Pet-Co. .. knows stuff?

I think that it depends on the store like most people have already said. I actually bought my first BP from the local pet store (bad choice) and she was super skinny, loaded with mites but otherwise healthy lol. So after I'd been around this site and a bunch of others looking for husbandry tips and learning the actual proper way to take care of one I went back to their store and talked to the guy in charge of the reptile department and he actually listened to what I had to say! He's actually a really good guy and him and I have kind of become friends since. They now actually have an extremely good reptile room with some snakes there that you would never normally see in a small pet store. They just got an ATB in, they have a spotted python, a couple corns, a couple BPs (in the same tank but DJ said he'd separate them as soon as a tank opened up) some extremely nice looking leos, a burm (which DJ said he will not sell to anyone that can't handle a large snake) and a few different lizards. PLUS their husbandry is spot on for all of them!

It's amazing what one person can actually do to improve the quality of life for some animals and make it a better place for everyone to go to to get info on them! I know the big chain stores are not nearly as easy to change but if it starts from the bottom up like happened here I think we could really make a difference all you have to do is do a little research and OPEN YOUR MOUTH!

Sorry for the freakin novel lol. :banana::banana::banana:

You guys are all so right, some are good some are bad. My dad lives in new york and the petco there actually has a decent reptile section. Everything looks good and healthy but I think the enclosure is to small. But still the herps look good. Then in burlington, vermont where we have a petco and petsmart there set ups suck. The petsmart uses a cube and its way to small and the animals are always hiding and look underfed. Same at pet co but they use 20L tanks. BUt when i asked to see one of there bps we couldn't even stick are hands near the tank and it would strike. The bp looked underfed and body wasn't looking good. We also have a private store called pet advantage, great store, but way to many bps in one tank. I think I could count 6 in a 10 gallon, when i said something the moved them to a 20L, but still this guys were at least 8-10 months old and they were so stressed, you could tell, one balled up so tight and stayed that way for the hour i was in the store, the others were frantically moving around the tank and they only had one hide for all of them. I think it should be illegal for pet stores to sell herps. I think you should have to run a herp only store in order to sell and you should have to be licensed or something to protect these guys. I bought my bp from a breeder and I am buying another one in may. She has a great rack system with a multitude of snakes and all of them are very hand friendly, healthy snakes. My guy is wonderful I couldn't ask for a better snake.

My local Petco is divided. The youngsters that stock shelves are not especially knowledgeable (but are courteous and helpful otherwise) but the department managers are, and are willing to share advice.
A lot of times I think the problem may be money, the new hires are probably not paid much and I think they may not stay long enough to be promoted.