Info Erik Strait, aka Eriks Reptiles, Parasites and Misrepresentation

[EriksReptiles]

Wow, lol! Name the ZOOS you sold to. Not the people who work at zoos who bought from you privately. You have a way with words. Gift of gab? No need to drag anyone into this. Are the zoos part of a national security issue?

Gift of gab, hardly. I don't want to drag anyone into this because I know how this forum operates and seeing how you operate. All that will happen is that they will be harassed. If they chose to they can, but I won’t put that on them as I respect the privacy of my clients.

Maybe you misunderstood what I wrote? I have not sold any animals privately to people that work at any Zoo, which I am aware of. If I have, they certainly never told me where they work. I will reiterate what I said above. I have asked a few of the people who work at Zoos (Zoos that bought and own my animals) I have sold to (Ex: Curators and lead Zookeepers) for their input.

Chris – You said that you never will buy from me. That is fine and I respect that.

Unless anyone has any questions or comments with sustenance, I will not be replying any more.

Thank you to all my current clients. Anyone is welcome to email me at [email protected], PM me, or call me at 303-905-1592.

Thanks Erik

 

[Chris Kennard]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Kennard
Wow, lol! Name the ZOOS you sold to. Not the people who work at zoos who bought from you privately. You have a way with words. Gift of gab? No need to drag anyone into this. Are the zoos part of a national security issue?

Gift of gab, hardly. I don't want to drag anyone into this because I know how this forum operates and seeing how you operate. All that will happen is that they will be harassed. If they chose to they can, but I won’t put that on them as I respect the privacy of my clients.

Nobody asked you to drag anyone into anything. Just name the zoos. Ducking and dodging.

Maybe you misunderstood what I wrote? I have not sold any animals privately to people that work at any Zoo, which I am aware of. If I have, they certainly never told me where they work. I will reiterate what I said above. I have asked a few of the people who work at Zoos (Zoos that bought and own my animals) I have sold to (Ex: Curators and lead Zookeepers) for their input.

Your exact words were..."I have asked a few of the people I have sold to and currently sell to that work at Zoos I sold to...". Keep dancin'.

Chris – You said that you never will buy from me. That is fine and I respect that.

Unless anyone has any questions or comments with sustenance, I will not be replying any more.

I have one! What zoos!

 

[KelliH]

The debate on whether they were maggots or internal parasites is rather pointless now. The OP neglected to find out WHAT they were and also neglected to have a simple fecal test done on the mate of the dead one. We also encourage people to take their reptiles to a vet when they are showing symptoms of illness, again, the OP neglected to do so.

On the BOI we are always asking for proof: vet reports, necropsy reports; yet all we have here is the word of the OP that has no record of transaction on Fauna that I can find. She got a refund, even though it had been weeks since she had received the gecko.

 

[Chris Kennard]

The debate on whether they were maggots or internal parasites is rather pointless now. The OP neglected to find out WHAT they were and also neglected to have a simple fecal test done on the mate of the dead one. We also encourage people to take their reptiles to a vet when they are showing symptoms of illness, again, the OP neglected to do so.

On the BOI we are always asking for proof: vet reports, necropsy reports; yet all we have here is the word of the OP that has no record of transaction on Fauna that I can find. She got a refund, even though it had been weeks since she had received the gecko.

Proof enough in the video. Worms, maggots, whatever. NOTHING should have been crawling out of that animals orifices! So newbies with no record of transactions here are what, insignificant? Great message.

 

[FosterHerpetological]

Proof enough in the video. Worms, maggots, whatever. NOTHING should have been crawling out of that animals orifices! So newbies with no record of transactions here are what, insignificant? Great message.

 

[Reptilebob]

A few points...

There is evidence of the parasites: the video and pictures. I know they're not extremely clear, but anyone who has seen maggots and parasitic worms can easily tell they're not maggots. Certainly its unclear what kind of worm they are, but maggots would have a wound that they entered through and generally are near the skin surface, not in the chest cavity. As to not getting a fecal done, she said that there were no good samples and she began treating for internals anyway. Its not like lung worms would show up on a fecal.

The OP said that she talked to her vet for over half an hour and used already prescribed meds. As a store owner, that's usually what I do if I have a problem, bringing in the animal in physically only as needed. Most breeders I know do the same thing, as it is more practical for those with lots of animal experience (certainly novices should bring animals to a vet or reptile expert as soon as they see a problem). Personally, I would take the word of an experienced reptile owner/breeder over 90% of the vets and their vet reports anyway.

I agree that there should be a high standard of proof on the BOI. But while the OP was clearly not happy with the seller, she stated multiple times that this was meant to be an informational thread. The images she posted of Eric taking pictures of wild caught and CB animals in the same planted tank show proof that proper quarantine procedures are not being taken. (For all practical purposes, you just cant sanitize plants and soil in between photographs). If I was interested in buying from Erik, I would find it a useful thread to read, along with the positive reviews of Erik.

The debate on whether they were maggots or internal parasites is rather pointless now. The OP neglected to find out WHAT they were and also neglected to have a simple fecal test done on the mate of the dead one. We also encourage people to take their reptiles to a vet when they are showing symptoms of illness, again, the OP neglected to do so.

On the BOI we are always asking for proof: vet reports, necropsy reports; yet all we have here is the word of the OP that has no record of transaction on Fauna that I can find. She got a refund, even though it had been weeks since she had received the gecko.

 

[Ed Clark]

At the very least I think that Erik was caught here mixing wild caught in with his captive bred, that would be an explainable reason to have parasites like there was.

If it was proven his captive bred tested positive with low levels of pin worms I would not be saying he was mixing in wild caught because captive bred can pick up pin worms from the live insects they eat.

I believe Erik was misrepresenting what he was selling.

 

[KelliH]

Lung worm ova would absolutely show up in a fecal.

 

[Wilomn]

Lung worm ova would absolutely show up in a fecal.

Not 100% of the time if I recall correctly.

 

[ibabamba]

LOL. Sorry, I had to

 

[Bobby Douglass]

What I've got from this thread is that if something goes wrong the seller will take care of it. He's also done a good job keeping his cool in this thread.

 

[Suncoast Herpetological]

What I've got from this thread is that if something goes wrong the seller will take care of it. He's also done a good job keeping his cool in this thread.

I have to agree with this statement 100%

 

[KelliH]

What I've got from this thread is that if something goes wrong the seller will take care of it. He's also done a good job keeping his cool in this thread.

Yep, same here.

I'm curious about what some of those that posted negatively in this thread would have done differently. Take out the belief that the gecko had internal parasites. That happens sometimes; I think we can all accept that. What else should have been done by the seller in this situation? I'm truly at a loss how some of you can twist this into the seller being in the wrong.

 

[SteveinIL]

take out the fact that he sold her an animal that had internal parasites???? that is the entire point of this thread. he sold her 2 animals with parasites and did not fully refund them, he almost made it right. I wonder how you would feel to pay $800 for 2 sick animals and have one die and have worms crawling out of it and the other still unsure if it will be ok. I'm sure you would handle it no problem and then thank the breeder for sending you sick animals and giving a partial refund. I personally would be mortified by that site. Perhaps like an earlier poster stated the worms laid dormant and the stress from shipping is what allowed them to thrive. Obviously she had an issue the way the animals were packaged when she received them. that may have allowed for the extra stress on the lizard that compromised it's immune system to that point. the post I'm referring to is on page 5 by reptilebob

 

[Pasodama]

Finally decided to take a look at the videos/photos. The vidoes/photos really are not that great for determining what type of worms are present. However, they do look, to me, more like maggots.
Am not saying that they ~are~ maggots but they sure look like maggots.

Certainly its unclear what kind of worm they are, but maggots would have a wound that they entered through and generally are near the skin surface, not in the chest cavity.

As I stated, earlier on, maggots do not need their host to be dead.
They also do not, always, need dead tissue and ... they are not always near the surface.
Nasal, Nasopharyngeal, Aural, Enteric, etc. Myiasis is where maggots infest the nose, sinus cavity, ear, throat, intestinal tract, etc.... and, yes, sometimes even lungs (Pulmonary Myiasis).

Also, someone had mentioned, earlier, about the oddity that maggots would slink (elongate, etc.). I feed maggots, to some of my critters, and they do, indeed, elongate (slink) in their movement.

Either way, it is evident that worms were present. Whatever the source, and whatever type of worm, they should not have been there.

The seller did refund. Thus, this does not make him a "Bad Guy". He did the right thing by refunding.
However, if the "worms" stemmed from the seller, then, yes, this is a good "Info thread".

The shame is that the OP did not have the worms identified, by a professional, nor have the necropsy done by a professional. So, it leaves too much room for speculation.

 

[Suncoast Herpetological]

Steve

You keep making the same statements and they make less sense every time you make them

take out the fact that he sold her an animal that had internal parasites????

Never proven. The videos were of exceptionally poor quality and showed virtually nothing. Without a proper necropsy, the source and species of the worms is unknown

he sold her 2 animals with parasites

Unless I missed a post, the last comment on the male's health from the OP was over a month ago. No parasites were ever seen or diagnosed

did not fully refund them, he almost made it right

He refunded everything but the shipping and the potential shipping on the return of the male. The OP still has the male.


The OP has a fundamentally free male that she has not posted as having any additional issues for over a month. The seller took a total loss.


How in the heck is that not a prime case of the seller stepping up?

 

[Reptilebob]

The seller did refund. Thus, this does not make him a "Bad Guy". He did the right thing by refunding.
However, if the "worms" stemmed from the seller, then, yes, this is a good "Info thread".

I would like to comment that the OP made it clear that she wasn't posting this to make a complaint of the refund (although that's the issue that almost everyone else, including myself, has focused on), but that the seller clearly mixed CB and wild caught animals, was misleading in many statements, and allegedly sent animals that had parasites. While the last wasn't proven with certainty, the first two have been made evident, and makes it a "info thread" more then a bad guy post.

 

[Chris Kennard]

Never proven. The videos were of exceptionally poor quality and showed virtually nothing. Without a proper necropsy, the source and species of the worms is unknown

I think the quality of the videos were sufficient enough to make alot of people cringe and I would be suprised if the majority of viewers here would agree that they show "virtually nothing". I also fail to see how the "source of the species" is even relevant. Nothing should have been crawling out of the animals head.

He refunded everything but the shipping and the potential shipping on the return of the male. The OP still has the male.

With nothing to breed it to.

The OP has a fundamentally free male that she has not posted as having any additional issues for over a month. The seller took a total loss.

What loss? The seller testified that he doesn't do it for money. It is a hobby.

 

[Chris Kennard]

I have never scammed anyone and honestly could care less about making money, I have a real job for a reason.

Chris - Yes, I am just a Hobbyist. I do not breed animals for a living and do not breed them to make money.

I'm just sayin'.

 

[KelliH]

take out the fact that he sold her an animal that had internal parasites???? that is the entire point of this thread. he sold her 2 animals with parasites and did not fully refund them, he almost made it right. I wonder how you would feel to pay $800 for 2 sick animals and have one die and have worms crawling out of it and the other still unsure if it will be ok. I'm sure you would handle it no problem and then thank the breeder for sending you sick animals and giving a partial refund. I personally would be mortified by that site. Perhaps like an earlier poster stated the worms laid dormant and the stress from shipping is what allowed them to thrive. Obviously she had an issue the way the animals were packaged when she received them. that may have allowed for the extra stress on the lizard that compromised it's immune system to that point. the post I'm referring to is on page 5 by reptilebob

First of all, I would have taken the animals to a vet. Secondly, what I meant by take the parasites out of the equation is that we have no proof that the gecko had parasites period! Which means that the seller had no proof submitted to him either, yet he refunded the money without demanding proof from a vet or a necropsy report, and this was weeks after his customer received the geckos.

I'm not so sure I would refund any money if after two weeks in someone else's care, and a message that the geckos are settled in and eating, one dies and there is no proof at all that I am at fault (meaning no vet report), when I know my collection is healthy.