Advice needed: is this chahoua too cheap?

Looking for an inhabitant for my new 18x18x24 bioactive. Originally I was planning for a gargoyle, but I just saw a lovely Chahoua for sale that I’m rapidly falling in love with. Problem is, he’s $350 which seems like a suspiciously low price for a Chewie. I think the reason he’s priced that low is bc he’s not a pure bloodline, he’s a GT/PI mix. This is fine to me, he’s be pet only anyway so I don’t care about pure blood. Am I being too paranoid and should I snatch up this great opportunity? Also, is 18x18x24 a good size for a Chahoua? All my sources say it is, but I’d like to double check (can you tell i’m an anxious person lol) Anyways advice is appreciated thanks

Originally Posted by Bugs_and_Herps

Looking for an inhabitant for my new 18x18x24 bioactive. Originally I was planning for a gargoyle, but I just saw a lovely Chahoua for sale that I’m rapidly falling in love with. Problem is, he’s $350 which seems like a suspiciously low price for a Chewie. I think the reason he’s priced that low is bc he’s not a pure bloodline, he’s a GT/PI mix. This is fine to me, he’s be pet only anyway so I don’t care about pure blood. Am I being too paranoid and should I snatch up this great opportunity? Also, is 18x18x24 a good size for a Chahoua? All my sources say it is, but I’d like to double check (can you tell i’m an anxious person lol) Anyways advice is appreciated thanks

Hello! That enclosure size seems a little small for an adult. Im sure others with more experience might have more accurate advice with enclosure size. That price does seem low but sometimes when people are strapped for cash or moving to a new location they have to move their animals quickly. That said make sure you do your homework on the person you are potentially buying from. If they have a new account, zero online presence, and only accept payment methods that do not offer buyer protection then it’s probably too good to be true. If you are using PayPal or Venmo make sure that the payment goes through your credit card. If you end up getting scammed your CC company will always have your back in instances of online fraud. Good luck!

Thank you, dieselfan! The seller seems pretty legit- they are new to the selling platform and don’t have ratings there, but they have a large social media presence and have LAG, health guarantee, and accept paypal so I’m not super worried about my money. The main thing I’m worried about with getting scammed is the health of the gecko, ie is there some health ailment not listed that’s why it’s so cheap. If I did go forward with buying it I would ask a lot of questions to ensure that it’s a healthy gecko. I do want more input though, especially about the enclosure size because I will not buy something that I can’t give enough room.

Is this the gecko in Canada?

I'd be concerned about shipping into the US -- at least, concerned enough to look into the process. I did it once with animals, with a shipping agent (though this was US --> CA) and it was expensive, so likely this seller isn't using an import/export agent. I've had dry goods shipped into the US from CA, and it was not quick to cross the border.

There may be paperwork necessary. Apparently, all exotic animals shipped into WA need a permit and vet certificate. Will customs at SeaTac check for this? Maybe.

https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=16-54-180

UPS doesn't ship animals unless overnight is guaranteed, which it won't be for something that has to clear customs.

https://www.ups.com/us/en/help-cente...s/animals.page

Label services such as SYR don't handle international packages, AFAIK.

I'd ask the seller how many international shipments they've handled, exactly what service they use, and how it went.

Yes, it appears you’ve seen the same as I have. It is from Canada. I’ve gotten live animals from Canada before, although it was inverts so definitely different in terms of shipping stability. I am very suspicious of the fact that it says free shipping, when the shipping is probably more expensive for crossing the border (Most other canadian ads on morphmarket, etc, have $100+ shipping into the US. I’m probably going to give in to my suspicion on this one, even though it’s a lovely gecko… sticking with an american gargoyle is probably the way to go.