I will no longer purchase pets from Reptile Depot.

[Vomitore]

So, last week I was in my local reptile store. Pretty much the only reptile store I know in my area known as "Reptile Depot". They had some sort of rat snake that they had just got in. Very cool looking and active as can be. Well, I go in today to get the fur kids their weekly meal and I do my normal browsing of what new critters they got in. I see the rat snakes that I saw last week, covered in mites. And I ask the one employee "Uh, dude? Aren't those mites?" and he replied "Yeah, we're trying to take care of it." I take a better look at the snakes and musta counted anywhere from 40-50 mites on just the head and about 4 inches of them that was sticking out.

I know reptile stores are SOMEWHAT pressed for space, but If I had a store, I'd dedicate a quarantine room no matter my limit of space. Just for the well being of the pets I sell and the peace of mind that a customer could buy from me and know that I care about my business and the inventory I sell. These snakes where right next, and above all of the store's other reptiles. I didn't see any mites on the other reptiles. However, they are infected in my mind since being out in the open like that is a mite buffet. I have bought reptiles from them in the past. Its been over a year since I've bought anything from them, and I refuse to purchase from them for now on.

[Vomitore]

Thanks for putting this in the right forum

[West Coast Jungle]

Hey Mike.I got my first BP from them. They said CB. It had mites and two ticks. The only time I ever delt with them. Now I get crickets from pet stores and snakes from breeders. They move alot of animals and that can happen very easy when you constantly do that. Most herps (lizards, frogs) are shipped very carefully but snakes sometimes can come in in large numbers in one package. Thats what my Vet (who checks import shipments for reptile distributors) tells me he see's all the time.

[Vomitore]

Ahh. Well getting mites happens when they get a volume as big as they get. But the fact that the 2 snakes were not even quarantined is what left a really bad taste in my mouth. They could easily spread to their whole inventory which saddens me.

[Snakeman]

i normally go there to buy tarantulas from them.the only "local" place that sells different varieties.im thinking of checking out the snakes they have sometime in the near future.

[sg1trogdor]

i dont really like anything they have there i bought a gecko and it died soon after it never ate never drank nothing then of course died and when i told them the next time i went they said oh yeah we werent supposed to take those to the rep show they where all sick.

[Sausage]

Heh, I just got my cresties' enclosure from reptile depot(via mail.) Their customer service was horrible! I don't think I'll be buying from them again. Espescially after hearing this.