About this Post Type

Post type: Personal reflection grounded in science and animal welfare

This post includes lived experience and professional perspective. It reflects my viewpoint as a pet guardian and educator, with evidence-based context and solutions.

CONTENT ADVISORY

This post is about pet reptiles. It discusses reptiles, and contains imagery of them. Proceeding further will display them.

Loaded with Resources!

After the post, you’ll see a “Questions” section: this is loaded with links to reptile resources. Learn, find supplies and ethical pets, taking action, and more. Click to jump there!

A woman calmly interacts with a snake in a well-lit indoor environment.

The Girl in the Pet Store

Recently, I had to make an urgent trip to the only pet store in my town – a big box store – to get food and a new light for my leopard geckos.

As I gazed upon the small section of reptile lighting, I noticed that I wasn’t alone; there was a girl-older teen-doing the same thing much closer to the products than myself. That’s about all I noticed, though. I was busy being consumed with the usual combined disappointments of both missing

the vast sections full of variety found in actual, large cities, and knowing without checking prices that nearly everything was more than I could afford. The laments of being very low on the economic pole and stuck in a tiny rural town.

I stopped myself from sighing. Instead of the despair of not being able to replace my aged and expiring lighting yet, it was too likely the girl would take it as rudeness. That it was sign she was in my way, taking up too much space, or somehow, inexplicably an irritant to me. After all, it’s not as though anyone was reading my mind to know otherwise!

A second later, I regretted not sighing – the girl jumped, startled at my sudden appearance maybe three feet away from her. (This should give you an idea of how bleakly small the section is! At this distance, we were each at different ends of it.)

After a moment of mutual laughing and apologizing to each other, I explained that, in my defense, I was used to having a dog with me – everyone notices the sound of dog toenails, or the sight of an unusual looking little red dog wanting to investigate them. As happens in pet places among loving pet guardians, a light conversation started up. And, as happens in pet places among loving pet guardians when one is much younger with unusual pets they have unanswered concerns about, it quickly became more.

Likely, this conversation’s deeper beginning was facilitated by my openness about the cost of the lighting kits and other lighting equipment we were both clearly wanting and unable to have. Even if one grows up below middle class and is familiar with a lot more limits financially, there is the automatic assumption that adults have more money when one is a teen – a natural and fine assumption, like the one about adults hitting a magical point in life in which they truly are adults who have everything together and know All The Things. That’s before they, too, become a “true adult” and realize that’s not the reality!

In any case, it did make her feel more comfortable, and I’m glad. That comfort led to her explaining what she was looking for, and why.

Her chameleon (veiled, I believe), seeming to be a bit off, and she felt it was due to heat and/or light needs not being met. Unfortunately, I told her, I couldn’t make any specific suggestions because I’ve never kept that species, but that was probably right. When reptiles are “off,” it very often is the heat or light needs being wrong for the species, setup, or even individual animal. I could tell her which brands were excellent when she could buy them, which were alright until then, and what types of lighting and heat tended to be big problems for reptiles, especially those in shadier, tropical environments naturally, or those not active much in daytime, like mine.

She was called away by her mother, holding an adorable little mixed breed dog, to finish up their shopping…but all three (technically, four, counting the little dog) soon met again as I popped into the even tinier feeder insect area.

I’d already been internally complaining, yet again, about how badly stores like Petco fail the animals they sell and the guardians who purchase them. Requisite lighting, temperature, humidity, dietary, enrichment, and habitat needs should be addressed before and during a purchase of a living pet.

But then, we discussed feeding.

Did the sales person tell them anything useful or accurate at all? I wondered, knowing the answer from my brief time working at a Pet Supplies Plus store in Birmingham, Alabama. A solid “no.”

Of course, I didn’t express that to the mother, daughter, and little dog!

It’s not their fault that the sales model is to make these pets appear easily cared for by anyone who is interested in them, backed up by staff without experience or other training, as well as care guides that give absolute minimum care (baseline for possible survival only) or wholly inaccurate information. To express my frustration with the system would only come off as judgemental, not about a hideously flawed industry, but rather, them as individuals. While I definitely wish everyone considering any type of pet would pause longer to do better research of their own, once the pet is already in their home and they’re seeking better answers, it’s not to anyone’s benefit to make people feel judged. It would just be pointlessly mean, and is a factor in why guardians who bit off more than they could chew don’t keep seeking answers (a quick look at most pet communities on social media demonstrates this) from more knowledgeable sources once they realize they need to retroactively learn.

Personally, I’d rather save the ire for the deserving, like the industries who create this problem and keep it going.

So, we talked about the “secret” of sizing insects to the space between their chameleon’s eyes. About how hornworms are great, yes, but they grow so quickly that they’ll want to be careful picking the size and amount. Why not to feed any hornworms they find this spring/summer outdoors-they could be poisoned as a crop pest, and the nightshades they love are toxic. Finally, how important it is to vary insects, even when using the very best supplements. Also, about how absurd it is that I genuinely dislike handling most insects, yet, rescued lizards that are pure insectivores. Because a little laughter is always good!

I really hope that she checks out the places online I suggested with accurate, helpful articles and good communities. (Check those out here!) That a too rare happy ending for both girl and chameleon would result from her enthusiastic interest, willingness to ask questions and receive the answers, and the support of her invested mother.

There’s a reason why I haven’t been able to totally stop thinking about it, though.
It highlighted the many problems with the reptile hobby and industry.

Highlighted Problems with the Reptile Hobby

This experience was great in that it allowed me to support another pet guardian. Doubly so because it was clear she was excited to have an older, adult woman talking to her about pet reptiles with interest. It’s always wonderful to help another pet guardian, but perhaps especially so when it’s a younger one who also has pets that can make other people uncomfortable, even hostile.

But it highlighted some troubling things that disappoint me are still problems today. These things were serious problems in the early 1990s when I first got reptiles and was a young child – I would never have expected that they’d still be so prominent over thirty five years later.

Critical issues at the source – pet stores:

  • pet stores continue to sell pets, including difficult and expensive to care for species
    • unless it is a specialty store concentrating on species like reptiles, employees are not trained in their care or educating guardians
    • these animals often experience suffering for life. Mass breeding facility to shipment. Shipment to neglect and stress in a store’s display tank. On display to sold to an unprepared home, where they experience unintentional neglect, stress, and injury or death.
    • this model of pets as products perpetuates both the inadequate/incorrect info given at stores as it’s passed around by guardians, and also the view of these pets as beginner friendly, very easy-always the guardian’s fault if it doesn’t go well-and ultimately, lesser-than.

All leading to:

  • risk to people, other pets, wildlife, and the environment when care and their lives aren’t taken seriously – reptiles are often released, even in impossible environments, when desperate guardians lack the ability to care for them and anywhere to humanely relinquish them
  • a low barrier to entry for a costly, potentially high care and long-lived pet = inherent issues
  • lack of awareness of rescue and ethical breeders as better options
  • outdated minimum standards of species-appropriate care strongly persist, often to facilitate sales by pet stores and unethical breeders online, including big-names in “the hobby”

Young people suffer for this, and women In “the hobby” face issues:

  • young guardians are easily misled, taken advantage of, then, face gatekeeping and aggressive attitudes with conflicting information online
    • parents of underage guardians end up financially responsible for unexpectedly high-cost pets with long lifespans, as well as responsible for care that exceeds a child’s ability
  • women are not missing in reptile keeping, but it remains a male-dominated hobby in many ways
    • female guardians are presented with an image that is unwelcoming – it says this is a male hobby with women depicted in sexualized ways with reptiles, typically snakes, as sexy props, not living things
    • girls and young women experience additional gatekeeping, have greater trouble finding female peers and adults even online – often experiencing negativity about their pets in person

Obviously, the issues with the reptile industry and hobby are serious. They run deep and are deeply entrenched. The issues are multifaceted and multilayered. Very little of this is easily or quickly resolved, like most serious issues!

There’s no way that this can be condescend into a single topic or post – not without detracting from it, anyway. Especially when dealing with pets and their people who are routinely minimized, I don’t think that’s an ethical or moral thing to do. So, I won’t be attempting to tackle all of that in this post, don;t worry!

I am going to address some facts. When we have the facts, we can understand the problem. Understanding problems brings awareness and more power to enact change.

It’s not Anecdotal โ€” These Problems are Documented

I genuinely wish that I was just a malcontent with a blog simply dying to nit-pick problems – that would mean things were better for pets and their guardians. Unfortunately, these problems are real and documented. Here is some documentation, with source links!

  • Reptiles are commonly sold through large retail chains, yet guidance at point of sale is often inadequate. Animal welfare organizations and herpetology experts have repeatedly documented that big-box pet stores provide outdated, oversimplified, or incorrect husbandry advice for reptiles โ€” particularly regarding enclosure size, heating, UVB lighting, and long-term care needs.
  • Exotic pets, including reptiles, are commonly marketed as โ€œeasyโ€ or โ€œbeginnerโ€ animals despite requiring specialized, species-specific care โ€” a practice linked to welfare problems.
  • Over 6 million U.S. households keep reptiles, meaning misinformation at the retail level affects animals and guardians at scale.
  • Peer-reviewed research documents measurable mortality and welfare struggles in pet reptiles within the first year of ownership, underscoring the real consequences of poor preparation.
  • Gen Z now represents roughly one-third of reptile owners, increasing the need for accurate education and supportive, youth-friendly learning environments.
  • The reptile hobby has long-acknowledged issues with elitism and gatekeeping, creating barriers for newcomers โ€” particularly young and female hobbyists seeking help.

It’s Important to remember these are systemic, not individual failures. Attacking individual guardians who were misled and set up to fail, now seeking guidance and improvements only serves the system that failed them.

Again, Coydog is all about welfare – responsible, ethical, compassionate care for animals that’s backed by science. So, we strongly and frequently urge potential guardians of any species to hit pause to research and prepare-more than might be necessary-before taking home a new pet. We believe that being a responsible guardian starts before the pet comes home, and do not support repeat behaviors that negatively affect, endanger, or cost pet lives – getting another pet and another and another like it’s a casino game, you have to land on the right one by chance. However, most individuals in the reptile hobby are actively set up to fail by the most obvious and available point of sale. The decades of awareness campaigns that exist for dogs and cats-and haven’t wholly prevented much harder impulse buys there-don’t exist in this wide, societal way with reptiles. It’s extremely important to not do as the pet stores do and put the fault on the individual, cutting them off from corrective learning by being punitive and hateful!

The Failures are Systemic, Individuals Pay

It’s a common formula – systemic failure that benefits that system while putting the fault on the individuals being harmed.

As a first time prospective reptile guardian, you have no reason to believe this easy, logical point of access might be wrong. You also have no idea where to start research, and if you tried, you might have found reptile communities off-putting and hostile. The pet store staff is far more welcoming.

Perhaps as soon as a day after purchase, there are concerns about your new pet. The store you trusted when you were told this was an easy beginner pet has no answers, or a different employee breaks the news to you: you have a complex species that actually requires a laundry list of things you don’t have.

Online, where you’ve gone for answers and guidance, you’re met with aggressive shaming. Statements like: you should have done the research first. โ€ข No, you can’t temporarily substitute this for that, you can’t even take responsibility for your mistake now. โ€ข I’m so tired of these people, third one today. โ€ข Clearly, you don’t care if you kill it, since you refuse to buy what we’ve told you to, if you can’t afford a pet you shouldn’t have one.

Many times, reptiles from pet stores are already seriously compromised by poor nutrition, genetics, and husbandry, as well as the constant stress they’ve experienced for life. (Stress is major factor in reptile illness and mortality!) They can have parasites, infections, digestive tract impaction, and genetic defects. Meaning that new guardians are additionally failed from the start, just like their pets. They could have done everything perfectly, yet still experience pet loss.

Setting guardians up to fail, then giving them gatekeeping and attitudes instead of guidance skews things toward the traumatic experience of pet loss – that they’re personally, entirely blamed for.

We can’t quickly or easily stop or correct an industry with a sales model of cruelty to pets and guardians – though we should keep pushing for the long haul.

What we can do is try to reach and guide perspective guardians toward better choices before their purchase, while being there with compassionate guidance for the majority who won’t be reached until they’ve gotten the pet and are reaching out. in this pursuit, more experienced hobbyists and parents of minor reptile guardians play huge roles in making things better!

How to Help – Mentorship

When people enter a hobby already misinformed, and are then met with judgment instead of guidance, failure isnโ€™t surprising โ€” itโ€™s predictable.

This is where more experienced hobbyists who care about the welfare of the animals involved and future of the hobby progressing come in. Mentors are sorely needed!

If youโ€™ve been in the reptile hobby for years โ€” youโ€™ve made mistakes, learned hard lessons, upgraded enclosures, corrected outdated advice, and grown โ€” you are exactly who younger and new guardians need!

Many new keepers, especially teens and young women, arenโ€™t looking to argue or cut corners. Theyโ€™re trying to do better with the information they were given โ€” often by pet stores that set them up to fail. They now just want the best for their pet, and need the real help they didn’t get when buying.

Correction doesnโ€™t have to come with shame. Expertise doesnโ€™t have to come with hostility. Mentorship changes outcomes โ€” for animals and for people.

If you want better welfare, healthier animals, and a stronger future for this hobby, consider choosing guidance over gatekeeping, and patience over performance. If you can’t – and I get that – simply refrain from hostility toward or interacting with new guardians seeking advice. We’re not all cut out to be patient sources of guidance, and that’s okay – if that’s you, your help method is staying out of things. Maybe you can post help guides or facts in your reptile community instead! There are many ways to help and give guardians trying to do better the knowledge to do so.

Being welcoming is not lowering standards. Itโ€™s how standards survive, evolve, and gain a wider reach.

How to Help – Parents of Prospective Guardians

I know – as a parent, your job is never done, and parenting preteens and teens can come with additional challenges already.

(How do I know, when I have nephews, not children of my own? Because I chose that – we’re not all cut out to handle, let alone do justice to, the vital job you’re doing of raising good humans!)

This is a valuable lesson, however, that will extend to future pets and beyond. It’s something you already know the value of, too – modeling the behavior you want your children to have. And, to make it easier, it’s something you can do together.

When they want a reptile like the class pet, or are busting with excitement in the pet store over how this one – the one they want, of course – is for beginners, it’s easy, and it’s cheap to care for?

Hit pause. Explain. Include.

  • Don’t just buy the reptile and the convenient habitat kit pointed out to you
  • Even if you already know the pet is too difficult or expensive, don’t turn it into a hard “no” that feels dismissive
    • This is a learning point that includes both of you

“We need to do more research first.”
“Let’s learn more about this.”

Of course, it’s going to be disappointing not taking home that specific animal on display right away! Try not to be frustrated, remember how urgent everything seems at your child’s age, and even if you’re aware this is a no-go and/or are disinterested in the topic, don’t act like it. Hard no’s and things in the “because I said so” category lack critical explanations, lessons, and the growth you want to see in your child – resist the urge to just shut things down and move on to the million other things you need to do!

Set aside time – make it ASAP – to research the species, it’s actual housing, substrate, feeding, watering, growth, behavior, etc.-and don’t forget to ensure you have access to a vet that sees reptiles. Share research you’ve done alone, listen to the research your child is likely to have done on their own. Approach necessary “no’s” with compassionate realism; frame this not as “we can’t afford another pet,” but rather, “we won’t be able to take care of it properly, it’s a special species and needs special care to have a good life in captivity – like a zoo animal.” Your child can’t have a baby hippo either, this sort of context goes a long way.

If you’re not averse to a reptile pet, and accept that you’re ultimately responsible for its well being (especially concerning younger children for whom these pets aren’t great for), seek a better species option. Do research together for a reptile that fits better into your care-giving ability, home/lifestyle, and finances.

All reptiles are challenging pets, that’s just the reality, but some are more reasonable for a beginner willing to prepare with knowledge and planning. Some are more reasonable on a budget. Others, more reasonable for different age groups.

Learning this together:

  • avoids traumatic experiences for the child/teen and suffering for the animal
  • models the best approach to big life decisions like taking on a pet
  • lets this be a more mutual feeling decision with reasons instead of unjust seeming “no’s”
  • keeps you from being in the dark until there’s a problem with the pet you allowed
  • allows you to select an appropriate species and responsibly plan for it together
  • active participation by parent and child makes this fun and keeps the disappointment lower – while teaching that living things aren’t impulse buys, a stance you’re making clear with this activity

Many parents say they want their kids to learn responsibility by allowing them a pet, but all the wrong lessons are learned – as well as causing harm to the animal and your parent-child relationship – when everyone is set up to fail.

A pet store made you both believe a reptile pet was possible. Then, your child was quite literally incapable of species-appropriate care, or lost interest when the unusual pet species didn’t meet expectations (few species are gregarious, none are very cuddly, most are too delicate or easily frightened for much handling, etc.). “Solving” the issue or punishing the child in “cleaning the cage” style by giving the reptile away in a Facebook group is not the life lesson you want to give. That’s not a lesson in responsibility. Among other things, it subtly frames pets, even selectively, as disposable if too problematic.

Teaching the need to pause, learn more, and make good, applicable choices is teaching responsibility!

Responsibility, especially pertaining to living things, is often a long game. Instead of instant gratification, the reward comes when preparation results in a happy, healthy, and applicable pet they can bond with and enjoy for years to come. This, in turn, teaches many excellent lessons applicable widely to life.

Parental guidance and involvement are huge in changing this scenario for the better – you’re absolutely a part of the lasting solution!

How to Help – Other Ways

You don’t have to be In a mentorship position or a parent to help. You only need to care about the welfare of all pets.

If that’s you, some information in this post might have surprised and upset you. Most people don’t know about the state of reptiles – as well as birds, aquatics, and so-called small pets, like hamsters and rabbits – until they have a reason to experience it. The upside? Now you know a bit without having to end up in such a situation.

The even better news: you can help!

Here are some ways:

  • keep learning about the problem – this post barely scratches the surface of inhumane, unethical practices by pet stores
  • share what you know – find calm and compassionate ways to spread awareness
  • hold the system accountable
    • don’t blame individuals who were failed
    • stay up to date with actions to make these pets’ welfare as relevant as others by demanding better breeding, in-store husbandry, and selling practices; humane practices and oversight for breeding facilities; legislation/enforcement regarding live animal sales
    • express your stance with your wallet – if/when possible, only buy from stores with good practices, that are specialty stores, or that don’t sell any pets
  • support educational and welfare groups, and those in the hobby promoting and advancing welfare
  • though legitimate rescues are few, give them support in ways possible for you – after vetting authenticity
  • encourage those around you to value welfare for these animals and act responsibly
A vibrant green chameleon perched on a hand, showcasing camouflage abilities against a white background.

Regardless of personal interaction with the reptile hobby, we can all do something to help improve the lives of these animals and their guardians. Just being aware that there is a systemic problem causing suffering for profit is helping!

Questions?

It was a long post that brought up many points – were you left with questions? Here are some answers to likely “where do I go from here” questions.
Complete with info, links, and tips!

If pet stores – the most readily available point of sale – are to be avoided, where should a responsibly thought-out reptile come from?

Not all pet stores are the same.

There are stores that ethically source, house, care for, and sell reptiles. These stores either provide their own reptiles (as breeders themselves) or acquire them from ethical, high quality local breeders known to them – or both. They have a smaller selection of healthy, quality animals at appropriate ages and conditions to be sold, in enclosures that are species-appropriate, comfortable, and enriching. While all pet stores make more profit from habitats and supplies, these small, specialty stores don’t treat their reptiles as disposable – just a means to getting the new guardian to keep returning to the store for upgrades, standard care needs, and additional animals – like others do. These are stores run by enthusiastic, knowledgeable hobbyists.

Some of the more typical, not reptile-specific, small, local pet stores can also be ethical, responsible sources. Others follow the same models as as chains; overstocking, poor husbandry, low/no concern for welfare, lack of or outdated information. To find out which kind you have near you, you’ll need to investigate, exercise common sense, and ask questions.


Be prepared to spend more. Both specialty stores and standard local ones will be more expensive. Small stores can’t compete with big-box pricing, literally. They don’t get the same, cheaper-in-bulk and big company affiliated pricing that chains do, and can’t, then, pass those discounts on to you. Specialty stores are, well, specialty! Being ethical and pet-first, as well as the items only found in such places – custom enclosures, set up bio-active enclosures, “in-house” raised food, store-made substrate mixes, live plants, etc. – is more costly. Doing things the right way for the animals is usually more expensive!

Rescues aren’t as easy as those for dogs and cats.

You might get the pet easier, but that’s due to unethical practices – consider that a big red flag. Many reptile “rescues” are just people who collect free, unwanted reptiles online. When they, too, can’t provide for the animal(s), it is moved from being part of their collection to adoptable-complete with large rehoming fee.

Legitimate reptile rescues are rare because they’re extremely difficult to run. Again, these are all special-care animals, they’re not domesticated pets (yet). Vet care and ongoing (often for life) treatments, as well as adapting environments to accommodate ill or disabled (through inadequate husbandry) reptiles grows very costly, very fast. Then, there is the space required for properly sized and equipped enclosures, those enclosures and all they contain, cleaning supplies, utilities, food and supplements, lighting and heating, and on and on. And then, the reality is that those running the rescue must keep working “real jobs” for paychecks to afford all of this, leaving one or two people responsible for one paying job and the huge job of care taking.

Legitimate, ethical reptile rescues don’t cover operation and care costs, let alone make extra money from adoption fees. (A thing true of rescues for all species of pets.) Most people looking for reptiles don’t consider seeking a rescue, or know they even exist. Meanwhile, it can seem that everyone in a three state radius knows of them when wanting/needing to relinquish a pet. To ensure they go to proper homes, adoption isn’t based on who shows up first with with payment-again, red flag If a rescue seems like a purchase. Altogether, this means more animals staying in the rescue longer, costing money and time, and few leaving – with an impossible number hoping to get into the rescue.

Burnout. Escalating costs. Ever-occupied enclosures. Difficulty with space.


This is why most reptile rescues don’t make it long, it has nothing to do with the need for them or the rescuer’s dedication. Additionally, most rescues being short-lived makes it hard for prospective guardians to be aware of the option, locate a true rescue near them, and adopt. The number of people claiming to be rescues only complicates it all further – once again, the new guardian can end up set up to fail.

Between needing to vet the legitimacy of rescues and the additional complexities that might come with a rescued reptile, like health and behavioral concerns, this might not be the best route for those new to reptiles. Your individual situation will, obviously, vary, and Coydog certainly encourages supporting legitimate, ethical rescues if adopting is appropriate for you!


Breeders are a good choice, but also come with concerns.

However, they can be the best option for those with no choice except a large chain store in particular. There are far more reptile breeders than you’d expect in every part of the country, at all scales, and most focus on species that have been captive-bred for decades and are (reasonably, for reptiles) hardy. Bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, and ball pythons are good examples. Through a breeder, including ethical ones, you’ll find more morph (color and pattern) varieties than you’d think existed based on pet store chain selections alone.

Healthier, more successful pets, better morphs, and a selection of ages and genders – the benefits of choosing a proper, ethical breeder. Plus, with adult animals, a breeder can even give you an idea of personality for an even better fit.

As always, it’s finding good, ethical breeders that can be a bit challenging. Like any other pet, those who aren’t ethical haphazardly and cruelly put profit before lives. Plenty breeders out there are only contribute to the problem by trying to make as much as possible before a trend species and/or morph bubble pops – or to create the next morph trend. Careful breeding and years of dedication is costly, and unlike in the dog world, neither high prices nor exotic colors are a red flag for bad breeders.

Red flags for reptile breeders are often species-specific, but spotting improper or mass-production style enclosures, animals in poor health, and obvious lack of knowledge are good general warning signs.


Before buying, learn about your species’ red flag morphs-the ones containing lethal or debilitating genetic conditions that continue to be bred by the unethical-and what the signs of a good reptile/specific species breeder are. Becoming familiar with the practices of notable ethical breeders, no matter where they’re located, in order to compare them to those close to home is a good idea. If there are none in your area, most breeders do offer shipping and other methods of getting a pet to you.

Reptile conventions/expos are a mixed bag.

You absolutely can buy a reptile at a convention, and good breeders do visit them. This can also be a great way to connect with breeders and hobbyists in your region. However, even the smallest I’ve been to were loaded with reptiles, amphibians, and a little bit of side-species as well. Looking over rows of stunning reptiles – often at great prices – can be extremely tempting.

-No, really! Even I almost couldn’t talk myself out of taking home a leopard gecko of one of my two “dream morphs” from a fabulous breeder at a great price as a retired breeding animal. (Black and white, and genuinely black, for anyone wondering about my gecko dreams!) At the time, considering the space required for another proper enclosure did it for me – keep your sanity, remember whatever needed not to act impulsively.

Additionally, cons make it harder to establish breeder ethics – you’re just seeing what they’re displaying. I would strongly suggest finding your breeder ahead of time and seeing if they’ll be at any local events, as well as asking questions and having obvious red flags in mind. (Extreme number of animals for sale, large number of different species, poor/inhumane genes for sale, and delicate, endangered, notably unethical, unhealthy, or outright illegal animals.)


As many in the hobby now lament, a lot of reptile conventions/expos aren’t the sort of events they used to be, with reptile sales taking over and the educational talks, special guests, and even cutting edge or creative supplies taking a backseat-if not vanishing altogether. If you have a reptile community online for your region-that’s not a hostile or unpleasant place-you’ll find opinions on both nationwide visiting cons (like Repticon) and the rarer, locally put together events so you can get a better idea of what attending will be like.

Reptile social media/online can be a good source of finding breeders, supplies, and general help.

  • Helpful, welcoming groups can’t be overstated in their greatness, but can be even more challenging to find on a local/regional level.
  • Finding breeders of your species of interest regionally on Facebook, Instagram, X, etc. can be a good way of gauging their practices and engaging with them.
  • Facebook groups can also be great, with the usual caveats. If you’re looking for a reptile needing a new home, specifically, nearly every state has regional reptile rehoming groups. Practicing good vetting, self-control, and only diving in after educating yourself on a species can result in a healthy, well adjusted, perfect-for-you pet (sometimes with its enclosure as well) that simply needs a new home due to moves, unexpected income changes, etc.
    • Be aware that “rehoming” and “adoption” are terms used differently on social media: they don’t mean “free” or “not sold by a breeder.” (This applies to all animals.) These terms are used because pet/live animal sales are not allowed. This can also lead to posts that are misleading, as people try to avoid violations by obscuring sales and playing with words. Always check out a group’s rules and pinned info posts. Free only groups do exist, fees are sometimes charged for the enclosure.

Though lesser known than the popular puppy scams, reptile pet scammers do exist. Yet another reason to always resist temptation-if it seems too good to be true, it is-and stay the course of exercising caution, investigating, and using what you’ve learned about your chosen species!

Is there an ethical breeders list, and where to find it?

For dogs and cats, associations have lists of breeders registered with them, as well as merit and other rating systems – this helps potential guardians find and select legitimate, ethical breeders. For dogs, there are also watchdog (no pun intended) groups who keep excellent records of puppy mills that can be searched, further protecting buyers.

Unfortunately, there is no single list of ethical reptile breeders.


However, there are sites, groups, and individuals who list breeders, as well as tips on recognizing and finding ethical breeders. Their vetting systems, what it takes to ve approved, and how they handle violations vary – In type and efficacy. Some even have directories of approved (vetted) rescues!

These are linked below, along with other helpful resources.

I’ve made a list of helpful links to help you get started!

Information – Research – Guides

  • Reptifiles
    • Site. Excellent source of wide-ranging info. Truly, our longtime favorite reptile site – highly Coydog Recommended! Care sheets for a quicker look, care manuals for in depth info – and on so many species that there is a searchable directory. Resources are excellent, linking you to top products and necessary info, like a lighting guide.
  • Happy Dragons
    • Site. As their site says, “Your one-stop shop reptile resource hub!” We’re newer to Happy Dragons, but we’re loving it – definitely Coydog Blog approved as well! Legitimately expert-derived content, with a focus of science-based, ethical, and humane reptile husbandry. Subscription isn’t necessary-the free tier is fabulous-but if you subscribe, a portion of it goes to a legit and notable rescue, L.E.A.R.N.
  • Project Herpetoculture Podcast
    • Podcast. One of Coydog’s favorite podcasts – deeply engaging while being equally educational. With a wide variety of species discussions and expert guests, this podcast promotes better reptile keeping, understanding species based on their natural environments, naturalistic environments, bringing out natural behaviors through environment and enrichment, and a better hobby all around through welfare and knowledge.
  • Wickens Wicked Reptiles
    • Site & YouTube. We might have initially questioned Wickens use of “click baity” titles, but we love that the clicks work – and take folks to entertaining information! As the site says, “Let’s learn about reptiles together, and let’s have fun doing it!”
  • Animals at Home

Breeders – Communities – Supplies

  • Reptifiles – Rescue Directory
    • I can’t say enough great things about Reptifiles – with their care manuals, care sheets, and detailed resources (as well as links to some of the best in reptile supplies and those advocating for and helping the hobby be the responsible, ethical place it should be) it’s always the place I recommend first. But, they also have the most comprehensive list of reptile rescues I’ve ever seen!
  • Happy Dragons
    • This amazing site, like Reptifiles, wants better for reptiles and the hobby. You can search by breeder or species to find your new pet from a much better source – some of the best names in the hobby! Additionally, their selection of supplies is excellent and varied – something perfect for every species to thrive! Be sure to check out their ethics (and everything else on site, honestly), I know you’ll be as happy as I was.
  • MorphMarket
    • Once you’re in the hobby, you’ll hear MorphMarket a lot – there’s a reason for that! MM gives you the ability to search for breeders with an array of filters beyond the crucial location and species, helping you discover and connect with good breeders – but there’s much more, too! MM takes aggressive actions against reptile keeping seriously by encouraging ethical, responsible, welfare-based breeding and guardianship. (Position of Ethics, Code of Ethics) They’re not just a market/auction – conservation, rescue, and the responsibility of breeding and keeping matter, and they really do make the updates they want to add to keep furthering a more ethical hobby happen. Additionally, they have an increasing selection of information, genetics and genetic testing, honest morph information, expos, blog, and a community.

On Buying from Petco/Petsmart

Upset about what you’ve read?

Understandably, me too! I have my geckos because of the poor, inhumane, and often concealed practices that lead to reptiles being in unprepared homes.

The first two came from such a home. Like many, these two were being cared for under the guidelines given out by big box stores, and that information had passed from pet store to new guardian, to multiple subsequent guardians.

They had more than one home before me, and the outdated and incorrect information given at the pet store was simply passed along and adhered to despite their condition.

Two of the best things you can do are the simplest: never take a single source of guidance without doing further research, and find compassionate ways to give new guardians (or those who have never updated) accurate information and locations to research easily, like Reptifiles.

Remember:

Being pushy won’t make them look into it, let alone change! Even if they act like they won’t look into anything, you’ve at least planted the seed for it to happen – you can’t do that by demanding, accusing, or guilting someone. Your upset is understandable, but don’t let it be the cause of a shut down that’ll only harm the animal. Save the outrage for the stores!

It’s not always big chains – Understand the “logic” to fight it!

My third gecko didn’t come from unprepared guardians or a big box store.

Aurelia highlights the reality that small, local stores can be every bit as bad.

This can be a hard pill to swallow! We tend to associate small, local stores of any kind with better practices, and though Coydog will always encourage shopping your community, not being a nationwide chain store doesn’t inherently mean better anything. Always be mindful of things, don’t ignore what your eyes and instincts tell you because it’s not a big chain location.

Aurelia, and five other very young juveniles who may or may not have been hatchmates, were all kept in a 10 gallon aquarium with a single hide, bright blue sand, an intense heat basking light, in a sun-facing window, and occasionally given dumped-into-the-tank crickets and a little water. Many of these practices are common and all of them come from dangerously inaccurate, outdated, or outright uncaring, sales-first information.

They were all swallowing sand, dehydrated, emaciated, and missing toes and/or tails from fighting for resources in a tiny space. After some action on my part, the owner deposited them (and a ball python in equally bad shape) on me to cool the heat from officials and write off the loss. They, like all other animals in the store, weren’t selling anyway, now they required the expense of vet care and at least survival level enclosures and care – more money put out on animals who weren’t even recouping their original purchase price. This is the way the majority of pet stores view the living things within them for sale.

By not supporting stores who put welfare last and treat living things like inanimate products, or lesser than, you are helping!

As a pet guardian in a small, rural area, I fully understand that, sometimes, we’re forced to shop places that don’t align with our values. However, even by minimizing it (emergency buys only, like my light in the post) you’re still exercising the power of your money – the only power and influence these sellers tend to recognize. The more people are educated about the issue, the fewer will patronize such places, and this will demand change.

โ€ข Don’t buy reptiles (or other pets) from pet stores who put them last.
โ€ข Check out even local stores before buying a pet or supporting with supply purchases.
โ€ข If you have to, limit purchases to emergencies only, and if you are nowhere near an ethical pet store or specialty store, buy from an ethical online seller or check out used items for sale near you.

This all might feel like less active action than you want – I get it!

In addition to the steps above, there are always petitions about this exact issue.

Though they work best in addition to consumers voicing their opinion through withholding spending, it does help to sign them. It’s still pressure, and when you sign and share with others, you can make them aware of the problem for additional pressure!

As the largest nationwide pet store chains, Petco and PetSmart are the usual stores in these petitions. Both have been forced to take action in the past due to pressure from consumers. Never forget that you, or more accurately, parting you with your hard earned money, are the reason these stores exist at this scale.

It might feel like not spending there is a tiny drop in a huge bucket – you’re just one person! Maybe you aren’t even capable of spending that much, so you feel like your spending power is irrelevant. You’re right…but also wrong! Yes, of course, you’re just one person, and maybe you could only buy $4 worth of fish food here and there, but that’s the thing: you’re one person of millions, and those little purchases do add up.

Pet parents have made pet supplies the fastest growing, strongest, and one of the largest markets on the planet – there are a lot of us, and we’ll spend on our pets when we can’t afford to spend otherwise! It’s a matter of us sticking together and sticking to it.

It does help If more powerful pet parents are involved. In addition to everyone from influencers to celebrities, don’t forget that those in government (local and federal) are pet guardians as well. Spreading information and signing petitions helps to reach those guardians in higher positions of power.

There’s one last reason why petitions can be powerful here:

Reptiles often get the short end of the humane stick – too many people are frightened or otherwise bothered by them, impacting the concern for their welfare. These petitions do wonders for that because the cruelty doesn’t begin or end with reptiles. It includes aquatics, birds, and the cute, fuzzy pets that far more people feel for, like guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, and hamsters. They’re all suffering in this system, the same system that sets up their guardians for failure, and they’re all included.

It works like this:

A parakeet guardian signs and shares, other bird guardians see and do the same. This reaches an avid aquarist who signs, and in addition to other fish keepers this shared petition reaches who become aware and sign, the chain of Less Common Pet Guardians continues until it also includes a bearded dragon parent. The beardie parent had no idea, and shares it with a reptile group they’re in on Facebook. Guardians of beloved pets who aren’t dogs or cats (or in addition to their dogs and cats) tend to revolve around the same circles because we’re a bit “othered” by our pets’ status in the pet world.


And, all of us know at least one person who is, without maliciousness, not into reptiles. They see our petition being shared, and are drawn to the image of a sick, poorly kept rabbit in the petition link preview. The suffering is more recognizable with mammalian features, and they’re compelled to click and see what this is about – I shop at the local Petco and I’ve never seen this! In under a minute, this person is another reached and educated. Another person who is sickened, signs, and shares.

Petitions are meant to put public pressure on, but even when that isn’t enough, they’re powerful tools for reaching, educating, and connecting others.

Even if you don’t feel your signature will matter, you can’t recall the last time any petition you did resulted in a major change, consider it on this larger scale before moving on.

Pet parents are a powerhouse of influence, we just often fail to recognize this or to come together for causes that do affect all of us, regardless of what species our non-human family member is!

No petition is linked because I’ve no idea when you might be reading this! You can simply search “Petco petition,” “PetSmart petition,” etc. to bring up plenty of current ones from petition sites and animal welfare organizations. (You can always start one of your own, as well!) Whether you search or just run across one, take a couple seconds to sign and share – every effort matters when a problem is systemic.

Local store? Don’t underestimate the power of reviews on social media, Google, and Yelp! Be calm, but detailed – looking like you’re unhinged isn’t helpful, even if it drives you there. If possible, get at least one picture or video of pet conditions, poor housing, obvious poor health, etc. to include for validity and impact. Resist the urge to “rescue” the pet by buying it, or losing your cool on store employees, neither helps.

Have a question not covered here? No big deal – Contact Coydog! I’m always happy to get questions, and always willing to get you the answers you need.

A pet care professional, writer, and lifelong animal advocate with decades of hands-on experience in behavior-informed, low-stress care for dogs, cats, and other companion animals.

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