how big do beardies have to be for pet stores to sell them?

[sheri85]

i was at Petsmart earlier (this local one isn't bad--carpet for the substrate and proper lighting, though i didn't see what they were feeding them), and as i always do i stopped to check out the reptiles. they must have gotten new beardies because they had at least four last time that were about 5-6 inches long. there were only two this time, and their bodies were smaller than my pinkie finger. they couldn't have been more than four inches long. i don't know how large beardies are when they just hatch, but these little things were just so tiny (i did all i could to resist, and i even had to pull my boyfriend away from the tank--and he's pretty indifferent to animals!).

so it made me wonder, is there no limit on age or size that stores can sell beardies at? and i wondered where they came from, breeder wise. would a responsible breeder even sell them that tiny?

it just makes me worried since i got Archer from Petco and he was 6 inches when i got him, and i thought that was tiny and delicate, and it took a decent amount of time before i got him to eat, and i know people don't always research animals when they see babies...

 

[FBradshaw]

Technically there is no legal minimum age for them to be sold. I've seen beardies in pet stores at 1 week old.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

For a pet store?? They just have to be alive. 1 day, 1 week, there is no time frame.

 

[MissT]

Nope, no limit. The pet store I go to (a privately owned little store specialising in beardies) had 3 week old 'leatherbacks' in the shop a few weeks ago! They were about 4 inches long. They were all gone within a week!

 

[sheri85]

wow. i would think that the breeders would at least limit how small they sell them, but i guess that doesn't matter when people want to make money.

and here i thought Archer was tiny when i bought him. those ones we saw yesterday looked so delicate.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Most not all petstores buy their dragons from a wholesaler who may not even have the animal in their inventory.
In most cases a wholesaler is selling cheaper than a breeder. Go figure...lol

 

[randommonks]

I have the exact same problem as you, with the exact same feelings. I got Darwin at 6 inches from my local Petsmart, which does take fairly good care of their beardies. But a couple times when I went back, they had tiny beardies (3 or 4 inches) and one time even had a beardie that looked like it had most of its tail and toes nipped off, and it was almost dead on the floor of the tank. Recently, their beardies have been pretty healthy, but that one small one stuck in my head.

 

[blue11]

I thought the SAME thing. i actually did not buy from a breeder, i did buy from a pet shop...Blue Belle was TINY and i mean TINY she could not have been over a couple days old...like you said, pinkie finger sized. I was looking at her like, are you serious? is this for real? woah. they tried to tell me she was 2 months old ummmmmmmmmm sure. i mean, im no genuis but wow what a bunch of mis-information. i said, that cant be true. they were like, oh yeah, yup. sure sure sure. I had done research on beardies, was planning on buying from a breeder, go into Pet Smart to get some things for my set up and saw her. just, blown away. so yeah i caved in. i was like noooooooo she is just outta the EGG!!!! wow. it amazes me. dont get me wrong, i mean, we bonded and i dont ever regret my choice i made that day, but i am right there with ya, WOW. sooooooooooo small, like a crayon. like a q tip. craziness. i always wonder how many go out of there a day, how many TEENY BABIES go out sold everyday and how many they are able to just take from a clutch and put back in the tank right away. and i wonder, how many make it at that size, and are they giving the right care info? i dont know.....

 

[MartianMonkey]

My local shop (locally owned) buys from a semi local breeder. The beardies they have right now are about 3 to 4 inches long and as tiny as can be. They are selling them but warn people that they are very young and that the new owner must take risk with them for being so young. They also just got in several chameleons that are just over an inch long and they tell people they are not ready to sell but if you insist on purchasing one then you are risking it not surviving without delicate care.

But Arwyn was one of the larger beardies they had and my wife picked her out (she was a father's day gift).