Quote Originally Posted by mumps View Post
Dehlol, thank you!!!

I have not been frequenting this forum as much as I used to because of the abundance of keepers like this. This thread was started in the hopes of getting "Way cool!!", "That's badass!!" and "You're awesome!!" replies. The OP didn't know they were killing their pet because no research was done, at least no more than asking the store clerk what it needed.

Another wonderful animal doomed. It's a shame, that people with less intelligence than their pet are allowed to own these magnificent creatures. I used to waste hours writing out explanations and advice, only to be told that I didn't know what I was talking about, as it did not sound like what the pet store guy said...

It's nice to see another dedicated varanophile here (there are a few of us, but I think we're becoming scarce...).

Chris
I got into keeping retics lately- and sadly I find similar problems with large constrictors..... This board has gone a little rampant from when I used to read it and people would step in and tell people to knock their crap off.

It's sad, but the way snake keeping- specifically bps/small colubirds in racks have destroyed so much of the keeping aspect of this hobby. It takes no keeping ability, talent, or knowledge to buy some bps, a rack, and throw them together after a year. These people start to think they can produce animals and thus know anything and decide "man, I'm a reptile pro now i can keep a monitor." It's amazing how many people at expos I turn away from monitors by telling them the following:

1. One of my monitor cages uses more electricity and produces more heat than a rack of bps.
2. My nile eats more rats in a month than a BP will eat in a year.
3. Monitors do not always "become tame pets" and "force handling will get you the opposite result of a tame animal"....
4. A typical pet store nile/sav/water will get 4-5 foot easily in the first year if house properly...

It's astounding how few people actually give a damn about the life they decide to purchase at a show when "it looks so awesome!". It's like it's a damn toy not a living breathing animal.