Do you have any pictures (good or bad) from reptile shows? Post them on Instagram and tag #GoHerpingExpo. I have many more pictures and experiences to share, and this way I can see and include yours. Leave your reptile expo stories here on the video too!
You should go into a reptile expo “undercover” and say you don’t know anything about reptiles and are looking to buy and need some advice, and see just how terrible of advice they give.
You can hire or recruit someone to do for you. Set them up with a camera and mic. Can even use wireless headphones that have a mic so you can be in a call with the questioner. You can suggest questions they can ask, and overhear from the mic. It will look like they are just listening to music as the walk around.
That's so sad. How do you have a snake and NOT notice its eyes or lack thereof? One of the main attractions about snakes is their beautiful, weird eyes. I can't imagine being in this business without an appreciation for how gorgeous these animals are. I don't even own a snake, kinda scared of 'em tbh, but even I appreciate their beauty.
Here in Denmark the expos only last one day(5 hours) and 90% of the seller’s are well known and respected. Also Denmark is pretty small so there’s not a lot of trawling involved
That's good! I was wondering about the scene around here, only just got into reptiles last year and, well, kind of haven't had the chance to go for obvious reasons
@@GoHerping Bullshit! Most have larger tubs the animals are put in at night and the people get there early to feed and get them back out in the smaller containers for the day. And if the animal is healthy (and they are more so than not ) they do perfectly well in those containers, even if they are in them for multiple days. THATS HOW THEY COME WHEN THEY ARE SHIPPED UNLESS THEY ARE TO LARGE, THEN THEY COME IN BAGS TIED AND TAPED SHUT! AND YOU KNOW THIS !! ANYBODY WHO HAS EVER HAD A GECKO SHIPPED TO THEM KNOWS THIS!! AND DURING SHIPPING THEY CAN BE IN THOSE CONTAINERS FOR 5 DAYS OR EVEN 7. Any more then that is definitely not a good thing but for people traveling to the show they are usually in those containers for less time then they are in the average mail order shipment .
@@stevenhall8964 when shipped they aren't intended to be in the shipping containers for a weekend. Kittens and small puppies could survive in shoe box sized Rubbermaids for 5 days straight, that doesn't make it right. You are speaking from your experiences and what you've seen with many vendors moving animals to larger tubs in the evening. He is speaking to what he's seen about many vendors not moving animals to larger tubs in the evening. Neither of your opinions based on your experiences is wrong.
In my experience it’s the mid size expos are usually the problematic ones. They are too big to be organized like the small local based ones, and too small To have the the proper funding and staffing to assure quality breeders like the really big ones. In my experience the best expos I’ve been to were locally established get togethers in small communities. Friendly good people who are usually in the hobby or are in a biology/herpetology/zoology related field and everyone genuinely cares about the animals. Ones I’ve been to had large temporary enclosures, good prices on supplies, helpful breeders, free care guides, and healthy animals. One of the few good things about living in a small podunk town imo
Got my beardie at a reptile expo in White Plains, NY back in 2013 all he wanted to do was move around the moment we put him in his new home. Him being curious was so cute. He's missing a nail but he's still going strong
i went to the white plains one in i think in 2019...? 2018? i can't remember when the last big one was. hope your boy's doing well, and that he has a great time with you!
Got my Ball python from the White plains expo back in 2017. It was my first time at an expo, but honestly I didn't see/notice half these problems (not saying this wasn't happening). Overall seller was good and informative (he bred the snake) and I was pleased with the transaction. My python is still doing well and haven't had any health problems with him. Sad to hear there is so much more possible going on in the background of these types of expos
My Grandpa goes to bird expos. Last July, he got me a kitten there. I did NOT want another cat, but I had no choice, and fell in love with her really soon. Luckily, my other cat loves her and they even recently befriended our grumpy old terrier. But please, DON'T BUY PETS AS SURPRISE GIFTS!
if somebody gifts you something like a reptile, fish, or amphibian you are so screwed. These are animals that need such specific homes, care, heating, uvb, water quality, et cetera. It just makes me sad that these animals get this treatment because it usually are the cheaper animals; they are still living animals!
I definitely think expos are like zoos - some really bad ones and some really good ones. Luckily, both expos in my area list every single breeder going to the expo so you can do research on them beforehand. Not a single random person can sell their animals there.
Exactly. I’m going to my first expo in June and I’m only going for bugs and a tree frog (can’t find any near me). My friend runs a reptile rescue and agrees but disagrees at the same time. She thinks it’s great people can talk to others about the hobby but she wishes more people would rehome reptiles.
I feel like there should just be stricter precautions for who can and can’t sell reptiles at expos. So that it lowers the chance of bad breeders and everything else you talked about in the video
In the arts & crafts show world, there’s a thing called “juried expos.” A board of people in charge of the expo vets vendors to make sure their goods are unique, show solid craftsmanship, and, sometimes, that their reputation is solid. While this can lead to elitism, drama, and higher table costs, I think it’s a small price to pay to avoid dodgy vendors. To me, the bare minimum of that should be required for animal expos. At least run background checks to make sure your vendors aren’t convicted animal abusers, for goodness’ sake... (Edit for grammar)
Or, how about just being stricter on the rules in general. If the person cant follow those rules, usually means they're not good breeders/sellers anyway and they wont be able to sell there. Because how would one go about judging who is allowed to sell or not? By rumor/what others say/believe about the person? several people who dont a person can makes up things to ban that person, or that person could be banned because of misunderstanding etc. So, instead, it's better to set a standard, if those standards cant be met. Then that seller shouldn't be able to sell.
@@argonautilus9540 I dont see how elitism, drama, and higher prices are a "small price to pay" when just banning dodgy sellers could solve the issue entirely without the elitism etc. So, if those set of gatekeepers just dont like you or your product, you're not able to sell? When it should be up to the buyers to choose whether or not your craftmanship is what they're looking for. Ihe point is to avoid dodgy sellers, wouldn't/shouldn't they be vetting these people by their history, and if they had any trouble with "dodgy" behavior in the past? And if the seller is new to the entire craft business, shouldn't they get a chance to prove whether or not they are an honest craftsman? Not being judged by a select handful of people to being able to sell their products to the public? I suppose since many of these expos are ran privately those in charge can do whatever they want. But there are also many expos and craft fairs that are ran by and paid for by local government (tax payers) on public lands like parks and recreation buildings etc.
Keeping "dodgy" breeders out causes the elitism and higher prices. Higher prices, 2 reasons. 1. Figuring out if people are "dodgy" costs money and takes time. And time drives up administrative costs as it calls for much more planning. It also requires more people to enforce the rules and monitor the event. I run background checks for a living. They aren't cheap and the more in-depth the search, the more expensive they are. In the case of a person who was charged with a crime but not found guilty, in my state it is illegal to report that to a client if it is older than seven years. So even background checks wouldn't keep bad breeders out forever. And in my experience 90% of Assault and Battery cases, against *humans* are dismissed (meaning they are not found guilty, usually for lack of prosecution) So unless animal abuse is incredibly heinous, it will not be prosecuted and they'll probably just be fined at worst. 2. Exclusivity always comes with a price tag. If your expo keeps out bad sellers, its a more desirable expo, and therefore even if you didn't have to mark up the price, you can. And as we see in this video, if people can make more money, they will. Elitism Deciding what "dodgy" means. This would be easy if the only thing that made them "dodgy" was a criminal record. But not all sellers with bad selling habits are charged criminals. So keeping out all "dodgy sellers" would require a set of requirements that they must meet to get into the expo. Would they have to detail the way they care for their animals while at the expo? At home? Prove where they came from? Those things would also likely cost the sellers more time and money to meet those standards and provide the necessary evidence. Or if they had to go to the expo early to have their animals inspected for mites, that'd be more time and money from the sellers and those running the expo. And people would still fall through the cracks. As time goes on, these requirements will likely grow more stringent and more exclusive and sellers would have to prove more and more that they are reputable, to the point where some sellers that aren't "dodgy" aren't able to get in. Whether it requires time and money that hobbyists don't have, or simply because the burden of proving that they are legitimate is difficult when you are inexperienced. For example, as he said in the video, he started out getting his animals from people on craigslist; something that likely wouldn't be acceptable in order to keep out "dodgy" people. And he wasn't even aware that one of his animals was imported. If that was an animal he'd intended to sell it's not likely one that he'd be able to bring with him to the expo despite her being taken care of well. If you have to prove where your animals come from and the Expo is deciding whether that source is good enough, there is no way that you don't get elitism. But all of that being said, I agree that it's a small price to pay. But you can't have your cake and eat it too unfortunately.
once at an expo there was an entire plastic container of d*ad baby leopard geckos ON DISPLAY next to the delis of ones for sale and it was 🙂🙂🙂 traumatizing 🙂 so glad i’m not the only one to feel weird about them
I feel like I really lucked out with my local expo! It's only been going for a few years, but they make it very clear on their website that they heavily vet EVERY single vendor, to make sure that they're only selling captive bred and healthy animals. I think it only goes for one day, but they hold it twice a year (in non-pandemic times obviously). I was really impressed with the nice displays, and I didn't see a single animal that looked remotely unhealthy. It's the only reptile expo I've been to, but since it was so nice I don't think I'd want to go to any others since I don't trust them (and I've heard so many bad stories). They also had a local reptile rescue organization there who I've seen at events around here before. They showed off many of their rescued animals and educated people on things like sulcata tortoises, and how often they get abandoned because people don't realize the care they need. I got my red eyed tree frog from that expo last year and he's still doing great. Very healthy little guy. For the record, I also live in New York (upstate), and our state has stricter guidelines than a lot of others when it comes to exotic animals. Lots of what I call "snake bros" complain about the regulation a lot (legit, "why can't I own venomous snakes like cobras!"), but in my opinion, it's led to better welfare for the animals, which I think should always be the priority.
I think I went to the same expo. I'm in upstate NY as well and the one I went to was also a one day thing that they do twice a year for only the last few years. I've only been once and it was just before the shutdown. The one I went to seemed pretty decent (certainly no reptiles running loose). For the most part it was a pleasant experience and I hope to go again sometime when times are a little better and things like expos can happen again.
Oh hey, also in upstate NY. I had been planning to go to an expo this year before obvious circumstances, I'll try to scout the one you're probably talking about. I can help verify ;) But in all seriousness, this video makes a lot of sense, as sad as it is. Local *anything* has a much better chance of having a stricter look at who is following the rules.
Just had a flashback to a vendor arguing with me about how safe live feeders are while holding a snake covered in scars and then telling me about snakes he had to put down due to injuries. wtf.
I have also had a similar experience with a farmer who, while holding their burnt and scarred corn snake, went on to explain how heat rocks are the best heating supply for reptiles and that they get a lot of mental fulfillment from live feeding. I also talked to a breeder who, very literally, wondered why her juvenile success rate was so low while proceeding to explain that she cohabs litters of baby boas, which she live feeds together. I also had to tell a breeder I knew for a while that his 24w x 16l x 6h rack system wasn't nearly big enough for the adult female ball pythons he had in them. Also had someone at an expo basically trying to pawn off (I think they definitely had a disease or something) 3 corn snakes onto literally every passerby in the expo. Yeah, it's a bad world here in florida
I like going to expos to get supplies, because you can get bulk for really good prices. I have two BP's that are rescues (from Radiant Reptilia) and I refuse to get any new additions to my family any other way. I don't discourage people from breeding, but some people really just look at reptiles like objects that can make them money, and it saddens me. Thanks for this. Too many people ignore ethical issues with reptiles because they're not "cute and cuddly".
I don’t get the need to massively breed them either. Ball pythons aren’t hamsters, in captivity they can live up to an average of 30 years so your going to take care of it for at least 30 years. Don’t know why people breed and buy these snakes as if they are hamsters that die in 2-3 years.
@@buibuiopolismayor7329 I agree that BPs and other reptiles don't need to be mass produced like they are. But I feel like there's more of a mass breeding issue with hamsters. Yes they have a shorter lifespan but because of that they are treated like a disposable pet. And the way they are marketed towards kids because they are "cute and cuddly" gets people to overlook their actual needs. (You'll be pissed if you look into the space they actually need vs. the cutesy shit with tubes from the pet store. Usually not even a fifth of the space they need) I rescued a pregnant hamster bc some kids decided more hamsters =more fun. She had 11 babies and when one was about 3 weeks old it just curled up and died. Nothing wrong with them on the outside, likely just a side effect of inbreeding. And that's just how it goes because they're treated like they're disposable. Can't imagine what it would be like in the mills (._.)
Chain pet store employee who provides impeccable care and is very well researched and experienced here. And uh, THIS. The local shops here with the disgusting or bone dry enclosures and dehydrated and thin animals also love to make sweeping negative generalizations. You know if an animal is sick or injured that we have to get them vet care within 24 hours and neglecting to do so can be a fire able offense. 🙄 I don't think we should sell live animals, breeding mills is highly problematic. But these local shops use the same vendors and provide worse care and have no space to talk.
@@kwiggy5091 I work as a pet store as well and I don’t agree with everything, but god I’ve been to so many god awful local pet stores and no one says a thing about them. I’m talking full grown beardies in 20 gals, bird cages stacked on top of eachother, baby lizards on sand. And no one ever talks about this. It’s sad
@@Monika-gc2bk I know. Plus, we have a LLL Reptile here that also supplies Reptiles N'Reefs, mind you LLL Reptiles sister company is Vista, who supplies both those stores AND chain stores. Like. The local stores aren't much better for buying live animals. At least mine are given vet care.
I got my BP at the local Petco..... that wasn’t the plan, I was just going in to check out supplies before ordering from a breeder. But I saw they had some BPmorphs and talked to the associate that cared for the reptiles, and she was simply gushing over them like a proud mama. She told me so much of their history (the one we bought had been there for several months), eating habits, etc and even her feeding log had cute personal notes scribbled for each feed - obviously she cared a great deal about these animals. So.... just goes to show, sometimes pet stores aren’t so bad! Our Petco BP (banana pinstripe) is very healthy and happy!
I see large bps crammed into large delis. I commented to one of the sellers and he just shrugged and said they were only in there for a couple of days. These poor animals were so big that they were literally stuffed into the containers and could not move.
@@zebraloverbridget The issue isn't 'does the animal enjoy small spaces?', the issue is that the animal does not have the choice and cannot move if it wanted to. Especially seeing as the sellers themselves said "only a few days"..days! It would be unpleasant but perhaps overlookable if it was literally just a one-day expo, but several days? :/ and ball pythons like hiding in dark spaces.. being crammed into a container and then sitting on a table with bright lights and noise all the time.. Likely didn't enjoy it as much as you'd think.
Yea I keep my kitten taped in a shoebox over the weekends. It hasn't said anything about not liking it, so it's cool. She was shipped to me taped in a shoe box so that makes it ok.
Every time there's an expo or a pet store has a sale in my area, the amount of reptiles on Craigslist increases significantly in the next few months. And they're not just leos and ball pythons like there normally are, there are iguanas, tegus, boas, and more. It's honestly really sad to see the aftermath of all the impulse purchases.
I’d say Just do your research and be mindful of the companies there. Some don’t push sales and have great healthy animals. Others.... not so much.. plus there’s the whole wild caught argument etc.
Our canadian expos I would say are excellent. I've never seen mites or loose animals in either the smaller semi monthly expos or the big CRB expos in Ontario. I'm sure there's been less reputable flippers that people have had issues with but on the whole I would say it's a much better experience than some of the states side shows. What specifically are you looking for?
@@themotions5967 they don't do that here at all, because the supply of reptiles isn't that big (even at the biggest expo in the capitali) compared to the demand (the fact that most of reptiles, amphibians, crabs and other are sold relatively fast is also the main reason for the short lenght of expos)
I mean, the alternatives for getting reptiles are shipping live animals and pet shops, and being the lesser evil they're not so easily boycotted if people want reptiles. I think the best thing to do is to tell people to look out for bad sellers and give advice on how to spot them, and push for animal care quality control at expos, rather than insinuate it's bad to go to an expo altogether
2nd vending experience: Me: Forgot a black cloth over my stuff (I sell artwork/jewelry from shed) Expo lady: *a n g e r e y* Nearby vendor: *sells sickly looking ackie monitors in filthy cups* Expo lady: *kalm* She also didn’t say anything when some adults would wander off without a mask like sure they get upset at how the black cloth is missing where I sanitized everything. But people showing their full face in a crowded building that could make the health department go bonkers or selling sick/dying animals to them isn’t their problem apparently. Maybe it was cuz I looked young, idk but it’s frustrating still
I remember someone selling spotted salamanders out of a dirty tub at one of our expos. Probably wild caught since they're native around here. He was trying his best to make them sound like they were the easiest pet ever. "Just stick them in a tub with some dirt, then just keep them under your bed! Just feed them sometimes and they'll thrive!" I feel bad for all the salamanders that man had and sold...
@@Workieplz the umbilical cord here is a smaller version with another name (umbillucum) that forms from the inervations of the egg and attached to the yolk. When reptiles hatch, they usually have some leftover innervation from the yolk, such as the umbilical cord have some innervation to the placenta. That is, technically, umbilical cord. Look for newborn snakes, they may have a little bump you can see for yourself :)
I have never been to one mainly from what I’ve seen. One thing that really bothered me was watching videos of a booth called ‘win a betta’. I was horrified. As if pet shops selling fish to people without a circulated tank wasn’t bad enough, having someone ‘win’ a fish literally guarantees that person won’t have a setup ready. I’m pretty sure 99% of all those fish are dead within days and that is so sad.
lol I was watching random expo videos after uploading this and saw that. There are a lot of deals and giveaways, I assume the fish related ones definitely go wrong
It’s interesting to hear your experiences, and they’re not like almost the opposite of mine. I live in the Midwest, and both of the expos here are small, and only 1 day. The same vendors go to all the shows, and I would say 99% are local. I’ve gotten 2 reptiles from expos, both from local breeders. I’m been very happy with my experiences, though I’ve never sold at one. But I’m sure a huge part of it is that the expos here are so small that everyone knows the vendors so it’s harder to be sketchy lol
Midwest here also- typically one day expos as well and usually have pretty good prices on supplies. I would say 90% of the breeders I've met at these smaller expos tend to be decent, a couple sketchy ones. I usually just like to talk in-depth with the breeder on how they are kept, etc. Otherwise I would rather get from a breeder individually rather than buying at an expo.
All the others are small time niche breeders or you tubers sadly at least he got over 190k views. That’s a lot of ppl and the nature of this vid shows ppl are interested so this is huge.
I can agree with these statements. My father took my sister and I to an expo and we impulse bought 2 baby beardies, they were only an inch and a half long. My sister’s dragon was sickly and lethargic, and died a few months later. My dragon is now happy and healthy at the age of 7 years and his care has changed immensely since those first few months because of the terrible care sheet we were given. It’s really unfortunate that these sellers do this so I can agree with this video for sure.
We had them together in an 80 gallon when we first got them but after my sister’s dragon died we upgraded my dragon to the tank he has now which is 4x3x2 feet
@@JA-ux1rz They're certainly one of the best examples. I personally don't believe the scaleless gene is problematic if the belly scales are still there.
@@breezyncj it's definitely a problematic gene. There are plenty of resources to find out why the production of this gene is so terrible. I recommend looking into it further.. If you need evidence of their shit keeping, check out their videos where they show the Reticulated python enclosures. Generally, their enclosures are way too small, but those set ups are absolutely ridiculous. SD has also spread things in videos telling people to put pennies in water bowls to reduce bacteria, which will just leech copper into the water (toxic to animals).
@@alicegunter6872 I've looked into it, and at this point in time my opinion on the scaleless gene stands. You are completely entitled to your own opinion. As far as their enclosures, they're building an entire facility to house their pets and animals used in education, which is success that is amazing to see. I see nothing wrong with the husbandry of the snakes they use to breed. As far as what I've seen on UA-cam, their style of keeping (as it pertains to their breeding stock) is definitely a step above most others. They are in the business of breeding, after all. It's a business, not just a hobby, and they do an exceptional job of it in my opinion.
Ooo I'd love that c: We need more of that, especially if each seller (should they pass) gets an entire article written about them detailing how they treat their animals and all that good stuff.
I went to a reptile expo to learn more about reptiles before I'd consider buying one and the amount of impulse buying was frightening. There were people with rooms full of reptiles that they impulse bought just because they had to have this "pretty snake". Maybe it's different in the reptile community, but to me, it doesn't seem like the ordinary (non-breeder etc.) can give a room full of animals the care they deserve.
There just 2 days here. Most of the sellers typically have heat lamps over the delis and most are in nice glass cases rather than the delis. Idk some sellers are sketchy though... legit a tubberware full of baby beardies though seemed weird.... Every booth at our expo seemed like a decent business no just random people selling animals. I got a millions business cards one from each booth I visited. All the people were pretty nice too.^-^
Never have gone to an expo and mostly because i don't want to be packed in with that many people. Also because after having mites once you are pretty paranoid about it and it always seemed like thousands of keepers who you don't know bringing in god knows what...always gives me chills thinking about what i might bring back home lol.
Mites!!! I bought a baby Blue tongue from a breeder at an expo, got him home? COVERED in Mites and had such a horrible respiratory infection that you couldn't hear in the roar of the expo :( he's doing fantastic now, but how can you sell someone a sick animal? How can you not get care for it!!
These aren't expo issues, this is a broad analysis of the entire state of reptile keeping in North America. Animals are trading cards kept in sock drawers. They are inbred into the ground and kept in sterile non enriched environments. The hobby isn't about the animals now. It's about the convenience of the keeper. I stick to dealing with people over in Europe. For the most part they have a much "for the animal" approach to keeping and still often work with a lot of animals that used to be common on our side of the pond but are now considering garbage due to the morph craze.
@cat snake that's why I said silly cause I knew someone would defend it if I said stupid or something instead. The fact that there's channels that do it worse doesn't matter, it doesn't make his look better.
Last expo, I walked around with a poor, probably terrified crestie on the back of my shirt for likely hours. I'm so glad I didn't smush him or something like that. Took ALL DAY to find where he belonged. Apparently he escaped a prospective buyer and I guess he decided I was his get-away-car.
Went to one of these for some lights for my tortoises, it was a kind of really upsetting seeing all the reptiles in little tiny plastic containers. The reptiles were so freaked out.
It’s because everyone has the toxic mentality of “humans are sentient beings while animals are just property with nothing of much value” Here in the Us if you get your animal stolen you can press charges on the thief. But do you know what the courts label animals? “Stolen property”. Like items. It makes me sick and I hate the US but unfortunately I have to live here.
I've never been to a reptile expo. Would like to go sometime with the intention of buying something (after I've already gotten a new enclosure fully set up at home of course) but, yeah the mites thing in particular has always been in the back of my mind ever since I started seriously considering it
@@GoHerping I've thankfully not had to deal with reptile mites (only have a half year old ball python from an online breeder) but I did spend about a year dealing with mites on my chickens so I'm more than aware just how big of a pain in the rear the little buggers are no matter what species they're plaguing
Dude, chill on the zoom. Imo it's kind of annoying, really bothers my eyes and I'm sure Im not the only one. Got halfway through before I'm done. Can't watch it. I'll just listen in the background from now on.
I can’t imagine the stress and absolute terror the animals must feel at those shows. People standing over them, holding them, taking selfies with them, they are in small containers for hours and hours or even days. I have been at one show, never again! I’m glad you put a spotlight on this. You have a lot of great points!
I do think it's alright to subject them to some stress (shipping them overnight, letting some people handle, etc) but it definitely feels over the top at shows
@@GoHerping that’s ridiculous. You need to not put out a video on topics you do not fully understand. The way you speak about expos proves you don’t actually know that much.
@@simplyserpents7254 well, you are responsible, and expos you attended were high quality, but why GoHerping cannot do a vid with bad one with bad irresponsible breeders? I bet there are more bad expos than good ones, and at least people will know what to expect when they'll go there
some of your complaints are very valid however a lot of your issues and observations are completely messed up or judge mental. your clearly young and lived a posh sheltered life. your nature means well but your clearly immature and nearsighted on some things. first time ive seen your channel. wish you the best but you need to grow up and be less judgemental towards others.
awww I'm sorry :C for future reference, trust me, that drive is nothing. In the reptile community, we literally ship our reptiles to our new homes via Fedex, they get put on planes, trucks, etc, sometimes there are ice storm delays, they go through a lot, and they come through totally fine. Being in a container on a car ride will not hurt them, especially since reptiles aren't like mammals (cats, dogs,) that need to eat and drink every day. They'd just chill, I promise. If you ever worry about water, just have a spray bottle on hand and spray em down once in a while.
did the feeders have mites or were they healthy? i wonder because cheaper isn't always better, especially as feeders are animals too..ofc idk what you are getting, mammals, insects, etc.
The more I watch these videos the more I realize how lucky I was when I bought my ball python from an expo. The seller had pictures of the animals with him and his kids (cause I was a newbie and nervous so he was trying to show me the snakes are used to being handled), pretty large (compared to other tables) containers, breeding history (or whatever the word is for what his parents morphs were), a serial number and feeding history so if I had questions after purchase he could pull up the specific snake and knew the frequency of feedings as well as the sizes of mouse. And yeah they could’ve been lying I guess but we walked away from the table and looked him up and he had pretty great and consistent reviews. And me and my boyfriend did research for months and months, id been doing it for years. I feel like you really can’t be prepared until you have a reptile and for that I’m so happy I got such a good snake. He’s a consistent eater, great temperament, and I couldn’t have gotten a better first if I tried.
@esther fisher yes and as we can see in his enclosure rating videos they don't even care abour their own pets and keep them in boxes with paper on the ground and plastic hides their whole lives (not just for quarantine). Or they keep big ass snakes in a smaller enclosure than i have for my cornsnake. Really sad.
The only time that wild caught animals are ok is when they are invasive and haveing impacts on local populations. For example pythons on florida, or quaker parrots in half the us. My birds and other pets aren't wild caught. But I feel its acceptable to get wild caught invasive species. Like pythons in the Everglades have killed alot of native the fauna. And breed like crazy. They are adaptable and that is quite horrifying. Immagine pythons all over the place killing dogs, cats, birds, pigs and deer and sometimes people. Invasive species are a thing that really need more recognition
The problem with that is that negligent breeders are more likely to rerelease invasive species so that they have a practically endless supply without having to pay anything for their keeping or growth. Hawaii had to ban the exportation of Jackson's chameleons because people were doing that.
Seems like expos in germany are VERY different. I am surprised! My local expos only last 7-10 hours, and the vendors are only allowed to put up the displays 1-2 hours before the show opens. A Vet with reptile-experience checks everything before any visitors enter, never seen mites there, never heard of someone getting them. Animals need to be heated, amphibians need access to water, deli cups are only allowed for small enimals, most animals sit in larger containers. Since almost all animals need valid paperwork, you can't just take imports and sell them as captive bred. Every animal gets a label with the species, care requirements, it's origin (captive bred, wc, farmed) und gender on their container, and vets check for mistakes on those as well. When you buy for example a ball python, you talk at least 30 minutes with the seller, most of them will show you pictures of the parents if they bred the animal and go over the care you planned for the animal with you. Ball pythons need to come with a pedigree certificate that states who bred it, what the parents are (morphs, wc or cb), where the seller and/or breeder lives, what morphs the animal is carrying (if possible, pos. hets can't be guaranteed of course), the breeders phone number and many even hand you feeding-records. If you buy from a person that has not bred the animal, chances are the breeders number is on the paperwork and you can call them for verification. Selling animals with incorrect paperwork is fined and can be quite expensive, if someone finds out. And there are institutions for that which you can call in the case something seems suspicious. Also supplies are way cheaper there! About the same price range as amazon, with some things even cheaper. Also there's always a wood-supplier there where you can get massive branches for very cheap. Most of the people there are breeders, which you can often tell from their stock (siblings in a clutch will have overlap in morphs, that's how you can tell sometimes) that really care about where the animals go, with contact informations, websites and valid papers. And well, that the guy with 100 different gecko-species isn't a breeder is kinda obvious, but vets keep checking the animals on display troughout the expos and you can also walk up to them to get an opinion on the animals you might want to buy. You only get to touch animals you consider buying, and your hands will get desinfected by the seller before and after, so no infections spread. I dunno. US expos always seemed more like a spectacle and less like a serious get-together for actual reptile-keepers to me. I gues that's close to the truth. Can't speak on all the expos here, but my local ones are fine.
Ngl, I'm 99% decided that my first reptile is going to be from Emerald Scales. I trust and respect your knowledge and I know that you actually care about the animals.
@Speff I am triggered by his lack of knowledge on certain topics but yet speaks as if he is an expert on the subject. Then he has many impressionable children watching his videos and taking his bad opinions as fact.
I would recommend an animal from nerd or another respectable breeder. This guy is okay but at the of the day most of his videos are Opinions and his own experiences. There are a variety of local and well known breeders that have been at this hobby since the beginning and have done so much for the hobby as a whole.
@@simplyserpents7254 It really isn't your place to tell the OP to do anything. If they want to buy from Emerald Scales, that's their choice and you should respect that. The OP does not necessarily care what you or anyone thinks; they did not ask for recommendations or opinions. As someone who gets the opinions of others shoved down my throat daily, it pisses me off seeing it happen to others.
@@lionarmy12 The OP did not ask for a recommendation, they said they wanted to buy from Emerald Scales. Let them alone. It just annoys me seeing others try to add their own personal thoughts when it's not asked for. If they wanted an opinion, they'd ask. As someone who gets the opinions of others shoved down my throat daily, it pisses me off seeing it happen to others.
my faith in a lot of people in the "animal community" is almost non-existent it's not just reptiles I've seen so many troubling behaviours and actions towards practically every species it's irritating. Also you remind me a lot of one of my old animal management tutors just fed up of people's shit XD
I agree. I used to find so much joy in animal keeping, it used to be so simple. But nowadays it's become mostly about protecting my animals from dangers posed by other people. It leaves me with hardly any time to actually enjoy my animals, and hardly any opportunities to, maybe, go visit someone for a weekend or do anything that requires me to be away from my house for too long, because something might happen to them. And it has before, so it's got me real scarred from ever trusting others again in that department.
@@CharlieGH- that makes sense, it seems like european pet stores are ahead of America as well. I worked at the 2nd largest pet chain in the US for a few years, it was probably the top in animal care for a national chain (by US standards) and it was still pretty mediocre at best
@@whyisthomyorke all chain stores are below average, but i agree places here like petsathome are much better ran than a petco or petsmart in the states
The honesty. I would have never guessed this was happening if it weren't for you. I would've thought that side of the hobby would consist of the better half that really care about the animals, not the other way around.
To be honest one of my least favourite things in the expo are those stupid deli cups that they are stuck in Especially the crested geckos. They are crammed in those tiny stupid deli cups all day with no freedom to move around making them very unhealthy.
my sister bought her first snake at an expo 1 week later it had mites. I bought a sand boa from a guy who only specialized in breeding them and had zero issues. Since then I've seen that breeder at that expo the past 3 years. The people who specialize or are ethical breeders are gems but the wholesalers and wild caught animals are definitely bad. I only hope that as care standards go up in the hobby that people stop supporting unethical sellers.
It seems to depend on the expo. I saw a comment about how small ones are passion projects and big ones can afford proper staff so medium ones are usually the worst cause they are caught in the middle. I went with one because I heard too many horror stories from the local pet store chains and I wanted to have the most variety to pick from for my first snake. You just have to do research to see if it’s one people generally have good experiences or not so much
I just have to say that you are using the words maybe i guess and probably a lot… it’s better not to say anything if you don’t know anything especially someone like you who does sell for profit.. you even judged people buying animals off of craigslist to resell them exactly like you did.. all you did was sound like a total hypocrite.. yes there are bad vendors but there are good ones like you out there? So I believe you need to rethink what expos are. Don’t be afraid to call out bad vendors or ask questions because nothing gets done if you don’t speak up.
“Convicted felons” I was friends with a girl who’s parents owned a reptile store in Salisbury NC& they got popped for selling drugs out their store xD I can’t remember what the name of their store was
Did they get hit recently? There was some people up that way that use to come to the Dallas 321 flea market that don't know more.and I got a purple lavender albino phantom reticulated python that made my whole car smell like ciggarettes off someone up there trying to make a bond for there son
@@alexross9806 I don’t think so. It’s been like 9-10 yrs. &the kids are “upstanding” citizens so it’s more likely they’d try to make bond for each other than the kids lol But smelling like straight up cigarettes and desperate to make money? Very plausable lol
I got 2 reptiles at my last expo from good breeders (I have only been to two my whole life), but some of the "keepers" were utterly terrible, the reptiles were in awful condition and they were crammed together. I wish I could have said something, but I was pretty upset.
I wish there were laws pertaining to the care of animals, well, not just cats and dogs. I always wondered why 'reptile' people I had met were callous, uncaring, etc, or even negligent/fanatical. well... I never blamed reptiles ofc, but I would think the lack of laws makes it easier for the wrong kind of people to get them and perpetuate the less-than-stellar personalities I've associated with owning reptiles. Now, I love this channel, as this dude loves reptiles but doesn't have the delusion that they are just like a cat or dog...he looks at what's wrong with the community, what good, what can be better and I've learned a lot! I am a rodent person, (rats most of all but I love gerbils and mice very much and have owned several), but still appreciate reptiles. I do not, however, appreciate negligent or abusive people who own any species. Breaks my heart every time.
In Australia, you have to have a license to own most reptiles and they keep record of most purchases and where you purchase the reptile from in log books.
I don't know where to start with your opinion. All I can say is that you are just plain wrong and whatever show you have been to needs shut down because I have been to over 100 shows and what you are stating is not the case in 99% of all shows. 99% of all show promoters care about the animals brought to their shows and you would not find 99% of these problems at any one show. I say 99% because I have not been to every show out there and I am sure there are a few bad nuts. I think you attended one of those events. Never have I been to a show where animals are just left to run around. Look at it from a vendors point, I spent hundreds/thousands of dollars on my animals, lets all let our money run away. Not happening. In over 10 years in business I have never taken mites home to my animals and because I am a show promoter, I speak and communicate with every one of the vendors at the events and not once have I "acid: bathed myself, and yet I have never taken mites home. I honestly believe you have been to the wrong show and have listened to the wrong people in this business. Face the facts, you started off as an admitted flipper which means you were given bad guidance from the door! That is the worst vendor you can have is a flipper. I could go on and on about this video, but the fact is this video is about the 1% of bad shows out there and should not be giving people false hopes that all shows are like what you have experienced. You grouping all shows into your limited experience and grouping them all together as bad shows is just bad business. You should get out there and get more experience before you bash a whole business field when you know little to nothing about it in the grand scheme of things.
I live in NH so I can't escape NERD. I really want to get into the hobby, but any expo that allows them there I'm not into. They can take their spider balls and pound sand
So should I buy it (Crested Gecko) at an expo or Petco/Petsmart? Idk any reptile store or breeder near me. I checked online and they’re all about 1 hour and a half away, I live in central new Jersey and can’t drive I’m 15 lol
Someone at the reptile show sold me a dead skink. I knew it looked weird but they kept saying oh they always act like that. I was like I thought they are fast and active
Though i do wonder if we didnt have expos than how many more people would buy from places like petco/smart and online from places like UGR or Backwater reptiles. By implying we shouldnt have them in general id bet we would have more people who bought animals from much worse sellers. Enforce rules that require you bring setups that enforce for better setups and care. Another thing, quality control can be done by having an onsite vet there (who checks ALL ANIMALS before entering the building). If someone tells me thats too much work, i worked with livestock at a fair and thats what they did in order to prevent issues.
I really like one tarantula seller. They didn't push us to buy. Actually told us we need to have a set up before buying. Talked to us about proper care and housing. Gave us their card for when we are ready to buy.
Lol at my first repticon I went specifically to buy a ball python. And of course I'm looking around and I see a baby frilled lizard, which is one of my favorite lizards so I'm all excited. And the person at the booth tried to sell me the animal. I said I had no idea how to care for it, I came for a ball python. And he told me if you know how to care for a ball python you can definitely care for a frilled lizard, it's not too different. So yeah people will definitely lie to push sales.
@@SpinexF7 To be fair he was quite young, maybe 14. I absolutely agree he either knew what he was saying was wrong or he really didn't know mucha about reptiles but in either case he shouldn't have been one of the ones selling to customers. The store is definitely still around and that's one of the reasons I don't usually stop at their table at repticon.
Do you have any pictures (good or bad) from reptile shows? Post them on Instagram and tag #GoHerpingExpo. I have many more pictures and experiences to share, and this way I can see and include yours. Leave your reptile expo stories here on the video too!
I want to go to an expo but where I live they don't do them much
@@ballpythonsarecool5437 I don’t think they’re hosting anymore cause the pandemic
@@krimz8139 they had one here a couple months ago. I was going to go but my dad got hospitalized and I forgot.
@@krimz8139 yeah but even before that where I live there was very little and when there was one it was very far from where I live
@@Beth_Amphetamine well where I live they’re closed cause of it
You should go into a reptile expo “undercover” and say you don’t know anything about reptiles and are looking to buy and need some advice, and see just how terrible of advice they give.
I'd have to literally get a disguise lol. Too many people stop me
Oh my gosh yes please!
You can hire or recruit someone to do for you. Set them up with a camera and mic. Can even use wireless headphones that have a mic so you can be in a call with the questioner. You can suggest questions they can ask, and overhear from the mic. It will look like they are just listening to music as the walk around.
@@GoHerping I would do it for you lmao. I’ve never gone to a pet expo before and I’d br happy to go undercover.
@@GoHerping get a friend to go for you with a notepad maybe? And then you can go over everything thats wrong with them
This reminds me of when a friend of snake discovery found a snake without eyes at an expo and the seller didn't even know the snake didn't have eyes
I was thinking the exact same thing!! Luckily they bought the snake and gave it Emily who’s gotten it eating!!
That's so sad. How do you have a snake and NOT notice its eyes or lack thereof? One of the main attractions about snakes is their beautiful, weird eyes. I can't imagine being in this business without an appreciation for how gorgeous these animals are. I don't even own a snake, kinda scared of 'em tbh, but even I appreciate their beauty.
Was this snake discovery itself that was selling or?
@@darckhajiit7948 I would have said when snake discovery sold a snake without eyes if that were the case
@@darckhajiit7948 No, it was someone else selling it. Snake Discovery own it now, it's a beautiful brazilian rainbow boa.
And that's why we don't host reptile expos
finally a good leader
Damn of all places to see you I wouldn’t expect it would be here
@@sslide_trickyy I guess he has some reptiles in his home
69 likes noice
Is this the real Kim Jung Un?
I feel like the real issue is the lack of control. Better quality control would terminate almost all of the issues you mentioned.
honestly, better quality control would solve a lot of issues in general.
Here in Denmark the expos only last one day(5 hours) and 90% of the seller’s are well known and respected. Also Denmark is pretty small so there’s not a lot of trawling involved
It's the wild west around me
That's good! I was wondering about the scene around here, only just got into reptiles last year and, well, kind of haven't had the chance to go for obvious reasons
@@I_love_dr_stone please go to some of the good expos and don’t listen to this kid.
@@GoHerping same 'ere, same 'ere.....
Similar procedures here in Sweden and I think there’s only three expos or something every year and They Are quite small also.
This man is the D’Angelo Wallace of reptiles
Don’t insult him like that
@@InnerAtanih Insult who?? Alex or D’Angelo??
@@InnerAtanih I'm... confused..? They're both P great...
I was thinking of the Office and not the youruber
@@jennlam319 No no, that’s Deangelo Vickers.
Wow I’m surprised people leave reptiles in the deli’s for so long
I've seen a couple tables actually take animals out each day, but they're the small minority for sure
@@GoHerping Bullshit! Most have larger tubs the animals are put in at night and the people get there early to feed and get them back out in the smaller containers for the day. And if the animal is healthy (and they are more so than not ) they do perfectly well in those containers, even if they are in them for multiple days. THATS HOW THEY COME WHEN THEY ARE SHIPPED UNLESS THEY ARE TO LARGE, THEN THEY COME IN BAGS TIED AND TAPED SHUT! AND YOU KNOW THIS !! ANYBODY WHO HAS EVER HAD A GECKO SHIPPED TO THEM KNOWS THIS!! AND DURING SHIPPING THEY CAN BE IN THOSE CONTAINERS FOR 5 DAYS OR EVEN 7. Any more then that is definitely not a good thing but for people traveling to the show they are usually in those containers for less time then they are in the average mail order shipment .
@@stevenhall8964 Shhhhhh your willful ignorance is showing.
@@stevenhall8964 when shipped they aren't intended to be in the shipping containers for a weekend. Kittens and small puppies could survive in shoe box sized Rubbermaids for 5 days straight, that doesn't make it right. You are speaking from your experiences and what you've seen with many vendors moving animals to larger tubs in the evening. He is speaking to what he's seen about many vendors not moving animals to larger tubs in the evening. Neither of your opinions based on your experiences is wrong.
Gotta agree with this one, that side of the hobby is weird
In my experience it’s the mid size expos are usually the problematic ones.
They are too big to be organized like the small local based ones, and too small To have the the proper funding and staffing to assure quality breeders like the really big ones.
In my experience the best expos I’ve been to were locally established get togethers in small communities.
Friendly good people who are usually in the hobby or are in a biology/herpetology/zoology related field and everyone genuinely cares about the animals.
Ones I’ve been to had large temporary enclosures, good prices on supplies, helpful breeders, free care guides, and healthy animals.
One of the few good things about living in a small podunk town imo
Theyre probably not even hobbyist, just salesman
Weird? I don’t think weird is a strong enough term
Got my beardie at a reptile expo in White Plains, NY back in 2013
all he wanted to do was move around the moment we put him in his new home. Him being curious was so cute. He's missing a nail but he's still going strong
i went to the white plains one in i think in 2019...? 2018? i can't remember when the last big one was.
hope your boy's doing well, and that he has a great time with you!
i remember going to white Plains it was my first reptile show, I forgot when but I was 5 or something. I didn't get anything tho but it was very cool
Got my Ball python from the White plains expo back in 2017. It was my first time at an expo, but honestly I didn't see/notice half these problems (not saying this wasn't happening). Overall seller was good and informative (he bred the snake) and I was pleased with the transaction. My python is still doing well and haven't had any health problems with him. Sad to hear there is so much more possible going on in the background of these types of expos
I may have been there, too! Heya, other WP bros!
@@soabtanmnl i got my ball python from the 2017 white plains expo too!
I wanna know the horrible person still allowed to sell after having dead ones in pillowcases name.
if you google enough he'll come up pretty quickly
My money's on Brian Barczyk
@@hebebebe139 nop but i wouldnt be surprised
@@hebebebe139 brian barczyk hasn't been caught yet
@@alicegunter6872 Feel free to share with the class
My Grandpa goes to bird expos. Last July, he got me a kitten there. I did NOT want another cat, but I had no choice, and fell in love with her really soon. Luckily, my other cat loves her and they even recently befriended our grumpy old terrier. But please, DON'T BUY PETS AS SURPRISE GIFTS!
Buying pets as suprise gifts (especially non-dogs and cats) is like buying a pet for someone to see if it dies
Why was there kittens at a bird expo
@@Xx.Im.just.fckin.peachy.xX. my thoughts exactly. are they like for if they wanna sacrifice the birds or some shit
if somebody gifts you something like a reptile, fish, or amphibian you are so screwed. These are animals that need such specific homes, care, heating, uvb, water quality, et cetera. It just makes me sad that these animals get this treatment because it usually are the cheaper animals; they are still living animals!
I definitely think expos are like zoos - some really bad ones and some really good ones. Luckily, both expos in my area list every single breeder going to the expo so you can do research on them beforehand. Not a single random person can sell their animals there.
Exactly. I’m going to my first expo in June and I’m only going for bugs and a tree frog (can’t find any near me). My friend runs a reptile rescue and agrees but disagrees at the same time. She thinks it’s great people can talk to others about the hobby but she wishes more people would rehome reptiles.
I feel like there should just be stricter precautions for who can and can’t sell reptiles at expos. So that it lowers the chance of bad breeders and everything else you talked about in the video
In the arts & crafts show world, there’s a thing called “juried expos.” A board of people in charge of the expo vets vendors to make sure their goods are unique, show solid craftsmanship, and, sometimes, that their reputation is solid. While this can lead to elitism, drama, and higher table costs, I think it’s a small price to pay to avoid dodgy vendors.
To me, the bare minimum of that should be required for animal expos. At least run background checks to make sure your vendors aren’t convicted animal abusers, for goodness’ sake...
(Edit for grammar)
Or, how about just being stricter on the rules in general. If the person cant follow those rules, usually means they're not good breeders/sellers anyway and they wont be able to sell there. Because how would one go about judging who is allowed to sell or not? By rumor/what others say/believe about the person? several people who dont a person can makes up things to ban that person, or that person could be banned because of misunderstanding etc. So, instead, it's better to set a standard, if those standards cant be met. Then that seller shouldn't be able to sell.
@@argonautilus9540 I dont see how elitism, drama, and higher prices are a "small price to pay" when just banning dodgy sellers could solve the issue entirely without the elitism etc. So, if those set of gatekeepers just dont like you or your product, you're not able to sell? When it should be up to the buyers to choose whether or not your craftmanship is what they're looking for. Ihe point is to avoid dodgy sellers, wouldn't/shouldn't they be vetting these people by their history, and if they had any trouble with "dodgy" behavior in the past? And if the seller is new to the entire craft business, shouldn't they get a chance to prove whether or not they are an honest craftsman? Not being judged by a select handful of people to being able to sell their products to the public? I suppose since many of these expos are ran privately those in charge can do whatever they want. But there are also many expos and craft fairs that are ran by and paid for by local government (tax payers) on public lands like parks and recreation buildings etc.
@@cattfishing banning dodgy sellers will make them sneak-sell or find loopholes
Keeping "dodgy" breeders out causes the elitism and higher prices.
Higher prices, 2 reasons.
1. Figuring out if people are "dodgy" costs money and takes time. And time drives up administrative costs as it calls for much more planning. It also requires more people to enforce the rules and monitor the event.
I run background checks for a living. They aren't cheap and the more in-depth the search, the more expensive they are.
In the case of a person who was charged with a crime but not found guilty, in my state it is illegal to report that to a client if it is older than seven years. So even background checks wouldn't keep bad breeders out forever. And in my experience 90% of Assault and Battery cases, against *humans* are dismissed (meaning they are not found guilty, usually for lack of prosecution) So unless animal abuse is incredibly heinous, it will not be prosecuted and they'll probably just be fined at worst.
2. Exclusivity always comes with a price tag. If your expo keeps out bad sellers, its a more desirable expo, and therefore even if you didn't have to mark up the price, you can. And as we see in this video, if people can make more money, they will.
Elitism
Deciding what "dodgy" means. This would be easy if the only thing that made them "dodgy" was a criminal record. But not all sellers with bad selling habits are charged criminals. So keeping out all "dodgy sellers" would require a set of requirements that they must meet to get into the expo. Would they have to detail the way they care for their animals while at the expo? At home? Prove where they came from? Those things would also likely cost the sellers more time and money to meet those standards and provide the necessary evidence. Or if they had to go to the expo early to have their animals inspected for mites, that'd be more time and money from the sellers and those running the expo. And people would still fall through the cracks.
As time goes on, these requirements will likely grow more stringent and more exclusive and sellers would have to prove more and more that they are reputable, to the point where some sellers that aren't "dodgy" aren't able to get in. Whether it requires time and money that hobbyists don't have, or simply because the burden of proving that they are legitimate is difficult when you are inexperienced. For example, as he said in the video, he started out getting his animals from people on craigslist; something that likely wouldn't be acceptable in order to keep out "dodgy" people. And he wasn't even aware that one of his animals was imported. If that was an animal he'd intended to sell it's not likely one that he'd be able to bring with him to the expo despite her being taken care of well.
If you have to prove where your animals come from and the Expo is deciding whether that source is good enough, there is no way that you don't get elitism.
But all of that being said, I agree that it's a small price to pay. But you can't have your cake and eat it too unfortunately.
once at an expo there was an entire plastic container of d*ad baby leopard geckos ON DISPLAY next to the delis of ones for sale and it was 🙂🙂🙂 traumatizing 🙂 so glad i’m not the only one to feel weird about them
Should have reported them for animal abuse, tbh.
Were they taxidermied or did they just fight each other until they were dead?
@@Brevenator youtube is being a bitch about certain words
@@yikes4946 Only for creators though.
Omg that's terrible
That's horrible. Making a sale isn't worth abusing the animals in such a manner.
@eyadjamus completely agree it’s terrible what these people do, at least there are some good people out there
Then how will people buy reptiles then though?
@@godsix1069 they should stop buying or breeding them.
@@rae-sv3rh Bruh idiot, wild caught will get the species endangered tho
@@rae-sv3rh And stop buying reptiles is your saying basically? Then how will first time reptiles owners get a frickin let reptile tho.
I feel like I really lucked out with my local expo! It's only been going for a few years, but they make it very clear on their website that they heavily vet EVERY single vendor, to make sure that they're only selling captive bred and healthy animals. I think it only goes for one day, but they hold it twice a year (in non-pandemic times obviously). I was really impressed with the nice displays, and I didn't see a single animal that looked remotely unhealthy. It's the only reptile expo I've been to, but since it was so nice I don't think I'd want to go to any others since I don't trust them (and I've heard so many bad stories). They also had a local reptile rescue organization there who I've seen at events around here before. They showed off many of their rescued animals and educated people on things like sulcata tortoises, and how often they get abandoned because people don't realize the care they need.
I got my red eyed tree frog from that expo last year and he's still doing great. Very healthy little guy. For the record, I also live in New York (upstate), and our state has stricter guidelines than a lot of others when it comes to exotic animals. Lots of what I call "snake bros" complain about the regulation a lot (legit, "why can't I own venomous snakes like cobras!"), but in my opinion, it's led to better welfare for the animals, which I think should always be the priority.
I think I went to the same expo. I'm in upstate NY as well and the one I went to was also a one day thing that they do twice a year for only the last few years. I've only been once and it was just before the shutdown. The one I went to seemed pretty decent (certainly no reptiles running loose). For the most part it was a pleasant experience and I hope to go again sometime when times are a little better and things like expos can happen again.
What’s the name of it?
Oh hey, also in upstate NY. I had been planning to go to an expo this year before obvious circumstances, I'll try to scout the one you're probably talking about. I can help verify ;)
But in all seriousness, this video makes a lot of sense, as sad as it is. Local *anything* has a much better chance of having a stricter look at who is following the rules.
@@horsebookworm The one I went to was the Saratoga Reptile Expo. I went to the one last March.
What expo did you go to? I live in downstate NY and I haven’t heard of any here.
I personally go to local expos I’ve had great experiences there but I can’t talk for larger expos
Just had a flashback to a vendor arguing with me about how safe live feeders are while holding a snake covered in scars and then telling me about snakes he had to put down due to injuries. wtf.
I have also had a similar experience with a farmer who, while holding their burnt and scarred corn snake, went on to explain how heat rocks are the best heating supply for reptiles and that they get a lot of mental fulfillment from live feeding. I also talked to a breeder who, very literally, wondered why her juvenile success rate was so low while proceeding to explain that she cohabs litters of baby boas, which she live feeds together. I also had to tell a breeder I knew for a while that his 24w x 16l x 6h rack system wasn't nearly big enough for the adult female ball pythons he had in them. Also had someone at an expo basically trying to pawn off (I think they definitely had a disease or something) 3 corn snakes onto literally every passerby in the expo. Yeah, it's a bad world here in florida
Live feeders are better
I like going to expos to get supplies, because you can get bulk for really good prices. I have two BP's that are rescues (from Radiant Reptilia) and I refuse to get any new additions to my family any other way. I don't discourage people from breeding, but some people really just look at reptiles like objects that can make them money, and it saddens me.
Thanks for this. Too many people ignore ethical issues with reptiles because they're not "cute and cuddly".
I don’t get the need to massively breed them either. Ball pythons aren’t hamsters, in captivity they can live up to an average of 30 years so your going to take care of it for at least 30 years. Don’t know why people breed and buy these snakes as if they are hamsters that die in 2-3 years.
I beg to differ. They are too cute and cuddly!
@@buibuiopolismayor7329 I agree that BPs and other reptiles don't need to be mass produced like they are. But I feel like there's more of a mass breeding issue with hamsters. Yes they have a shorter lifespan but because of that they are treated like a disposable pet. And the way they are marketed towards kids because they are "cute and cuddly" gets people to overlook their actual needs. (You'll be pissed if you look into the space they actually need vs. the cutesy shit with tubes from the pet store. Usually not even a fifth of the space they need)
I rescued a pregnant hamster bc some kids decided more hamsters =more fun. She had 11 babies and when one was about 3 weeks old it just curled up and died. Nothing wrong with them on the outside, likely just a side effect of inbreeding.
And that's just how it goes because they're treated like they're disposable. Can't imagine what it would be like in the mills (._.)
And I'm sorry for ranting like that. Just a little 🍃 🍃 and I miss that poor little guy so much. He was the sweetest out of all of them 😭
where should i get my cornsnake then😞
Thisssss 👏🏻👏🏻 The the “breeders” will hate on chain pet stores like either are better.
Chain pet store employee who provides impeccable care and is very well researched and experienced here. And uh, THIS. The local shops here with the disgusting or bone dry enclosures and dehydrated and thin animals also love to make sweeping negative generalizations. You know if an animal is sick or injured that we have to get them vet care within 24 hours and neglecting to do so can be a fire able offense. 🙄
I don't think we should sell live animals, breeding mills is highly problematic. But these local shops use the same vendors and provide worse care and have no space to talk.
@@kwiggy5091 I work as a pet store as well and I don’t agree with everything, but god I’ve been to so many god awful local pet stores and no one says a thing about them. I’m talking full grown beardies in 20 gals, bird cages stacked on top of eachother, baby lizards on sand. And no one ever talks about this. It’s sad
@@Monika-gc2bk I know. Plus, we have a LLL Reptile here that also supplies Reptiles N'Reefs, mind you LLL Reptiles sister company is Vista, who supplies both those stores AND chain stores. Like. The local stores aren't much better for buying live animals. At least mine are given vet care.
I got my BP at the local Petco..... that wasn’t the plan, I was just going in to check out supplies before ordering from a breeder. But I saw they had some BPmorphs and talked to the associate that cared for the reptiles, and she was simply gushing over them like a proud mama. She told me so much of their history (the one we bought had been there for several months), eating habits, etc and even her feeding log had cute personal notes scribbled for each feed - obviously she cared a great deal about these animals. So.... just goes to show, sometimes pet stores aren’t so bad! Our Petco BP (banana pinstripe) is very healthy and happy!
I see large bps crammed into large delis. I commented to one of the sellers and he just shrugged and said they were only in there for a couple of days. These poor animals were so big that they were literally stuffed into the containers and could not move.
Ball Pythons love small spaces though so they likely didn't hate it as much as you'd think.
@@zebraloverbridget The issue isn't 'does the animal enjoy small spaces?', the issue is that the animal does not have the choice and cannot move if it wanted to. Especially seeing as the sellers themselves said "only a few days"..days! It would be unpleasant but perhaps overlookable if it was literally just a one-day expo, but several days? :/ and ball pythons like hiding in dark spaces.. being crammed into a container and then sitting on a table with bright lights and noise all the time.. Likely didn't enjoy it as much as you'd think.
So how does shipping them work then?
@@michaelperry8054 Usually bps are put in a decent sized bag, I've seen. I can't fathom shoving a grown snake into a deli.
Yea I keep my kitten taped in a shoebox over the weekends. It hasn't said anything about not liking it, so it's cool. She was shipped to me taped in a shoe box so that makes it ok.
i love how "gun show" is in the same place as "reptile show" 12:28
Annnd...?
Why?
Repticon in Orlando, FL is right next to a gun show, what’s the issue?
For the people who don't understand why this is a problem are problem the problem.
Correct me if I am wrong of course.
@@genuineghoul3452 not really....
Every time there's an expo or a pet store has a sale in my area, the amount of reptiles on Craigslist increases significantly in the next few months. And they're not just leos and ball pythons like there normally are, there are iguanas, tegus, boas, and more. It's honestly really sad to see the aftermath of all the impulse purchases.
I was actually looking forward to the reptile expo in Ontario. It’s so hard to find reputable breeders when you live in a small town
I'd definitely still say you should go, just be mindful of the sellers and animals and not take anything at face value
Ones ive been in in Canada have been good and only last a day or two!
I’d say Just do your research and be mindful of the companies there. Some don’t push sales and have great healthy animals. Others.... not so much.. plus there’s the whole wild caught argument etc.
Our canadian expos I would say are excellent. I've never seen mites or loose animals in either the smaller semi monthly expos or the big CRB expos in Ontario. I'm sure there's been less reputable flippers that people have had issues with but on the whole I would say it's a much better experience than some of the states side shows. What specifically are you looking for?
I bought a Savannah monitor for 20$ at a reptile expo and hes really nice.
Wow our expo’s in my town are only two days long then all the breeders go home so far my expo’s are awesome
Interesting, expos in my country don't last more than 8 hours
Same here and they cycle there animal around by the time of day so no one animal is stressed to much
@@themotions5967 they don't do that here at all, because the supply of reptiles isn't that big (even at the biggest expo in the capitali) compared to the demand (the fact that most of reptiles, amphibians, crabs and other are sold relatively fast is also the main reason for the short lenght of expos)
I honestly haven't heard reptile expos operating for 5 days.
@@dan_ta_lion He didn't say they lasted for 5 days, he said that the travel could take a day or over so its more like 3 days
I mean, the alternatives for getting reptiles are shipping live animals and pet shops, and being the lesser evil they're not so easily boycotted if people want reptiles. I think the best thing to do is to tell people to look out for bad sellers and give advice on how to spot them, and push for animal care quality control at expos, rather than insinuate it's bad to go to an expo altogether
The alternative is regulation and accountability.
@@oMuStiiA The alternative to expos that currently exists, is what I mean. Regulation and accountability is what we should push for.
"shipping live animals" i wonder how they get the reptiles to the expo or pet shops. they just materialize or somethin'
2nd vending experience:
Me: Forgot a black cloth over my stuff (I sell artwork/jewelry from shed)
Expo lady: *a n g e r e y*
Nearby vendor: *sells sickly looking ackie monitors in filthy cups*
Expo lady: *kalm*
She also didn’t say anything when some adults would wander off without a mask like sure they get upset at how the black cloth is missing where I sanitized everything. But people showing their full face in a crowded building that could make the health department go bonkers or selling sick/dying animals to them isn’t their problem apparently. Maybe it was cuz I looked young, idk but it’s frustrating still
I remember someone selling spotted salamanders out of a dirty tub at one of our expos. Probably wild caught since they're native around here. He was trying his best to make them sound like they were the easiest pet ever. "Just stick them in a tub with some dirt, then just keep them under your bed! Just feed them sometimes and they'll thrive!" I feel bad for all the salamanders that man had and sold...
He basically just said "Come buy this wild lizard and neglect it until it dies or suffers its entire life!"
That sounds like what I would do to try and keep wild frogs as pets while I was like five... at least I let them go after a while, damn
I remember seeing FRESHLY hatched ball pythons once.
UMBILLICAL CORD still attached NO first shed NO MEALS
Who thinks that's okay? .-.
Sorry to be nit picking but snakes umbilical cords don’t come out of the body since they are reptiles and are hatched out of eggs.
@@Workieplz the umbilical cord here is a smaller version with another name (umbillucum) that forms from the inervations of the egg and attached to the yolk. When reptiles hatch, they usually have some leftover innervation from the yolk, such as the umbilical cord have some innervation to the placenta. That is, technically, umbilical cord. Look for newborn snakes, they may have a little bump you can see for yourself :)
@@Workieplz also not all snakes come from eggs some give live birth like boas and anacondas
Tip of the day.
Don't eat babies
But ...
@@mlem6951 no. No exceptions
Don't eat babies
@@doodskwid Okay u,u
Even Jelly babies ?.
@@johnrogers-thorn6504 ALL Bãbįə§
Am I the only one uncomfortable with that orange thing peeping though his chair holes🤣
Xav Mak maybe it's a HOODIE!
I'm so glad someone else noticed it!
hey alex i’m kind of early today
yay
@@GoHerping agreed
Ur not early ur on time
@@basicburrito1157 agreed
I have never been to one mainly from what I’ve seen. One thing that really bothered me was watching videos of a booth called ‘win a betta’. I was horrified. As if pet shops selling fish to people without a circulated tank wasn’t bad enough, having someone ‘win’ a fish literally guarantees that person won’t have a setup ready. I’m pretty sure 99% of all those fish are dead within days and that is so sad.
lol I was watching random expo videos after uploading this and saw that. There are a lot of deals and giveaways, I assume the fish related ones definitely go wrong
It’s interesting to hear your experiences, and they’re not like almost the opposite of mine. I live in the Midwest, and both of the expos here are small, and only 1 day. The same vendors go to all the shows, and I would say 99% are local. I’ve gotten 2 reptiles from expos, both from local breeders. I’m been very happy with my experiences, though I’ve never sold at one. But I’m sure a huge part of it is that the expos here are so small that everyone knows the vendors so it’s harder to be sketchy lol
Midwest here also- typically one day expos as well and usually have pretty good prices on supplies. I would say 90% of the breeders I've met at these smaller expos tend to be decent, a couple sketchy ones. I usually just like to talk in-depth with the breeder on how they are kept, etc. Otherwise I would rather get from a breeder individually rather than buying at an expo.
The community should expose them and try to improve this kind of behaviors...
I think there aren't enough people who care sadly
All the others are small time niche breeders or you tubers sadly at least he got over 190k views. That’s a lot of ppl and the nature of this vid shows ppl are interested so this is huge.
Somebody call peta
I can agree with these statements. My father took my sister and I to an expo and we impulse bought 2 baby beardies, they were only an inch and a half long. My sister’s dragon was sickly and lethargic, and died a few months later. My dragon is now happy and healthy at the age of 7 years and his care has changed immensely since those first few months because of the terrible care sheet we were given. It’s really unfortunate that these sellers do this so I can agree with this video for sure.
Really?, what kind of cage were you and your sister kept in? :d
We had them together in an 80 gallon when we first got them but after my sister’s dragon died we upgraded my dragon to the tank he has now which is 4x3x2 feet
Glad to hear your beardie is doing well :)
I wish every single reptile breeder operated like Snake Discovery. Wouldn't that just be lovely?
it'd be the same industry lol
Don't they breed scaleless snakes? If so they're not exactly the best example.
@@JA-ux1rz They're certainly one of the best examples. I personally don't believe the scaleless gene is problematic if the belly scales are still there.
@@breezyncj it's definitely a problematic gene. There are plenty of resources to find out why the production of this gene is so terrible. I recommend looking into it further.. If you need evidence of their shit keeping, check out their videos where they show the Reticulated python enclosures. Generally, their enclosures are way too small, but those set ups are absolutely ridiculous. SD has also spread things in videos telling people to put pennies in water bowls to reduce bacteria, which will just leech copper into the water (toxic to animals).
@@alicegunter6872 I've looked into it, and at this point in time my opinion on the scaleless gene stands. You are completely entitled to your own opinion. As far as their enclosures, they're building an entire facility to house their pets and animals used in education, which is success that is amazing to see. I see nothing wrong with the husbandry of the snakes they use to breed. As far as what I've seen on UA-cam, their style of keeping (as it pertains to their breeding stock) is definitely a step above most others. They are in the business of breeding, after all. It's a business, not just a hobby, and they do an exceptional job of it in my opinion.
Emerald Scale should start a certification system for reptile sellers
Please don’t be serious.
@@simplyserpents7254 you afraid you won't pass?
@@emileegernt9112 oop-
Ooo I'd love that c: We need more of that, especially if each seller (should they pass) gets an entire article written about them detailing how they treat their animals and all that good stuff.
thought he was saying deli and that they were eating the reptiles...
deli *cups*
I went to a reptile expo to learn more about reptiles before I'd consider buying one and the amount of impulse buying was frightening. There were people with rooms full of reptiles that they impulse bought just because they had to have this "pretty snake". Maybe it's different in the reptile community, but to me, it doesn't seem like the ordinary (non-breeder etc.) can give a room full of animals the care they deserve.
There just 2 days here. Most of the sellers typically have heat lamps over the delis and most are in nice glass cases rather than the delis. Idk some sellers are sketchy though... legit a tubberware full of baby beardies though seemed weird....
Every booth at our expo seemed like a decent business no just random people selling animals. I got a millions business cards one from each booth I visited. All the people were pretty nice too.^-^
You should go to an expo and pretend to be new to reptile keeping and ask questions
Never have gone to an expo and mostly because i don't want to be packed in with that many people. Also because after having mites once you are pretty paranoid about it and it always seemed like thousands of keepers who you don't know bringing in god knows what...always gives me chills thinking about what i might bring back home lol.
Mites!!! I bought a baby Blue tongue from a breeder at an expo, got him home? COVERED in Mites and had such a horrible respiratory infection that you couldn't hear in the roar of the expo :( he's doing fantastic now, but how can you sell someone a sick animal? How can you not get care for it!!
@@krakeddreams08 Idk man I can't ever bring myself to go to one to find out lol
These aren't expo issues, this is a broad analysis of the entire state of reptile keeping in North America. Animals are trading cards kept in sock drawers. They are inbred into the ground and kept in sterile non enriched environments.
The hobby isn't about the animals now. It's about the convenience of the keeper. I stick to dealing with people over in Europe. For the most part they have a much "for the animal" approach to keeping and still often work with a lot of animals that used to be common on our side of the pond but are now considering garbage due to the morph craze.
Holy shit the zooms in and out. Really seems silly when you pay attention to them
@cat snake that's why I said silly cause I knew someone would defend it if I said stupid or something instead.
The fact that there's channels that do it worse doesn't matter, it doesn't make his look better.
Hey Alex. My name is Alex. So that’s cool
Me too!, Alex gang
Hello Alexs!
Alex GANG
The Alex Gang! Woooo!!!
@@xilanthrophir13 best mfing gang
Last expo, I walked around with a poor, probably terrified crestie on the back of my shirt for likely hours. I'm so glad I didn't smush him or something like that. Took ALL DAY to find where he belonged. Apparently he escaped a prospective buyer and I guess he decided I was his get-away-car.
I think like almost all of this does not apply to europe lmao.
America is a friggin mess
Went to one of these for some lights for my tortoises, it was a kind of really upsetting seeing all the reptiles in little tiny plastic containers. The reptiles were so freaked out.
It always bums me out that the U.S doesn’t care about animal abuse
It’s because everyone has the toxic mentality of “humans are sentient beings while animals are just property with nothing of much value” Here in the Us if you get your animal stolen you can press charges on the thief. But do you know what the courts label animals? “Stolen property”. Like items. It makes me sick and I hate the US but unfortunately I have to live here.
Except when it comes to dogs and cats because apparently they're the only animals that matter :/
I mean, the US doesn't even care about their citizens.
@@minabrunkhorst9954 lmfao you right
Its not only the US
I've never been to a reptile expo. Would like to go sometime with the intention of buying something (after I've already gotten a new enclosure fully set up at home of course) but, yeah the mites thing in particular has always been in the back of my mind ever since I started seriously considering it
Super annoying - I've brought mites back twice before realizing how overly cautious you have to be
@@GoHerping I've thankfully not had to deal with reptile mites (only have a half year old ball python from an online breeder) but I did spend about a year dealing with mites on my chickens so I'm more than aware just how big of a pain in the rear the little buggers are no matter what species they're plaguing
Dude, chill on the zoom. Imo it's kind of annoying, really bothers my eyes and I'm sure Im not the only one. Got halfway through before I'm done. Can't watch it. I'll just listen in the background from now on.
I can’t imagine the stress and absolute terror the animals must feel at those shows. People standing over them, holding them, taking selfies with them, they are in small containers for hours and hours or even days. I have been at one show, never again! I’m glad you put a spotlight on this. You have a lot of great points!
I do think it's alright to subject them to some stress (shipping them overnight, letting some people handle, etc) but it definitely feels over the top at shows
It makes me uncomfy that some of them just... trade animals? Girl what?
I don't think trading is inherently bad, but the way it's done at expos tend to put me off
@@GoHerping that’s ridiculous. You need to not put out a video on topics you do not fully understand. The way you speak about expos proves you don’t actually know that much.
@@simplyserpents7254 lemme guess, you're one of these people?
@@Sarydormi I am a responsible breeder that vends high quality expos and has far more experience
@@simplyserpents7254 well, you are responsible, and expos you attended were high quality, but why GoHerping cannot do a vid with bad one with bad irresponsible breeders? I bet there are more bad expos than good ones, and at least people will know what to expect when they'll go there
"You might see them at the next expo and beat them up, or something" - Alex, 2021
just talkin from first hand threats
@@GoHerping .....ok...
some of your complaints are very valid however a lot of your issues and observations are completely messed up or judge mental. your clearly young and lived a posh sheltered life. your nature means well but your clearly immature and nearsighted on some things. first time ive seen your channel. wish you the best but you need to grow up and be less judgemental towards others.
Goherping: supplies are overpriced
The corkbark hide I bought at an expo for my isopods for one dollar: am I a joke to you?
I was too scared to transport my chem with me to my new home (a two day trip) and decided to just re-home rather than risk her health. I miss her.
awww I'm sorry :C for future reference, trust me, that drive is nothing. In the reptile community, we literally ship our reptiles to our new homes via Fedex, they get put on planes, trucks, etc, sometimes there are ice storm delays, they go through a lot, and they come through totally fine. Being in a container on a car ride will not hurt them, especially since reptiles aren't like mammals (cats, dogs,) that need to eat and drink every day. They'd just chill, I promise. If you ever worry about water, just have a spray bottle on hand and spray em down once in a while.
Supplies and feeders are WAY cheaper at my local expo as opposed to buying anywhere else
did the feeders have mites or were they healthy? i wonder because cheaper isn't always better, especially as feeders are animals too..ofc idk what you are getting, mammals, insects, etc.
The more I watch these videos the more I realize how lucky I was when I bought my ball python from an expo. The seller had pictures of the animals with him and his kids (cause I was a newbie and nervous so he was trying to show me the snakes are used to being handled), pretty large (compared to other tables) containers, breeding history (or whatever the word is for what his parents morphs were), a serial number and feeding history so if I had questions after purchase he could pull up the specific snake and knew the frequency of feedings as well as the sizes of mouse. And yeah they could’ve been lying I guess but we walked away from the table and looked him up and he had pretty great and consistent reviews. And me and my boyfriend did research for months and months, id been doing it for years. I feel like you really can’t be prepared until you have a reptile and for that I’m so happy I got such a good snake. He’s a consistent eater, great temperament, and I couldn’t have gotten a better first if I tried.
You can't say you love Animals or call this a hobby when u treat them like objects :c why are people like this
@esther fisher yes and as we can see in his enclosure rating videos they don't even care abour their own pets and keep them in boxes with paper on the ground and plastic hides their whole lives (not just for quarantine). Or they keep big ass snakes in a smaller enclosure than i have for my cornsnake. Really sad.
You know it's bad when he starts it with just today
The only time that wild caught animals are ok is when they are invasive and haveing impacts on local populations. For example pythons on florida, or quaker parrots in half the us. My birds and other pets aren't wild caught. But I feel its acceptable to get wild caught invasive species. Like pythons in the Everglades have killed alot of native the fauna. And breed like crazy. They are adaptable and that is quite horrifying. Immagine pythons all over the place killing dogs, cats, birds, pigs and deer and sometimes people. Invasive species are a thing that really need more recognition
It is often actually legal to keep wild caught invasive unlike wild caught native species too.
The problem with that is that negligent breeders are more likely to rerelease invasive species so that they have a practically endless supply without having to pay anything for their keeping or growth. Hawaii had to ban the exportation of Jackson's chameleons because people were doing that.
Seems like expos in germany are VERY different. I am surprised! My local expos only last 7-10 hours, and the vendors are only allowed to put up the displays 1-2 hours before the show opens. A Vet with reptile-experience checks everything before any visitors enter, never seen mites there, never heard of someone getting them. Animals need to be heated, amphibians need access to water, deli cups are only allowed for small enimals, most animals sit in larger containers. Since almost all animals need valid paperwork, you can't just take imports and sell them as captive bred. Every animal gets a label with the species, care requirements, it's origin (captive bred, wc, farmed) und gender on their container, and vets check for mistakes on those as well. When you buy for example a ball python, you talk at least 30 minutes with the seller, most of them will show you pictures of the parents if they bred the animal and go over the care you planned for the animal with you. Ball pythons need to come with a pedigree certificate that states who bred it, what the parents are (morphs, wc or cb), where the seller and/or breeder lives, what morphs the animal is carrying (if possible, pos. hets can't be guaranteed of course), the breeders phone number and many even hand you feeding-records. If you buy from a person that has not bred the animal, chances are the breeders number is on the paperwork and you can call them for verification. Selling animals with incorrect paperwork is fined and can be quite expensive, if someone finds out. And there are institutions for that which you can call in the case something seems suspicious. Also supplies are way cheaper there! About the same price range as amazon, with some things even cheaper. Also there's always a wood-supplier there where you can get massive branches for very cheap. Most of the people there are breeders, which you can often tell from their stock (siblings in a clutch will have overlap in morphs, that's how you can tell sometimes) that really care about where the animals go, with contact informations, websites and valid papers. And well, that the guy with 100 different gecko-species isn't a breeder is kinda obvious, but vets keep checking the animals on display troughout the expos and you can also walk up to them to get an opinion on the animals you might want to buy. You only get to touch animals you consider buying, and your hands will get desinfected by the seller before and after, so no infections spread. I dunno. US expos always seemed more like a spectacle and less like a serious get-together for actual reptile-keepers to me. I gues that's close to the truth. Can't speak on all the expos here, but my local ones are fine.
Yeah, imho in US the "not dogs or cats" animals proper care is not seen as a such a big priority as in most of Europe, sadly.
That... actually sounds incredible.
Ngl, I'm 99% decided that my first reptile is going to be from Emerald Scales. I trust and respect your knowledge and I know that you actually care about the animals.
Please research better breeders
@Speff I am triggered by his lack of knowledge on certain topics but yet speaks as if he is an expert on the subject. Then he has many impressionable children watching his videos and taking his bad opinions as fact.
I would recommend an animal from nerd or another respectable breeder. This guy is okay but at the of the day most of his videos are Opinions and his own experiences. There are a variety of local and well known breeders that have been at this hobby since the beginning and have done so much for the hobby as a whole.
@@simplyserpents7254 It really isn't your place to tell the OP to do anything. If they want to buy from Emerald Scales, that's their choice and you should respect that. The OP does not necessarily care what you or anyone thinks; they did not ask for recommendations or opinions. As someone who gets the opinions of others shoved down my throat daily, it pisses me off seeing it happen to others.
@@lionarmy12 The OP did not ask for a recommendation, they said they wanted to buy from Emerald Scales. Let them alone. It just annoys me seeing others try to add their own personal thoughts when it's not asked for. If they wanted an opinion, they'd ask. As someone who gets the opinions of others shoved down my throat daily, it pisses me off seeing it happen to others.
I went to a reptile convention during covid. No masks required and people were definitely handling reptiles 😅
Thats terrfying.
OMG I never thought about them poor babies staying in deli's for that long, that's heartbreaking 💔!!!
my faith in a lot of people in the "animal community" is almost non-existent it's not just reptiles I've seen so many troubling behaviours and actions towards practically every species it's irritating. Also you remind me a lot of one of my old animal management tutors just fed up of people's shit XD
I agree. I used to find so much joy in animal keeping, it used to be so simple. But nowadays it's become mostly about protecting my animals from dangers posed by other people. It leaves me with hardly any time to actually enjoy my animals, and hardly any opportunities to, maybe, go visit someone for a weekend or do anything that requires me to be away from my house for too long, because something might happen to them. And it has before, so it's got me real scarred from ever trusting others again in that department.
I think expos in europe are quite well done in comparison to the US.
What do they do differently in Europe?
@@whyisthomyorke theyre normally more well laid out and most places have more money behind them, welfare seems to be taken into consideration more
@@CharlieGH- that makes sense, it seems like european pet stores are ahead of America as well. I worked at the 2nd largest pet chain in the US for a few years, it was probably the top in animal care for a national chain (by US standards) and it was still pretty mediocre at best
@@whyisthomyorke all chain stores are below average, but i agree places here like petsathome are much better ran than a petco or petsmart in the states
The honesty. I would have never guessed this was happening if it weren't for you. I would've thought that side of the hobby would consist of the better half that really care about the animals, not the other way around.
To be honest one of my least favourite things in the expo are those stupid deli cups that they are stuck in
Especially the crested geckos. They are crammed in those tiny stupid deli cups all day with no freedom to move around making them very unhealthy.
my sister bought her first snake at an expo 1 week later it had mites. I bought a sand boa from a guy who only specialized in breeding them and had zero issues. Since then I've seen that breeder at that expo the past 3 years. The people who specialize or are ethical breeders are gems but the wholesalers and wild caught animals are definitely bad. I only hope that as care standards go up in the hobby that people stop supporting unethical sellers.
daddy herping
Dude why you upload at 9:46 at night, u need sleep.
Or a different time zone.. because.. you know... we all have different times..in certain zones.
12 dislikes from bad vendors at expos. 😝
Make that 10
100 IN TWO DAYS DAMN
now ima be looking for reptiles on the floor 😂
Ive never been to one, i always figured they were shady
It seems to depend on the expo. I saw a comment about how small ones are passion projects and big ones can afford proper staff so medium ones are usually the worst cause they are caught in the middle. I went with one because I heard too many horror stories from the local pet store chains and I wanted to have the most variety to pick from for my first snake. You just have to do research to see if it’s one people generally have good experiences or not so much
@@NicholeParker yeah. Its a cruel hobby to have to follow. But if you meet the right people, and do the right thing, it’s so fulfilling
I just have to say that you are using the words maybe i guess and probably a lot… it’s better not to say anything if you don’t know anything especially someone like you who does sell for profit.. you even judged people buying animals off of craigslist to resell them exactly like you did.. all you did was sound like a total hypocrite.. yes there are bad vendors but there are good ones like you out there? So I believe you need to rethink what expos are. Don’t be afraid to call out bad vendors or ask questions because nothing gets done if you don’t speak up.
“Convicted felons” I was friends with a girl who’s parents owned a reptile store in Salisbury NC& they got popped for selling drugs out their store xD I can’t remember what the name of their store was
Did they get hit recently? There was some people up that way that use to come to the Dallas 321 flea market that don't know more.and I got a purple lavender albino phantom reticulated python that made my whole car smell like ciggarettes off someone up there trying to make a bond for there son
@@alexross9806 I don’t think so. It’s been like 9-10 yrs. &the kids are “upstanding” citizens so it’s more likely they’d try to make bond for each other than the kids lol
But smelling like straight up cigarettes and desperate to make money? Very plausable lol
I got 2 reptiles at my last expo from good breeders (I have only been to two my whole life), but some of the "keepers" were utterly terrible, the reptiles were in awful condition and they were crammed together. I wish I could have said something, but I was pretty upset.
Ever notice that like 90% of the geckos at expos don’t have tails?
This rule applies to everything except Crested geckos lol
I wish there were laws pertaining to the care of animals, well, not just cats and dogs. I always wondered why 'reptile' people I had met were callous, uncaring, etc, or even negligent/fanatical. well... I never blamed reptiles ofc, but I would think the lack of laws makes it easier for the wrong kind of people to get them and perpetuate the less-than-stellar personalities I've associated with owning reptiles. Now, I love this channel, as this dude loves reptiles but doesn't have the delusion that they are just like a cat or dog...he looks at what's wrong with the community, what good, what can be better and I've learned a lot! I am a rodent person, (rats most of all but I love gerbils and mice very much and have owned several), but still appreciate reptiles. I do not, however, appreciate negligent or abusive people who own any species. Breaks my heart every time.
In Australia, you have to have a license to own most reptiles and they keep record of most purchases and where you purchase the reptile from in log books.
I don't know where to start with your opinion. All I can say is that you are just plain wrong and whatever show you have been to needs shut down because I have been to over 100 shows and what you are stating is not the case in 99% of all shows. 99% of all show promoters care about the animals brought to their shows and you would not find 99% of these problems at any one show. I say 99% because I have not been to every show out there and I am sure there are a few bad nuts. I think you attended one of those events. Never have I been to a show where animals are just left to run around. Look at it from a vendors point, I spent hundreds/thousands of dollars on my animals, lets all let our money run away. Not happening. In over 10 years in business I have never taken mites home to my animals and because I am a show promoter, I speak and communicate with every one of the vendors at the events and not once have I "acid: bathed myself, and yet I have never taken mites home. I honestly believe you have been to the wrong show and have listened to the wrong people in this business. Face the facts, you started off as an admitted flipper which means you were given bad guidance from the door! That is the worst vendor you can have is a flipper. I could go on and on about this video, but the fact is this video is about the 1% of bad shows out there and should not be giving people false hopes that all shows are like what you have experienced. You grouping all shows into your limited experience and grouping them all together as bad shows is just bad business. You should get out there and get more experience before you bash a whole business field when you know little to nothing about it in the grand scheme of things.
I live in NH so I can't escape NERD. I really want to get into the hobby, but any expo that allows them there I'm not into. They can take their spider balls and pound sand
Then just... don't buy from them???
@@Tigenraam Duh.
@cat snake You would be correct. Lots of spider genes up here thanks to NERD.
So should I buy it (Crested Gecko) at an expo or Petco/Petsmart? Idk any reptile store or breeder near me. I checked online and they’re all about 1 hour and a half away, I live in central new Jersey and can’t drive I’m 15 lol
Someone at the reptile show sold me a dead skink. I knew it looked weird but they kept saying oh they always act like that. I was like I thought they are fast and active
Though i do wonder if we didnt have expos than how many more people would buy from places like petco/smart and online from places like UGR or Backwater reptiles.
By implying we shouldnt have them in general id bet we would have more people who bought animals from much worse sellers. Enforce rules that require you bring setups that enforce for better setups and care. Another thing, quality control can be done by having an onsite vet there (who checks ALL ANIMALS before entering the building). If someone tells me thats too much work, i worked with livestock at a fair and thats what they did in order to prevent issues.
I really like one tarantula seller. They didn't push us to buy. Actually told us we need to have a set up before buying. Talked to us about proper care and housing. Gave us their card for when we are ready to buy.
Sounds like you just are talking from experience and applying it to all expos 🤷♂️
I love how transparent you are, it really gets your opinion/ point across. Also makes your videos 10x better :)
Lol at my first repticon I went specifically to buy a ball python. And of course I'm looking around and I see a baby frilled lizard, which is one of my favorite lizards so I'm all excited. And the person at the booth tried to sell me the animal. I said I had no idea how to care for it, I came for a ball python. And he told me if you know how to care for a ball python you can definitely care for a frilled lizard, it's not too different. So yeah people will definitely lie to push sales.
bruh frilled lizards are expert level reptiles while ball pythons are begginer-intermediate, i hope that guy no longer sells reptiles
@@SpinexF7 To be fair he was quite young, maybe 14. I absolutely agree he either knew what he was saying was wrong or he really didn't know mucha about reptiles but in either case he shouldn't have been one of the ones selling to customers. The store is definitely still around and that's one of the reasons I don't usually stop at their table at repticon.
One day I will be here early enough to get acknowledged, love all the videos
I wish you would sell at expos ! You are a great example for the other sellers # make a difference
These things make me sad .. but I must learn *sigh*
Gee, I wonder what the comments will be like.
The thumbnail sais the "bad side", but really, there is no bad "side". Its *all* bad when it comes to expos and shows.
I was staring at the avocado picture the entire time
me: omg i'm so excited to go to my first reptile convention!!
goherping: oh i see you were ~excited about something~