i used to work at petco.........for six years ....and i agree with you all, as i am not biased in Petco's favor in any way. I do believe, however, that it differs from store to store. You could have one store be awesome, and the next store be crap. For the most part, it depends on the people that are in the departments, as from my experience, i have yet to see a manager that knows anything much about the animals in the store, ESPECIALLY with the herps. I worked with one guy for about two years who was in charge of the herps who didn't know crap, but acted like he did, always challenging my advice. He also apparently owned NO herps. After he was fired, another guy who already worked there as a stock guy, no less, took his place, and became the best i had ever seen. One thing though, is that i think their feeders are a bit expensive. The local Petco sells mice for $1.99! When you need larger quantities, it is best to take the 30 min drive to your local store, as the one closest to us sells them for a $1.00.