• Responding to email notices you receive.
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  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

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    Posted 08/15/2025
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    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

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    Addendum: 01/10/2026
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    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Prehistoric Pets UPDATE

I went down to Prehistoric Pets in Fountain Valley two days ago, and almost burst into tears. Two adult iguana's were in a tiny cage, tanks of all kinds were filthy, feces and urates everywhere, and I was too afraid to hold one of the snakes for fear of vomiting at the amount of mites crawling around on them. I walked out of that place depressed and appalled, and I will NEVER do business there.
Amanda Tiffany
 
I ordered over one hundred dollars in items from this seller. The items included a $40 light bulb and a rock dish, and rock cave that were packed together. The rocks chipped each other and the bulb was obviously broken. I contacted the seller who spend three weeks telling me he contacted Fed Ex to file a claim and I waited. I finally called fed ex only to discover a claim was never filed. When contacting the seller, he responded with an emotional email that included swearing at me, not very professional. I would advice consumers to take their business elsewhere.
 
Samso,
Was your transaction with Reptile Guru, or Prehistoric Pets. (I understand that there is a relationship there, I just don't remember exactly what it is...and I thought they functioned as separate entities)
 
Reptile Guru is simply the domain name they use for their website. One business, one biz name (prehistoric pets), one website location (reptile guru) At least that is my understanding..._
 
I believe it is two different store locations (though they both may use the name Prehistoric Pets), two different websites, two different managers...but I could be mistaken :shrug01:
 
Store address is 5536 Philadelphia St. Unit G Chino, CA. 91710. Reptile Guru website about us states the above address and this "Prehistoric Pets, Inc. was started by Jim and Tony Alles in October of 1998." reptileguru.com
I guess there might be another prehistoric pets in the area also.
 
These are two different stores owned by two different people. The owner of the Fountain Valley sold the one in Chino to a employee roughly 10+ years ago and the new owner of the Chino store kept the name but uses the reptileguru website as the original prehistoric pets is being used by the priginal owner.
 
I believe Debbie is right. I grew up in Orange County and visited the store when I went to my brother's home in Anaheim some years ago. It was a disappointment then and my brother reports things have not changed. My understanding is that the Chino location was OK. How sad if it has gone the way of Fountain Valley. My $0.02!!!!!

Shalom,


Pat Glazener-Cooney
 
Very sad, I understand retail can be hard, any job has it's challenges. Conflict exists in area of every community, to be successful, you must know how to handle it in a respectful and professional manner. Maybe there are biz or personal crisis going on that explain the emotional outburst and lack of follow-through I experienced, but from reading these posts, I suspect the store is quickly going down hill. I should have researched better, which is why I posted to begin with. I hope to save another consumer from this experience.
 
Yup, Debbie is right. Jim and Tony who run the Chino location are good guys though they dont really seem to be working the store as much as they used to back in the day. I buy feeders from that store about once a week.

Fountain Valley is a diff owner and I havent been down that way in ages.
 
Since it has been confirmed that the stores are separate entities, under different ownship....and you didn't have a transaction with this company, it would be better if you continued your attempts to save consumers in the Reptile Guru threads
 
I live about 3 miles from Prehistoric Pets, and although I still buy feeders from them if I can't get to pet supply, I will never buy a reptile from them. For one, their prices are outrageous. I understand that to make a profit and to stay in business, especially in Orange County, it's expensive, but they're a little over the top. I don't even bother looking at their animals anymore. Also, they're just a bit to overcrowded with cages that look too small. For the most part they seem clean though.
Their customer service is pretty good. Every once in a while I'll get rung up by someone who doesn't seem very pleased to be there and doesn't say much, but I understand people have their bad days.
But with lllreptile only an hour away, I really don't have any interest or reason to buy anything but feeders from this store.
 
Have you been in there lately?? I took the kiddos in a month ago and the whole shop was re organized and the animals are blocked and fenced off so you cant even see them. When I asked the cashier what was up with the store she said they changed it 6 months ago that they were loosing money and now to see the animals they ask for a "$5 donation" to walk through per person. I for sure will not be back. Ild rather go to the one in Chino and let the kids feed the turtles..... Sucks cuz the other one is bigger and has a larger variety. Totally not worth the drive for me anymore.....
 
This is very shocking, I've met Jay. Actually recently at this past Tinley Park show in Feb, he was incredibly friend and I enjoyed talking with him. He brought quite a few retics that were hatched by him from his shop, and they all seemed in great condition and were beautiful. This is very shocking to me after reading all of this.

laura rittenberry
 
Good point, I totally forgot to mention that. If you need another reason not to visit this store, they charge for admission if you want to see about 80% of the store. I'm not sure if they're selling the animals back there or if they're now just for display, but $5 is not worth a 5 minute tour of a pet shop, especially when I can hit the LA zoo for $13. Even the Santa Ana zoo is better.
I was actually in there a week and a half ago. Personally, I can't believe that charging for admission will make them any more money, but I still see tons of people in there every time i'm there so i guess their scam is working.

not too long before that i went in there and they asked if i wanted to pay $7 to go on the "tour". i just laughed and asked him why i'd waste money to walk around a store i've been to a hundred times before. after i spent $10 buying feeders and supplies, they told me i could go back and look around, but i said i'd much rather go home and look at my own collection.
 
I stopped shopping at Prehistoric Pets when they made it more "zoo" and less "store". It's about a half hour from my house, and I happened to be in the area- Their for sale section is extremely small now, poorly labeled and seemed quite cramped for the animals. The animals seemed like an afterthought, the supply section is tinier than ever, and I'd say 75% of the store is now dedicated to their exhibition animals. I'll not be going there again.
 
we bought feeders, a couple supplies and both kids bought supers to feed the turtles. They would only allow me in the back to use the restroom. The girl told me if the kids did not need to use the restroom they had to wait out in the front....maybe I got a bad cashier the day I went lol
 
dondeb562 said:
we bought feeders, a couple supplies and both kids bought supers to feed the turtles. They would only allow me in the back to use the restroom. The girl told me if the kids did not need to use the restroom they had to wait out in the front....maybe I got a bad cashier the day I went lol
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I guess you might have to buy an animal then. That really sucks that they would do that. I never really got it and their care for Chameleons was far less than adequate. The $80 price tag on pygmy chameleons was enough to turn me off.

I'm with you Debbie, I would rather go somewhere else. Especially after the kid comment.

I can't imagine charging a price would help, I would think they would sell less on impulse. hmmm
 
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