Starving BP's? (Pic)

I went to Petco yesterday to get some mice for my bp, and happened to walk by the reptile displays. I took the following pic. Is it just me, or do they look like they are starving? Kinda hard to tell on a cell pic through glass, but it looked worse in real life. I circled a good example of how loose their skin is...

If it does look like they're hungry, I've decided I'm going to their corp. office (maybe post a petition on this site if anyone would sign it) and complaining. Every time I ask a place like Petsmart or Petco how often they feed snakes, they say once a month or less!!! If this looks normal to yall, of course I won't do anything (and make myself look like an ass), but I'm really concerned about all their baby snakes...

http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/...tarvingbps.jpg

http://i1035.photobucket.com/albums/...withcircle.jpg

It does look quite thin to me, but is that all one bp? Cause there's another body there that doesn't look quite as bad...

Btw, I'd sign that petition if you started one :)

If you spend money in these type of stores your only supporting their business

No, it's prob about 3-4 baby bps...

I don't usually buy from them. I only do it now because I moved home for the summer and it's the only place I could find live feeder mice. When I go back to Lubbock (next weekend), I'll start going to a mom-and-pop shop that sells them there.

Mainly (in reguards to a posible petition) I just want these chains of pet stores to actually know how to take care of the animals they sell. Idk that it's their employees fault if no one ever told them to feed snakes more often than once a month, but the owners should at least do some basic research to find out stuff like that...Plus, then they shouldn't be telling the people that buy a snake that it "only eats one pinkie once a month" (which is what I was told when I origionally bought my bp. Thank god i did some research and found out that wasn't right, but some people just don't...)

That doesn't look good. Thankfully the Petco near me stopped selling reptiles. :gj:

From the looks of the other BP's I see in the tank, I don't think they are intentionally "starving" those snakes. That BP could be one that just will not eat.

Well, I'd hope they wouldn't do anything like that intentionally....I suppose you're right though, about it not eating...

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Originally Posted by tiny_tiger60978

Well, I'd hope they wouldn't do anything like that intentionally....I suppose you're right though, about it not eating...

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Well to me, if they follow what you said and this particular store only feeds one pinky per month, that qualifies as intentional starvation to me. Because they're too lazy or don't care enough to do the research to feed the snakes properly.

But yes, that one on the top does look very underweight. Maybe go back there and ask them why that one is so skinny and/or if they're having a hard time getting that one to feed before you create a petition.

good idea...

Different sections of the store usually have different people in charge of them. Ask to speak with the person in charge of the reptile section.

Ask what they are doing to help that emaciated ball python. Suggest that they remove the animal from display, because they shouldn't sell an unhealthy animal to someone.
Come back the next day. If it's not done, ask to speak with the manager. Repeat the process.
If it's still there the day after that, contact the corporate office, and ask them to do something about it.

Different States have different laws regarding the condition of animals on display or for sale. Find out what your State's laws are, so you know whether you can report the store if it becomes necessary to do so. Try to speak to the person who is responsible for investigating cruelty or neglect cases against pet stores.

If this all sounds like a lot of work....it is. But no one else is going to do it, if you don't.

If we all did this more often, there would be a lot more knowledgeable people in charge of the reptile sections at these stores, and a lot fewer sick animals put up for sale.
In most of these instances, the employees at the store are NOT following the corporate guidelines for caring for those animals. This needs to be reported to corporate when it happens, if the manager won't correct it.

This is not a situation of "PetCo is bad". They're not. But some of their employees are, and they can't correct that if they don't know about it.

this is 1 reason i kinda wish i worked at a pet store, tho they wont hire me cause of my piercings and what not.. id actually feed em properly and make sure they're all a good size

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Different sections of the store usually have different people in charge of them. Ask to speak with the person in charge of the reptile section.

Ask what they are doing to help that emaciated ball python. Suggest that they remove the animal from display, because they shouldn't sell an unhealthy animal to someone.
Come back the next day. If it's not done, ask to speak with the manager. Repeat the process.
If it's still there the day after that, contact the corporate office, and ask them to do something about it.

Different States have different laws regarding the condition of animals on display or for sale. Find out what your State's laws are, so you know whether you can report the store if it becomes necessary to do so. Try to speak to the person who is responsible for investigating cruelty or neglect cases against pet stores.

If this all sounds like a lot of work....it is. But no one else is going to do it, if you don't.

If we all did this more often, there would be a lot more knowledgeable people in charge of the reptile sections at these stores, and a lot fewer sick animals put up for sale.
In most of these instances, the employees at the store are NOT following the corporate guidelines for caring for those animals. This needs to be reported to corporate when it happens, if the manager won't correct it.

This is not a situation of "PetCo is bad". They're not. But some of their employees are, and they can't correct that if they don't know about it.

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THIS. :) Quoted the whole dang thing. Thank you for having some decency and common sense, WingedWolfPsion!

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Mainly (in reguards to a posible petition) I just want these chains of pet stores to actually know how to take care of the animals they sell. Idk that it's their employees fault if no one ever told them to feed snakes more often than once a month, but the owners should at least do some basic research to find out stuff like that...Plus, then they shouldn't be telling the people that buy a snake that it "only eats one pinkie once a month" (which is what I was told when I origionally bought my bp. Thank god i did some research and found out that wasn't right, but some people just don't...)

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Depends on the store. In our store, we have several people who are reptile-knowledgeable, me being one of them. And it isn't often that one of us isn't in the store, either...so when an associate doesn't know something they can track us down and ask. People who want information regarding reptiles will actually get it in our store.

That being said...our Balls always look horrifically skinny to me. The company switched from Captive Bred to Captive Hatched, and their quality has evaporated. They look skinny, strike viciously when you try to handle them, and most will never eat for us...I believe they find it too stressful, being on the sales floor, to calm down and feed...and we can't NOT have them out because corporate wants us to sell them before they starve. :rolleyes: I for one urge people who come into our store for reptiles to check out expos and buy from reputable breeders. :)

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This is 1 reason i kinda wish i worked at a pet store, tho they wont hire me cause of my piercings and what not.. Id actually feed em properly and make sure they're all a good size

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Depends on the store, buddy. Our snakes all get offered f/t prey twice a week (I actually tried to get management to back it down a little, as it's almost TOO OFTEN) though wether they eat it is debatable. If we have one who isn't doing well, we do run up huge vet bills to try and treat them. We do the best we can in keeping their sales tanks appropriate in heat and with hides.

As for piercings...lol. Go to MSpiercing.com or Bodycandy.com and get some clear or fleshtoned retainers. ;) That and some stores, while having strict rules about piercings/tats on record, are actually a little more lax...several of our groomers have nose and tongue piercings, and some of us have gauged lobe piercings. Mine are on their way to a 02 gauge...I'll just be wearing clear bioplast tunnels at work. ;) Those of us who have visible ink either wear long sleeves or just put a bandage over it while working.

In other words, the "I have piercings so they wouldn't hire me" line holds little water...go ahead and apply if you want to work in a pet store. If you wear some retainers while interviewing, I can all but guarantee you that if you don't get hired, it isn't due to the piercings. ;)

Good to know Kyle@theHeathertoft