I know if you do a search, you will find MANY MANY MANY MANY backposts on PetCo and PetSmart and how bad they suck. What you will also find is that people make generalizations regarding the major chain stores, but there are exceptions to the rule. I know for fact that my local Petco's reptiles are all in good health. The herp specialist at that store is a good friend of mine, and a regular poster on this board. I visit the store frequently and always look to see what new animals they have in and on display. I know he provides the best environment and care that he can, while still staying (for the most part) within corporate guidelines. You will find that the majority of the people working at the chain pet stores are people working a job in "retail", and have no background or knowledge when it comes to animals. But again, there are exceptions. The only way to know is to go to the store and talk to the herp specialist, ask questions, kind of quiz their knowledge without making them feel like you're grilling them. You can pretty quickly tell which stores employ knowledgeable associates and which ones just take help where they can get it...

As for Petsmart not selling snakes, I know that our local Petsmarts have recently started carrying BPs as well as some other smaller species. Maybe it's a recent policy change, I dunno.