Thoughts and opinions

So first off if everybody could share this post around because I would like to get as many opinions as I possibly can and also their thoughts on the subject.
So I've worked with reptiles for most of my life and started privately owning them about 2 years ago I have three bearded dragons and two ackie monitors right now I have my exotic reptile license a crocodilian license the only thing I don't have is dealing with snakes just not a snake person. But I think we've all heard this story before it usually goes I went to buy my child or grandchild a pet reptile and they always seem to get over their head end up asking what they are doing wrong and whenever you tell them these are the things that they need it's usually responds of I'm not allowed to get primary food source my parents won't buy this or the classic this is a lot more than I thought I was getting into just a lot of general bad research. In my opinion this goes for any animal you shouldn't get one unless you know what you're really getting into personally I do not think reptiles are really suitable for children even bearded dragons one thing that always bothered me is whenever I see somebody go after a monitor lizard and have no idea what they are getting into. We all know that pet stores will lie just to sell whatever it is but some of them should not be selling some of these larger species I have even seen Nile monitor lizards at some pet stores and if you know anything about monitors that is one of the more difficult monitors that have but they always start out as look at this tiny baby lizard they think it will stay that small. I know we all have to start somewhere even when I started with bearded dragons I will admit that a lot of the research that I did initially was not very accurate. I personally do not think that children and of course their parents should be getting them these pet reptiles unless they really know what they are getting into and the child should be old enough to understand that this is a living animal and they can't be hard and play with it like they do a toy or even a dog and a cata bearded dragon can even cause some pretty nasty damage if it actually wanted to they have some strong Jaws as we have found out by accident a few times. Even my ackie monitors being one of the smaller species of monitor lizards can give you some serious stitches not to mention that all monitor lizards are mildly venomous it won't bother you unless you're one allergic to it or you let it chew it into you that is how they give you a dose of venom most of them are blood coagulants or work off of the nervous system but even if they get a dose they tend not to bother people but a child I could see some potential issues not saying that they will die or anything but you don't want to see anybody get hurt especially the animal itself because of bad handling and keeping.

I would just like everybody's thoughts on this sort of thing do you think children should be allowed to purchase or if they should even have pet reptiles until they are at least a certain age and have the responsibility.

Nope and I often tell new comers coming on the forum after they have given back ground about the family deal and situation w/ the dragon etc etc etc that dragons are not a first time pet they are too complex and require money to feed ------------- kids teenagers and some adults are not aware of the cost or responsibility let alone what they need to be on the look out for when caring for a dragon -- a lot of times it is too late for the dragon -- no matter how hard we try to help sometimes its just too late to help -- and you get the common response I cant afford a vet or I didnt realize it was going to cost so much to feed them etc etc etc.............
In my opinion dragons should not be sold to box pet stores period! They are too easily accessed by teenagers and children that have not a clue as to how to take care of them but that is just my opinion they are marketed as first time pets for children which is wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karrie

I don't think they should be as easy to get as they are. They tend to be priced in a way that makes them a bit too accessible but a lot of it is market driven. I wish the large breeders supplying chain stores could be stopped but I don't see how. The way they are marketed and sold often leads to neglect and bad outcomes for the reptiles. My response is to try and help inform/educate as many people as I can reach in time to help improve the life of the reptile. Still a drop in the bucket unfortunately. Raising the initial price of a reptile would probably in turn make them less popular as a curiosity or whim purchase, but the market doesn't favor the wellbeing of the animals.

It’s really a matter of education- education of the parents, primarily, because they are the ones buying for children or allowing teens - who are still children in terms of brain development- to acquire reptiles. When a parent comes into the ownership of any pet with eyes open as a partner in the process, the animal will be well cared for. It’s when the parent sees the animal as “the kid’s pet” or neglects their part in the care of the animal that trouble starts. As adults, we must be able to accept responsibility for the animals under our roofs - whether they’re fish or reptiles or mammals. All are hideously abused by negligence and lack of understanding of their needs. The problem is, we’ve created a disposable society where animals are not always valued as they ought to be. We get them, tire of them, and throw them away.

The problem with big box stores isn’t that they sell reptiles; it’s that we expect them to be responsible partners in animal care - which they aren’t. They are, first and foremost, businesses that are in the pet business to make money. They have no vested stake in teaching people responsible pet care; that doesn’t sell products. However, improper care results in people buying products to correct their mistakes - larger tanks, different food, medications, etc - or buying a replacement animal when the first dies. A responsibly kept animal, on the other hand, sells much less product because educated and informed people aren’t buying all the crap that’s marketed at them.

It’s like the mistake we make in thinking health insurance companies have a vested interest in keeping us healthy. They don’t. They care about profit - their bottom line. It’s the American way that we’ve cultivated for hundreds of years.

So the question is, how do those of us who care, who DO have a vested moral interest in keeping pets well and healthy, provide the education needed for those who don’t have it and sometimes don’t want it (after all, it’s work to keep a pet healthy and happy, and as a species, humans are always looking for the easiest way out)? I don’t really know. I wrote a book called “Your Child’s First Pet” but couldn’t find a publisher for it - it wasn’t pet-centric enough for the pet publishers (and didn’t pander to the big pet manufacturers who own some of the pet publishing house companies); it wasn’t in a parenting niche for the child care publishers. I’m thinking of self publishing, but without the marketing of a publishing house behind me, it’s not bound to be much help to the cause of re-educating parents!

But my point is this - it’s getting the correct knowledge out there that is the main issue. We don’t stand a chance of getting reptiles out of pet stores- any more than we can stop them from selling dogs and cats, though some mileage has been made on that front, at least. But we can talk to people, make forums like this accessible, and do what we can in the name of re-educating the public. When it comes right down to it, we’re the ones who want change... so the change is on our shoulders.

I’m a first time reptile owner, but I had experience with taking care of other people’s reptiles from day geckos (they can sloth their skin off if you mess up bad enough) to a spotted tegu, so I knew just how pricey and how involved it is. To be honest, I put more effort into my animals than I put into finding human friends. ?

I couldn't agree with you more. Some adults really shouldn't be allowed but that's taking it a bit too far. People should be required to learn basic husbandry of the animal they intend to give a home to. They should be made aware of the financial responsibility as well as the time required. I've kept reptiles and amphibians my entire adult life and I can honestly say that not including the actual animals, I've spent tens of thousands of dollars between proper housing food vet visits and supplementation. I've also spent a great deal on the large rectangular items made from trees called books(pre internet thing) to learn as much as I could before getting into a certain species. A few times I learned enough to say, you know what not gonna do it. X animal requires more time and effort than I'm able to dedicate.

Sadly though the almighty dollar reigns supreme. These quick sales won't ever end. All we can do as responsible pet parents is educate where we can and attempt to give a home a displaced pet when we can.

Don't I wish we could control things like this more! I see it all the time in the dog world.
And hey, in the parenting world too. ?