain for someone's gain, and I think it is very sleazy at best. To sell animals that are handicaps to collect extra cash is just about as low as it gets.

Albino tortoises, albino turtles, two headed lizards and snakes, albino tegus, albino iguanas, bearded dragons bred to have no scales (Silk-Backs), and deformed turtles that genetically bred to have no eyes. All of these are being sold a special, when in fact they are deformed and handicapped. There are many more, but this is a good start to the list.

In my opinion it takes a real scumbag to make excuses why it is fine to produce these animals, knowing they cannot live a normal happy life. And no, there is no other way to look at it. If this were a human with the same defects, what would we call it? Where are the morals in this hobby, or has it all turned into the dollars for a quick rip for a handicap? What is wrong with selling normal healthy herps? Is it that they are not worth as much? If that is the case, then the ones selling these animals are not in this hobby for the love of the animals; they are here for the money and to pad their pockets.

Just something to think about, is it really fair to these animals?

I completely agree. It's only about trying to make as much money as possible with no regards to the animals welfare.
Here is a perfect example of someone trying to sell a deformed animal for a sky high price. Sickening.
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=107939

That's okay, the leopard gecko community is currently enthralled by animals that apparently many of which were predisposed to walking in circles the first few generations and carried multiple undisclosed traits (including multiple albino genes)

The majority of the market consists of people buying/selling/breeding for their own enjoyment, not for any ethical purpose.

Leos are another story, they are nocturnal and do not require a basking light. The ones that bother me are the ones that must bask under bright lights to survive. Then sold as something special for extra cash.

Steve, the ad for that no-eyed boa is sick as well.

Here is another:

What I don't get is; do they expect someone to pay these crazy prices? $10,000 for something that should have been culled and probably won't live.

I gotta take the other side here on the natural born freaks.

There has always been and my guess is there always will be, a demand to see them.

Look in this very thread. Instead of just posting your opinions you have used pictures to illustrate your points of view.

I don't have a problem with someone who has a naturally occurring freak trying to make a profit off of it. It's a genuine curiosity made by nature, not bred by someone intentionally.

The albinos that need sunlight but can't tolerate it, or turtles bred to be eyeless intentionally, that's another matter entirely.

However, there too, given time, with the albino situation anyway, there may well be some advancements that will make lighting unnecessary in the future for these amelanistic creatures that would then render them excellent pets.

The no eyed thing, well, that's on the fence. When you come right down to it can you really say that a snake that is primarily nocturnal, like a python or boa, will suffer from lack of eyesight? I don't think you can. I've had one eyed snakes and they seemed fine to me. I've never had a no eyed snake but from what I've heard, they seem to do just fine.

While we are all entitled to our opinions I don't think any of us have the right to condemn someone else for thinking differently. Just because some guy can see dollar signs in his two headed gecko does not make him a bad guy. The guy who tries to sell albino lizards, knowing they need light which they can't tolerate, that is another matter entirely. He may well be a scumbag UNLESS he's actively looking for alternative sources for D3 that will enable the amel lizards to live "normal" lives.

As much as I generally agree with most of you guys, I think you're wrong on this one.

It's NOT my way or no way, it's whatever works so long as the animals don't suffer.

Bobby, I know the albino torties and lizards are suffering and I'm with you on the facts as they are today BUT, where there's profit there's process advance. My guess is there will be process advance that enables us to keep these animals healthily without light in spectrums their albinism prevents them from tolerating.

The high price of said animals can also deter the wrong keepers from getting these animals and then breeding them, though, again, on the other side of that, people can see that as a way to make money too. " I paid 10K for this one, so what if it proves out to be genetic and i can sell these all the time for 10K a pop" thats wrong too.

I see nothing wrong... totally.. with buying a deformed animal if you plan to give it the best care possible and never breed it. ( unless you are trying for that in controlled scientific studies *personal knowledge, what have you* and thats a whole 'nother ball game i dont want to get into.

But in the sense of buying a critter because it is "unique" if you'd like to call it that, i really cant have a problem with that. The only thing i do have a problem with, is the purposeful breeding of an obviously badly deformed animal, or one that would have a lesser quality of life than its relatives because a certain trait prevents them from having a "normal" life.

*shrug*

***EDIT***
You know what, never mind, it's not even worth my time.

Originally Posted by E2MacPets

That's okay, the leopard gecko community is currently enthralled by animals that apparently many of which were predisposed to walking in circles the first few generations and carried multiple undisclosed traits (including multiple albino genes)

The majority of the market consists of people buying/selling/breeding for their own enjoyment, not for any ethical purpose.

Steve, Steve, Steve... and you're NOT part of the leopard gecko community? Surely someone who claims to be as intelligent and ethical as you wouldn't use the term "enthralled"...

Originally Posted by KelliH

***EDIT***
You know what, never mind, it's not even worth my time.

I beg to differ. I think your opinion would not only be worth you time in writing it but also mine which would then be spent reading it.

Unless of course you're simply frustrated by some peoples inability to get over stuff. (hint hint Steve)