When you are new to something and you are reading a lot about it if you find certain things repeated over and over they tend to stand out. One of the things I’ve noticed here and elsewhere is an overall impression that pet store workers are not very knowledgeable about herps. This is not exactly true, in fact it’s a bit like saying Bill Gates has made a little money.
I’ve been going back and forth to a local pet store trying to work out the heating issues I’ve been having. So I’m at the check out getting a new larger UTH (which btw has worked out very nicely) and the clerk asks if I need any dog food or cat food, (which I think is kind of a strange question considering I’m buying something obviously for a reptile). I say “No thanks, I don’t think my snake would care for Alpo.” Making it kind of a joke because he’s missed the obvious.
I’m expected you know, a chuckle or something, but no, the guy says to me completely serious (and this is verbatim). “You know, some larger snakes eat dog food for the extra protein.”
I just stared at him for a second and then said very politely, “Um, I’m pretty sure that rat you have in the cage over there is about all the protein he’s going to need.”