In the BUSINESS of trading reptiles it is important to remember that we all originated from the same place; that is that we were all originally hobbyists. That being said, as hobbyists we displayed an inordinate amount of CARE and REGARD for our animals well being.
Somewhere during this hobbyist stage we realize the potential profitability of and thusly begin to investigate this new found opportunity. While investigating we make a decision which defines the rest of our careers in the industry.
A three part spectrum develops:
1) Extrme Left: Business: This segment defines those individuals who have forgotten about the level of CARE and REGARD for the animals well being that they upheld as hobbyists. Their focus is on $$$ and that alone. This has some drastic implications that may lead the eventual overall BAN of reptiles. Im talking about selling people animals that they cant take care of which leads to the unnecessary release of non native species and potential harm to both the animal and the handler. A more pressing concern though is that of how the animal is represented to the customer. You will often times find that these individuals do not accurately represent their animals such as my experience with a nippy carpet python and the other person's experience with the Uro which eventually passed away.
2) Middle: These individuals have made the decision to uphold the level of CARE and REGARD they are accustomed to which thusly benefits the keepers, the industry, and the hobby as a whole safe. These individuals have been able to ethically make a profit from their hobbies. THESE INDIVIDUALS DO NOT SACRIFICE ANYTHING!!! They have instead decided to provide the highest level of service to the customer and the highest level of regard to the animal.
3) Far Right: These individuals are pure hobbyists. ON THE TOP OF THEIR MINDS IS THE GENERAL WELL BEING OF THE ANIMAL AND EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE, THE SPECIES AS A WHOLE. They will make personal sacrifices for their animals and would even be willing to sell any offspring they produced well below the market standard.
Rian Gittman hardly fits the description of the ethical reptile dealer we all envision. He preys on people who have a distinct disadvantage in that they come to him with a real lack of knowledge and assume he is an expert. This creates a situation where the customer believes every word that he says and therefore follows his instructions. This is what happened to me. I was not told anything about the fact that my snake could be nippy and how I should handle it if this situation arises. He was unwilling to take my snake back after I had it for a few days and decided that I could not deal with its behavior. He left me in a situation where the outcome could have been an inexperienced keeper with a mean snake and this only leads to trouble for the entire community.
Moreover, I saw an article on the internet somewhere in which Mr. Gittman discussed how he collects water snakes and ribbon snakes right out of the wild. He does this and then sells the animals in his shop. We know that the world will be unliveable if we continue to rape the land of its resources and yet people are STILL DOING IT!!!
As for you Mr. Light,
[email protected], pristine pythons, arboreals, or JLexotics: You dont even have the first clue about how to operate a business. Youve been talking for the past few years about getting a WAREHOUSE, this is the correct spelling, YET YOUVE GOT NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT BECAUSE YOU CANT COMMIT TO ANYTHING. As is evident by your multitude of aliases, you have yet to pick an ID and STICK WITH IT!!! Its obvious that you are continually trying to reinvent yourself in these forums because of mistakes you have made in the past, however minor they may have been. BOTTOM LINE IS: YOU WANT A FLAWLESS REPUTATION AND YOU JUST CANT GET IT!!!
For any inquiries contact
[email protected]
Michael Tragash
