I have never had a sustainable mentor in this hobby. I started keeping herps in the early nineties, before the internet..gasp! It was incredibly hard to get reliable information. Pretty much had to read the books available, and rely on the advice from the 16 year old kid at the local reptile shop. Once I found out that pet store advice was awful, it basically turned into trial and error with the information that I had.
I would definitely be wary of using a large pet store as your source of info. Like you said, they are in this business to make money, and their motivation will always be mostly just that. While I do think that a store like Underground is making strides to become legitimate, they do have some way to go. I have watched youtube videos where the owner gives care advice and sometimes I just wince hearing what he is saying. You have to understand that their type of care is conducive to keeping large numbers of animals and selling them quickly, not preparing for the longevity of the animal.
I know that many of us on here would be happy to act as a mentor to someone new in the hobby. I have frequently given out my personal email and phone number to people who have asked on here, and will continue to.
Reply With Quote