exotics store/ breeder?

[illuminis]

When looking at/for a breeder how can you really know if they are reputable? I mean I know now (even though I did it) I shouldn't really goto the chain stores but how do you know? Especially if none of your friends are reptile parents.
I'm not doing it today or even in the next month but I really want to do my homework for my next Beardie or other reptile.

Is there a way I can look up the reputation of a place?

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....it's good to ask around + do some digging like you are right now. In general if a breeder has been in business for quite a few years then they probably have a good rep. Google their site + see if reviews come up. Many breeders will also have a testimonial page where people can post their good transaction + satisfaction with their experience. Some that I personally can say have a good rep. are A-1 reptiles, Rainbow b.d.'s, Carolina Classic dragons, Draggintails b.d.'s, K.P's critters to name a few. You can also Google to see if there are reptile shows in your area and check the vendor list to see who might be selling dragons.

 

[Varalidaine]

There is a good place on Fauna Classifieds called Board of Inquiry (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13) that has essentially reviews of various people and breeders, companies, stores, etc. It's a good place to see who the 'bad guys' are out there, that supply poorly taken care of or abused animals or who are scammers.

From personal experience, I can tell you that Dachiu Bearded dragons does not have the best reputation for selling healthy animals and knowingly breeds ADV positive dragons, which can lead to premature deaths in hatchlings and a multitude of other problems down the line. Most of their colony seems to be infected.

I got my boy from Spice Dragons, who don't have any stock directly from Dachiu or CCD, and they have tested at least some of their breeders and recived negative results. It's not a guarantee for a healthy dragon, but they are a smaller scale breeder, so they pay more attention to their animals and at least have some (hopefully all) ADV negative breeders. They've also never had any dragons fall ill with Yellow Fungus and keep their hatchlings for 2 months before selling to ensure they survive. I'm currently getting my boy tested for ADV, just to see what happens, so I'll post results when I get them.

There is another breeder in So Cal called Dragon's Den Herp, and I saw a review saying the dragon they got from him was absolutely infested with parasites. He often posts on Craigslist and sometimes will show pictures of groups of hatchlings where the tank is just littered with feces and they are all running around and sitting in it. He also keeps his dragons on sand, which is generally looked down upon as unsafe and unhealthy.

 

[koiboydavid]

Varalidaine,
I would like to set the record straight. I NEVER told you that I have ADV positive breeders. In fact, if I had a dragon that tested positive for ADV, I would never breed it. What I told you, quite some time ago, was that I did indeed own a few dragons over the years that tested positive. I DIDN"T tell you that I kept them. I DIDN'T tell you that I bred them. For you to make statements like "is a blatant lie" really makes you lose credibility. The fact is, I didn't keep any dragon that tested positive. And, I have never had ANY issues with my hatchlings. I have seen the results of other breeders that have battled with ADV and yellow fungus. Both are horrible. It is not difficult to detect when there is an issue within a breeding facility/colony.