These Care Guides Might Be A Death Sentence! I get Angry Reviewing Horrific PetSmart Care Advice!

PetSmart is the king of the castle in the world of pets and pet products. But do they even know how to care for the animals they sell? Let's break down PetSmart reptile care guides for Crested Geckos and Leopard Geckos and see how accurate they are.
#petsmart #leopardgecko #crestedgecko
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[@WickensWickedReptiles]

How do you feel about these care guides?

[@bobbiec2829]

It's clear to me that they are recommending housing multiple geckos (crested and leopard geckos) together so they can sell more "mill" bred reptiles. So disgusting. I have a coworker looking to get a leopard gecko for her son and knowing that I'm a reptile lover she came to me and I gave her A LOT of advice including staying away from Petsmart and Petco as well as checking out your leopard gecko care video 😊

[@anotherhuman3866]

Staying away from pet stores is definitely good advice. my first reptile was a blue tongued skink and I got him from a pet shop- he had mites and was eating only dog food (and even now refuses to eat bugs and vegetables) the humidity was also far too low so going to a breeder is definitely the way to go imo lol

[@meta7958]

I'm guessing the Petstores in my area do things differently cuz I got both my igaunas and geckos from a PetSmart and Petco I never had a problem you honestly just got to be careful and go in knowing your stuff

[@anotherhuman3866]

@@meta7958 while that's true its still better not to support them

[@emorysears5597]

I got my leo from petsmart because I was on a budget and he is healthy(small in length but plump) and is soon moving into a 30 gallon bio tank.

[@meta7958]

@@anotherhuman3866 eh like it or not there gonna be around for years to come even if a few people stop supporting them there to in grained in the pet hobby thousands get there pets and animal supplies from them daily beside not everyone can afford a reptile from a breeder.

[@rickcroney1286]

Had a friend ask me why his kid's Leopard Geckos were not doing well. First question, are they being housed together? Answer, yes. You'll never guess where they purchased them. Thankfully with proper information, they are both thriving now! Care Guides - Not!

[@andrewjames5373]

I was the live animal department manager for the other big chain pet store for a few years. I had spent a few years working in exotic stores and took this opportunity when it came up and it nearly ended my love of keeping reptiles. The constant battle with regional and corporate management on what animals we had to carry and how we had to house them to display the products they wanted to push was a nightmare. I am so grateful that I had a few dedicated employees who worked tirelessly to keep these enclosures as clean as we possibly could, and I had a GM who did not restrict how often we took animals to the vet and what we spent on the care.. but it was still a soul-crushing experience. I exited the hobby entirely at the same time I left the job and did not start keeping reptiles again for nearly a decade.

[@brandibastian4193]

Petco

[@angelapie]

So awful that the higher ups want the horrible keeping and try to force it down the ladder. i think the top at the corporate ladder are aware and purposely making their customers lose their animals, so that they can return and buy another one. More reptiles = more money. I really dont think they dont have money to hire some to just google their care instead of just blindly guessing. Its so awful how moneyhungry people will do anything for their greed

[@nina150]

Yeah it's rough some days luckily the company I work for puts more correct care into animals and has the right to refuse selling animals to customers without proper enclosures and set ups, we do still have to push buying products onto the customers super hard and our store is not cheap. To give an example of the animal/ price mark up we're selling a parrot you can buy for max 300$ online instead for 800-900$ it's insane. Where I work doesn't have any pamphlets BUT our managers and some employees are very well versed in the animals we have available so it's a nice environment to be in for the most part.

[@Amarichanek]

You have too much faith in humanity, Adam. As a pet store worker (and ex-worker of one that sold live animals, reptiles included), I'm sorry to say that most people don't give a damn about their animals and proper care or even spending 5 minutes on Google to read a random care guide. I've heard it all. From never misting a bearded dragon's enclosure and wondering why its tail is rotting, through keeping leopard geckos in fish tanks without any source of heat and feeding snakes wild mice, to the most ridiculous ideas like feeding a water tortoise veggies and fruits only. It makes me so angry and helpless, cause I have the knowledge, I'd like to gently present it and they often get angry at me for wanting to help. I wish people really cared. Reptiles are not home decor, nor cool pets to show off on pictures, only to neglect them when nobody's looking. Internet and all it's endless knowledge is at the fingertips, but so many still decide to shut their minds. It's just sad.

[@soupkabukii]

I have the exact same experiences. I stg I don’t get paid enough for the stress that hearing about people neglecting animals gives me. Just today I had someone asking about lighting/heating for a full grown beardie and when I asked them what size tank they had they pointed to a 40 gallon enclosure… of course I couldn’t convince them to go bigger because that’s “too expensive”. I wanted to tell them that I will literally buy the old tank from them if they’ll upgrade but I’m not allowed to say that type of stuff to customers unfortunately.

[@thinriches]

Was that the chain featured in this video or the other? What were your experiences working there? I'm collecting stories, trying to change the culture of the one I work at. The more testimonials I have the better.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@soupkabukii It's a shame, that 40 gal could've been an awesome axolotl tank IMO.

[@13blackcrows]

It’s so sad to know that there are pet owners that don’t give a shit about the animal they are supposed to care for. I mean I’ve always known they were out there, but it’s sad to heard a firsthand account of how these people really are. All I can hope is that their pet gets a better home, and that people like me can take them in (preferably before damage is done) I always do extensive and mostly unnecessary research and meet my pet’s needs, I wish these people could at least do the bare minimum.

[@Lyte-X]

I just keep watching videos because I dont want to get one until I feel ready, which may be never at this point. I just want to give my pet a good home.

[@brandynstanton4121]

I have a pet Ball python. I had to try and find a thermostat because the one I had croaked suddenly. My local Petsmart MANAGER didn't have a CLUE what a thermostat was -- he kept pointing to the thermometers. I pulled out my phone, and attempted to educate him. After staring at the info for a second, he said "We don't carry those," and walked away.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

That is so sad!

[@Haunted_heathen]

Almost all of my managers treat the store like they were trained to, retail. A good manager should be directing you to the other employees who actually handle the animals.

[@sneekyalexa2657]

Insane how many chains/stores in general that don't even carry thermostats, and I'm surprised Adam didn't mention the lack of them being recommended. My local Petco carries exo terra ones, but charge $60-80. You can get them online for $20-30.

[@503menagerie3]

I bought my OG ball python 8 years ago at petco-the person there said oh they’re fine at room temp…no worries! It’s a testament to how resilient they are that he lived long enough for me to do actual research and now he’s living like a king in a 4x2 bioactive pvc with UVB, halogen basking spot and tons of clutter.

[@soupkabukii]

At my store we literally only have the Exo Terra thermostats that go up to 100w. It’s been working fine for my leopard gecko but I will never understand how or why we don’t have more thermostats. It makes people think it’s just an afterthought. Ps: I’m so sorry to hear about your poor python :(

[@Kitsune1989]

We have a new exotic pet store that's pretty decent sized space-wise. I overheard a customer asking why they didn't sell any actual animals. The reply was "we want people to have healthy happy animals, we do have a list of various local breeders but you need to take a two day free course on the animal you are intending to buy before you can buy." When I asked they said the short course covered basic husbandry and expectations, costs etc from actual professionals either breeders or vets not some 16/hr kid on their first job. That it was their condition for allowing breeders to use them as a resource for customers.

[@levic3276]

I actually work as a manger at Petsmart, and every last person I have trained in the care of pet's I've told them what I know and have learned. I have bashed the reptile carpets, told everyone to not sell them, told them not to sell the calcium sand to anyone instead to get children's play sand that's better with a mix of soil. Even going as far as drilling into people that the kits we have are only starters, and these animals need much bigger when they are adults. All dragons need 4x2x2 or larger, ball pythons need 4x2x or larger, leopard geckos are much happier in 20 gallons or larger with oddly some of them liking to climb on things. That or mine are just freaks that love to climb. This video just makes me want to contact upper management and tell them these things need to change and this is why. It may be my hill to die on but I don't want to see carpets, calcium sand, tanks smaller then 20 gallons or care guides like this in our stores ever again.

[@soupkabukii]

PetSmart employee here: First of all thank you for being a good manager who knows what they’re talking about. Lord knows this company needs them. Also my leo loves to climb too! It’s weird because I never saw him trying to climb before I brought him home from work (normally I wouldn’t buy from a pet store but I loved working with him so much that I had to have him). My guess it’s probably because there unfortunately wasn’t much vertical space at PetSmart. I’m saving to upgrade his tank from a 36x18x12 to 36x18x18 because climbing is literally his favourite activity besides sleeping and he’s gotten really good at it.

[@thinriches]

Keep fighting the good fight brother. I'm working on it at the other one

[@xion1629]

I'm the assistant manager of an even smaller chain than your main competition, but I do the same. For example, the same 6 bags of calcium sand has sat on my shelf the entire time I've worked there. I all but refuse to sell it, and my other employees and managers know not to either. That's just one of many examples. We're required to CARRY certain things, but we are absolutely not going to SELL them without making it abundantly clear that they are dangerous. Another one is that crushed walnut shell junk. I also make sure that my employees tell anyone who buys a live animal from us that they need to spend time doing research on their own because there are a lot of nuances to every species.

[@rdnkenki]

I just got an adult Leo that spent his life in a 10 gallon. I upgraded him to a 20 long right away, wish I could have gone bigger but sure will asap. I went with heating pad and Halogen, now he comes out more and is starting to thrive :)

[@rdnkenki]

We need more Employees and lower management to have balls and stand up like you did... This can be applied to every job/work place :) kudos

[@Wysdrem]

I could watch you tear petsmart apart all day, I recently went to a petshop and saw him cohabbing Axolotls with Plecos, and had he other Axies on pebbles. I explained he should switch them to a fine sand and removing the Pleco because it will suck on the Axies slime coat. He basically brushed me off ;-; It hurt so much to feel ignored when It was such a low effort fix. What I'm annoyed with is these petshops pass city inspections, they need to pass a welfare inspection!

[@AllCanadianReptileGirl]

I grabbed a bunch of these guides about a year ago to do a video like this (I also had a couple of older petco guides from when I lived in the states), but every time I tried to get started on it, I would get so upset, I'd set it aside to work on something less depressing. It's so irresponsible. One of the guides (bearded dragon, I think) switched to chameleon care for 2 paragraphs. It would have been funny if it wasn't so frustrating. Do better Petsmart (and Petco).

[@goldenhate6649]

Personally, I think both should banned from having animals of any kind. Even the mammals they carry are in less than great conditions.

[@niamhpreece7548]

These care guides get animals killed. Why does it matter to you if someone calls petsmart out on their shit? They should know better

[@knate44]

@@listenup7284 Comedy is subjective so I can't comment on that, but why is there an incentive to bash big companies? First off, big companies don't really care because they are too busy making fat stacks; not to say employees or some stores don't, for many working with pets is a dream job and they love to do their own research, but at the end of the day, they are just trained for a basic retail job. At the end of the day PetSmart and Petco are going to chug along just fine. Secondly, do you think bashing big companies is going to INCREASE the likelihood of getting a big corporate sponsorship? Like I know you are probably just trolling, but I just don't understand what you get out of comments like this. If you hate the video don't watch it. If you want to defend PetSmart please discuss how Adam is wrong about temperature gradients or cohabiting male geckoes. If you want to argue, here enjoy a random internet person interacting with you, I hope it was worth your time. Have a yourself a lovely day.

[@knate44]

@@listenup7284 They don't have to sell you a sponsor because they just sold you an animal, and all their expensive accessories. By that logic, if the PetSmart was perfect, nothing would change, and they would out compete all the smaller reptile shops right? Also "successfully" only refers to sales, so sure. Puppy mills "successfully" sell dogs, but it is not the best thing for the dogs.

[@EclecticallyEccentric]

@@listenup7284 Selling animals successfully doesn't mean properly caring for them or providing the proper care information.

[@The_Original_LBSwanson]

Awfully convenient that the big corporate buisness mass supplying and indiscriminately selling reptiles gives horrible advice that would leave you with one or more dead lizards requiring replacement....just terrible. Though admittedly I thought they'd be worse (minus the horrible multiple tankmate advice because that's just awful). Also, I'd be down for the 90s care guide reviews lol.

[@gloriaash7511]

I use to work at a Petsmart. The anger you receive from a person who has no real reptile experience who truly believe that reptile carpet is the only way… It’s amazing. I tried to help a customer recently (not as an employee- just in there for emergency crickets) and the downright SCOLDING I got from that employee. Like- chill out friend. I got my info from a legitimate zoologist- where the heck did you get yours?! 😑

[@cassandralyris4918]

My BIL works at a Petco on the East Coast. He personally tosses most of these care guides in the trash when they get them. He's huge into rodents and herpetology and he's happy to give real, practical advice when people come in. These guides and their antiquated nonsense need to go the way of the dodo. In fact, get rid of these and try to bring back the dodo. They seemed cute. #ComeOnScience

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Good for him!

[@lemonnpuff8737]

Years ago I worked for petsmart when we'd have to print care guides out on Ye Olde Xerox. We were required to keep the care guide holders full. We were also supposed to use them with every sale. Wouldn't you know my crew forgot every time. Shucks. Some how or another I could never quite figure out why the more problematic ones wouldn't print. We'd just take our master copy we corrected and copy that and put them out. DM never knew, and since like maybe 5 people ever look at those things no one ever complained either 😉

[@whenimonmymoon6822]

@@lemonnpuff8737 your customers weren't coming in complaining that their pets weren't dying off despite following the care guides? 😅 good job prioritizing the animals, we love to see it.👏👏👏

[@lemonnpuff8737]

@@whenimonmymoon6822 back in the day we had an in at corporate. One of our PCMs from our store got promoted and while he couldn't make miracles happen he did change things for the better Our claim to fame is that our district asked to test and pilot digging substrates that holds moisture for the hermit crabs to reduce loss.. We wanted proper enclosures too but at least we got them off aquarium gravel.

[@PrincessSuicune]

As someone who used to work at PetSmart it is CATHARTIC to hear someone I respect and trust saying the same things I said when I worked there. Would LOVE to see more of these, please!

[@Haunted_heathen]

I work at Petsmart and I can tell you, at least in my case, I ALWAYS tell people not to house males together, that goes for most animals that aren't cats and dogs.... Also, I recommend your youtube channel to EVERYONE who buys a reptile from me. As a corporate company, I have zero say on what some suit in Texas prints in those pamphlets, but they do at least deter people who want to buy a bearded dragon and put it in a 10 gallon. (I say no to a lot of people trying to buy pets).

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Great to hear

[@Haunted_heathen]

@@WickensWickedReptiles Oh, and of you have a mailing address I can send you the guides you don't have, like bearded dragon or tortoise.

[@lindabmusiclessons1]

Maybe you could write corporate and warn them.

[@alliecornelison7270]

Most of my coworkers at Petsmart also care about reptiles and tell people to throw them into the trash and recommend youtube channels or forums like WWR. Incase anyone was wonder employees recently had a feedback opportunity for petsmart corporate and they got absolutely railed on their animal sourcing and care guides and they said "we now have a corporate policy for the petcare staff to make adjustments as they see fit

[@xion1629]

@@alliecornelison7270 that's actually amazing to hear! As an assistant manager for a smaller chain, our district manager is the one who approves of any housing/care changes, and if we want to carry a species we've not previously had, we have to jump through a few hoops to prove our set up is sufficient- they will literally cancel entire orders otherwise. It's still not ideal, but it seems to be leaps and bounds better than what I've read and heard about the big chains. I'm glad they're deciding to finally let store level management make changes! I know I do what I do because of my love for animals, so I find it hard to believe the vast majority of pet store, store-level managers are any different. Meaning that could be a hugely positive adjustment

[@crocdundee4117]

Would be very interested in seeing your review of the Kingsnake/Milk Snake pamphlet. Your videos and Snake Discovery's videos on the.... incorrect practices and promotions of Petsmart as a company (not individual stores or individual employees to clarify) have been very enlightening and have actually encouraged me to go to reptile expos and look into respectable breeders, and it's been a huge help!

[@jenfillow7111]

I worked at PetSmart for almost 15 years. I was there for the first reptiles and the first rodents. And several iterations of the habitats. I researched obsessively and did everything I could to keep animals healthy and happy. But I swear, corporate didn’t care about results, they wanted care by the (poorly written and wrong) book. Like hermit crabs. The manual said sand. I switched them to coconut coir and suddenly loss (death) plummeted. They made me change it back. Didn’t matter that the animals stopped dying, the tank had to “look right”. Years after I quit they finally switched to coconut coir. I eventually quit when I couldn’t take it anymore. Customers who thought it was their right to torture and kill animals and corporate management that supported it. I’ve been out for 12 years now and I’m starting to miss the critters. I think a crested gecko is in my future. Be kind to pet store employees. Most of us really did care, we just have it beaten out of us by stupid policies.

[@PegzieBean]

I appreciate you doing your own input on this. I can imagine how many people see these as proper guides but then may stumble upon your video on what is right and wrong. Don't apologize for talking too much, you're helping a lot of people keep reptiles alive.

[@ChantalsCritters]

Would love to see you review the rest. Great video. Ya it's crazy about 2 males.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Thanks!!

[@systemiclizard3101]

I currently work at a petco (quitting due to health reasons, I actually love my job) and our new GM actually wrote proper care guides for everything we sell. Goldfish, reptiles, bettas, saltwater tanks. Everything. She’s a crested gecko breeder and adores them with everything in her heart… to the point of writing a 26 page care guide for them. Everything I’ve seen at petsmart… hm.

[@hjms1125]

does she give out the guides? i would love to distribute some through the rescue i volunteer that

[@Jessica-ov4dj]

GoHerping reviewed the guides last year as well; I'm surprised PetSmart hasn't changed anything. Would love a comparison to 90's care guides!

[@soupkabukii]

As a PetSmart employee: I straight up don’t give people care guides from the store without going through it and correcting info as I’m explaining everything. I also like to give them some online sources if they’ll take it (including your videos!). Thankfully my managers do the same thing so I don’t have any risk of getting in trouble lol

[@dakotabulter9523]

Same. I work there but hate their practices. Does your store have a limit on the substrate you can use???? Ours is 1/3 an inch😓🙄

[@soupkabukii]

@@dakotabulter9523 That is insane! I think we have a loose structure/guideline we have to follow but as long as it’s a reasonable amount I never get complaints. The only time we go by the books is when our very particular district leader comes😬

[@brandymusson9838]

I hope you are the store I applie too lol

[@animefreakazoid2504]

Petsmart employee here as well! Our petcare department is pretty strict with our animals too. We usually don't follow the guides either because a lot of them have a bunch of wrong information. We've actually blacked out some of the wrong info in all of the guides, like the guide for bettas say they don't need a heater and can live in a bowl, etc. I've had to fight several customers trying to house a gecko and a snake or a gecko and a bearded dragon together. Some customers want to put a crested gecko in with a chameleon and 7 anoles in a 10 gallon because they don't want to get a big tank but want a bunch of animals. Sometimes my managers are on my side but other times my manager has forced me to sell animals that ended up being returned dead, sick or barely alive because they weren't in the proper habitat. Also my managers have been mad at me because I've been telling people to buy a lot of stuff either from Amazon or the Dollar Store because everything is SO much cheaper online. I don't care if my managers are mad at me because we're short staffed and I'm probably one of if not the best pet care associate they have. They can write me up but I also happen to know that they've been breaking some rules that could get them fired.

[@animefreakazoid2504]

Petsmart employee here as well! Our petcare department is pretty strict with our animals too. We usually don't follow the guides either because a lot of them have a bunch of wrong information. We've actually blacked out some of the wrong info in all of the guides, like the guide for bettas say they don't need a heater and can live in a bowl, etc. I've had to fight several customers trying to house a gecko and a snake or a gecko and a bearded dragon together. Some customers want to put a crested gecko in with a chameleon and 7 anoles in a 10 gallon because they don't want to get a big tank but want a bunch of animals. Sometimes my managers are on my side but other times my manager has forced me to sell animals that ended up being returned dead, sick or barely alive because they weren't in the proper habitat. Also my managers have been mad at me because I've been telling people to buy a lot of stuff either from Amazon or the Dollar Store because everything is SO much cheaper online. I don't care if my managers are mad at me because we're short staffed and I'm probably one of if not the best pet care associate they have. They can write me up but I also happen to know that they've been breaking some rules that could get them fired.

[@patricknyhan7491]

When I was 14, I got kicked out of a petco for alerting a manager to the sickly condition of their reptiles… proudest moment of my life. XD

[@bugsandbrushes]

It's simply baffling to me how bad some petstores are. Where I live, there are very strict guidelines for animal husbandry and pet store employees are very well trained in general and even more so in their specialty. Someone who is clearly not knowledgeable about the animal they like to purchase, will not be able to just buy it, but will be informed thoroughly beforehand. If the employees don't feel that you are serious about keeping the animal correctly, they will refuse to sell it. And they are doing their best to keep the animals in store as good as they possibly can - fully planted low stock tanks, bioactive terrariums exceeding the minimal space requirements, etc. One of the biggest chain pet stores has posters up, translating to "they don't need a cage, they deserve a habitat". It's as insane as it is awesome.

[@EKaye-ht6hx]

Please do the rest of the care guides 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Ok!

[@tylerray1368]

I have a crested gecko that was kept with six other males in a 12 by 12 by 36 cage. When I adopted him, he was down a leg, his tail was chewed off (not dropped, another gecko tried eating his tail then he dropped it!), and all of his crests were gone, even on his eyes- and he seems to have issues seeing. I got him when he was 7 years old, so 7 years in those conditions. He is literally more scar than gecko, no pattern at all. He still gobbles down his food, even two years later, because he's afraid of another gecko getting it first and not having enough to eat. Captain Ahab is a prime example on why you never, ever, cohab males.

[@rorge8110]

I think videos like these are necessary so people can understand that those care guides aren't the best. I, as a parent, who has purchased 2 different reptiles for my daughter, made the decision to look up the species online. I read up on them, where they come from and how to house them. Then I went on to KZbin and came across creators such as yourself to get first hand knowledge of the do's and don'ts. Then I went out purchased what it needed and then purchased my reptile. I no longer have my first pet, sadly it passed but my mbk is thriving going on 2 years and of course I'm the one taking care of it now, but from my first experience this was expected. Thanks for all your tips and reviews and keep doing what you do.

[@julibeanbag]

A lot of their reptiles also have pre-existing health conditions due to either genetics or bad feeding practices early on.

[@alicecain4851]

"You suck!" I'm hoping all of your "you sucking" got the importance across about not having 2 male's of either geckos housed together. I can't imagine the horror of finding your new geckos dismembered the next morning. As you said, hopefully the new owners AND the sales associates did more research about the species they were interested in. Great video Adam!

[@nicholekrueger942]

I work as a pet care associate in the Holland store and I'm appalled by the misinformation that is in the guides. I'm going to be going through all the pamphlets on the website today and making a Google Docs 'form' to add corrections and I'll bring it in to work and try my hardest to either get the store to listen to me or I'll take it to corporate. I know I'm just one employee but I'm going to remain hopeful that I can at least get them to take a look into this. Even if they don't I'm going to keep trying to at least inform people about this stuff and if it costs my job then at least I lost it while trying to make a change. Plus I'm getting fairly fed up with the store's management anyways Anyways, thank you so much for making this video and making many other informational videos and wish me luck 🤞

[@abell4785]

I used to work for PetSmart I never recommended those guides. I always recommended that every pet parent research before you buy.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Good to hear!

[@sneekyalexa2657]

I didn't work at PetSmart specifically, but I've heard mixed things, like employees aren't allowed to say that their guides are wrong? Where I worked, it was a smaller chain, but I would always tell people to do their own research too. Of course it could be difficult with stubborn customers, but I liked having an excuse to learn about so many species so I could give general info if the circumstance allowed. I'd also try to warn of the poor products, since they're so available.

[@abell4785]

@@WickensWickedReptiles I was the only one to own reptiles there and I brought a wealth of knowledge to that store.

[@guardiansanimalrescuestate7289]

E mail so adorable

[@stephaniebrawner7626]

Please do more of these ❤ it helps raise awareness about how bad these big stores are.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

more coming!

[@k8gr]

I am a PetSmart manager, and I have been telling people not to trust these for years. I have written my own little note cards with sources that customers can research these pets and better educate themselves. I try to educate everyone I can, and if I ever feel the pet is going to an unsafe home, I deny the sale. I hate corporate and I never follow their suggested sales tactics. I’m there for the pets not for the paycheck. I actually work 2 jobs because this is my PASSION. And if I can help change the industry from the sales point, I can help save little lives. I just wanted to try to at least let y’all know there’s employees out there who really really do care and research and love their jobs.

[@omumacaw754]

My face when the office clip played lmaooo wasn't expected that at all haha

[@TweakedGarage]

THANK YOU! Finally a video on those terrible PetSmart guides. Thank you.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Hope you enjoy!

[@TheMudskipperKing]

goherping made a video on it to

[@clydae]

I worked at Petsmart for about a year in the pet care department. It was so aggravating how restricted we were in these animals' care. For example, I had to pay out of my own pocket to set up an air stone system in our "feeder" goldfish tanks. Our fish loss went down by over 10% but did I ever get rewarded or reimbursed? No, because I was technically breaking protocol. Thankfully my manager was a huge reptile fan, and despite seeing the lowest sales of all the animals, our reptiles were probably the best cared for in the whole store. Our manager also refused to stock chameleons because of the horrible conditions they sit in on the reptile wall. The only saving grace was that as a pet care associate I was allowed to refuse sale of any live animal for any reason. The worst part was that I had to learn a lot about proper reptile husbandry from my manager, as my "training" hardly mentioned reptiles at all.

[@Apoctopi]

I'd love to see more Petsmart care guide reviews - especially on Ball Pythons and other snakes

[@JLAvey]

Might want to put a warning on the Crested Gecko one saying that their feed will attract fruit flies in the summer. There are local pet stores here with people who actually know something about the animals sold there. The only time I bought a reptile from a box store was when I saw a really healthy, really active Russian tortoise. I bought him before somebody who hasn't done their research did.

[@Fablevill]

When I was a kid my parents and I were victims of the petsmart outdated care info… so many fish….

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

So sorry to hear this

[@mypetvelociraptor]

Yoooo, I love the new beginning! I had to watch it like 5 times. Great video 👊

[@shwoods]

Comments might get spicey, but I'm going to share anyways.. I used to work as a Petcare specialist at a Petsmart for years, and honestly the number of animals I took home because they wouldn't sell or couldn't sell for any reason at all (or because someone brought them back hurt or injured...95% of the time they didn't even know what they were signing up for...) oh man I was up to my eyeballs in tanks doing my own little side rehab. Went head first into education and became a licensed vettech and will NEVER GO BACK, but grateful for all the experience trouble shooting tough/geriatric and juvenile cases! Nice post Adam!! Love this idea ❤ just wish they'd do right by the animals at the end of the day! Thanks for sharing.

[@tiger21rose]

I work at a PetSmart and can confirm our care sheets suck. We had a one on one with someone who looks after all stores in Alberta (at least) and I brought up how a bunch of the care sheets have wrong info which could harm reptiles/amphibians/tarantulas etc. and that I could show him right now and it would only take a second . He brushed me off and said get your store leader to message me. again I said I could just show you right now. He brushed me off again. So in my experience upper management doesn't care. According to him they got there info from vets so it doesn't need adjusting ...

[@WildieHere]

Please make more videos like this! You are helping me to find right reptile for me. Love your content,keep up!

[@sealink129]

I can’t say the same for cresteds because I’ve never owned any, but for leopards, the sex of the geckos being housed together often doesn’t matter. Even females will fight. My first time owning leos, I housed two females, and they fought. So you’re either going to end up with scratched up, bleeding, or dead geckos, or you’re gonna end up with lots of unwanted babies you weren’t prepared for once they get old enough.

[@TheDandiBean]

As much as this solidifies "don't buy from big chain stores", I would love to see more of these

[@alexandralenn4617]

I work at a big chain pet store as a groomer. I just want to say yes, these are so stupid. But most employees, at least at my location, own and understand we need to change these for the benefit of our reptiles. But we don't decide what they put in their pamphlets unfortunately. But we as a little bit of that company try to make a little difference for our reptiles. I also hate the mill breeding! But feel bad for the pets that sit there for so long and not get a home. They won't just stop breeding and those pets dont deserve it, but they do deserve a good life. Double edge sword 😓

[@Roman-ec9xq]

As someone who works at PetSmart I do my best to steer people away from the care guides and try to implement my own experience and knowledge into pet parents. I let them know that just because there's a picture of the animal on this tank doesn't mean it's suitable for it, or just because you read online that your bearded dragon can eat veggies doesn't mean you can feed them that exclusively. I will deny sales sometimes if I feel as if the situation is particularly stressing for the animal. But at the end of the day there's only so much I, a little guy in the vastness of PetSmart's chain of employees, can do to make much of a difference. You can give customers all the resources in the world and they still choose a bowl for their betta to live in. Sometimes I show them places online (if there isn't anyone else in line) where they can get good feeder insects, proper diets for things like Crested Geckos, etc. A lot of people who shop with us don't realize that reptiles at least are a long commitment. I suppose the same goes for rodents... I wish we didn't sell animals at all most days.

[@_eloiserider_7922]

I had to quit petsmart over a year ago because my manager told me to stop helping customers with their reptiles. I helped a customer with their veiled chameleon they were buying and they had all the wrong supplies. They ultimately decided it wasn't the pet for them and agreed they needed to do more research. It was a 300 dollar sale I lost because I gave then correct information. Mind you I have 15 reptiles of various species including a veiled. My manager said because I was just a cashier it wasn't my place but all the workers knew how involved I was with reptiles. She said petsmart has their vets and information for a reason and that's what we needed to go off of. I was disgusted and found another job. At one point while working there I even helped to save a bearded dragons life because the owner wasn't aware of how serious his condition was. She ended up taking it to the vet where it spent 3 days in intensive care and last I heard was doing great.

[@amberready4498]

Please more, seeing you being passionate about reptiles is fun, it even had Diamond at attention.

[@RabbiKolakowski]

I just got a leopard gecko about a month ago (the first reptile I have kept in 20 years) - for a while i was thinking to get one from PetSmart but I am happy I rescued one from someone who had too many because I know they took care of her.

[@Rryan8065]

We need Adam to walk into petsmart and go absolutely ham on everyone there, including the customer children. They should know better than to even be in the presence of those guides

[@xion1629]

I'm the assistant manager of a pet store (not PetSmart or Petco), and I'm "the reptile guy" there, which is insane because outside of breeding some anoles, I'm entirely just a hobbyist. Speaking solely of the chain I work for, the care guides aren't something store level employees can change. However, our personal temperature recommendations and "guides" seem to be a little better. I'm also glad you mentioned something about "doing your own research", because that's exactly what my parting message is to everyone who buys a reptile or amphibian from me- I'm no expert and don't do more than advise the best that I can. I have even researched with a customer on a few occasions for reptiles I've never personally dealt with (such as a sand boa), while they were in-store. Certain things bother me about how we keep our reptiles on the sales floor, but it is at corporate level and a potential write up/termination to not comply. It's nothing major, but I'd assume a lot of large chain locations are the same- so I wouldn't blame store level employees. And in saying that, I like that everything was directed at PetSmart the company rather than their employees. I work where I work because I love helping people with their pets, as well as interacting with animals daily, and that seems to be the general consensus for most of the other pet store folks I've met. Training for reptile and amphibians (and even arachnids) specifics is definitely an issue though, and even the best intentions can end with death or serious injury.

[@Saphara]

My hubby went to PetSmart to get some cat food and pointed out to the cashier that their was a dead crested gecko in one of the enclosures. She brushed him off at first that that is just where that gecko likes to sit.... He had to double down and say, no, its definitely dead since its becoming a dried husk and its eyelids are sinking in. She checks and is surprised its dead even though it looks like its been drying out for a notable amount of time to the extent that a customer had to point it out to them.

[@lemonnpuff8737]

The temperatures/humidity and cohabitation reflect the way they keep them in store. People ask less questions that way. Also it's telling parents what they want to hear. If mummy and daddy hear that they need to drop more than a car payment to get each kid their own gecko and gecko habitat they either get mad and demand one habitat and two geckos anyways (and the manager makes you choose between doing it or loosing your job) or they go somewhere else. I cannot emphasize enough how many parents I royally peeved off by telling them they either needed multiple habitats or multiple pets (think guinea pigs) when they thought they could get a birthday pet for $50. If anyone wants to hear my "the parents effed around and found out" story about sweet little boys and hamsters let me know.

[@cerberaodollam]

Lmao at the boys and hamsters thing. My high school bff (that I haven't seen since we got 18) had a hamster and pretty much killed it by forgetting about it while playing video games. Oof. At least my (mostly outdoor because big yard and all) meowmeows can find food elsewhere and entertain themselves if I'm out of commission for a day or two. Not that I don't care but they straight up neglect ME sometimes 🤣

[@lemonnpuff8737]

@@cerberaodollam I'm going to tell the hamster story. I was the pet care manager and I was a damn good one, but I didnt have ultimate say. I was explaining to parents of two little boys that thehamsters they wanted each needed their own cages or they would fight and kill each other. Parents threw a fit demanding one cage and went to the store manager when I wouldn't sell them. They got two Syrian hamsters for one cage. The next day two very sheepish parents and two very sad little boys came back with a box and a bag. I was the only one there who could help them. The bag contained a headless hamster, the box a very fat happy hamster. They wanted to return them and get a two new ones and a second cage. I asked if they wanted to keep the living hamster since he was actually friendly towards people and healthy. The older boy looked at me with the most haunted look on a child I've seen while his little brother sniffed. "No." He said fighting tears. "My hamster is a murderer." The parents actually winced. Unfortunately for those little boys and that hamster they had to learn the hard way. Good news is they bought absolutely everything I suggested the second time around. I brought both the hamsters to the office and handed them to the store manager, told him what happened, and said "that's why I said no. I'm the only one on the floor, can you set the live one up in isolation? Someone needs crickets." And left him to it. I was mad a lot working there, but that one still sticks and it was 15 years ago.

[@gametimewithmatthew]

I went into a petsmart one time that had two crested geckos in the same setup and what made it worse was the fact one was significantly larger than the other and was trying to eat the smaller one

[@charischannah]

My kid's been saving up for a leopard gecko for a while. We tend to cover things like food and vet care, but the initial expense of the animal and its habitat is on her so we have time to research and set things up. We did this a few years ago when she wanted a snake--we researched good snakes for beginners, settled on a corn snake, and we've had him for two and a half years and love him. We're getting the gecko next weekend at a reptile expo. I'm really appalled by the care guides suggesting cohabitation--one of the first things I learned for both snakes and geckos was that cohabiting was something to typically avoid, especially with males.

[@julieaime4594]

We rescued 2 male leopard geckos that were housed together in a 10 gallon tank on calcium sand with a heat rock. Those poor boys were so traumatized! With correct care, they ended up being sweet geckos.

[@TicklePickles101]

I'm lucky enough to work in a petstore run by a manager who lets us go against corporate as much as possible. We're the only petstore in my area that houses bearded dragons ALONE. My biggest win was having the managers hide all the fish bowls so customers can't buy them, and then they never ordered more. We still sell 1 gallon tanks, but at least they have filtration. You take the small wins where you can. We don't push any of the reptile kits either. I always tell customers they're useless at best and dangerous at worst.

[@carlpottschmidt7637]

I think the housing no more than 2 male geckos was a typographic error of some sort. They wouldn't intentionally want their pets to fight to death. They have money back guarantee on animals.

[@J0kerScars]

Not all Petsmarts are alike I swear lol I work at one and I try my best to give people up to date info on any lil critter they want, I also make sure they don’t buy useless crap (red lights, expensive bulbs, crappy gimmicky products). I’ve tired to even show other employees websites/KZbin channels to get better care info for the animals we carry. Maybe the company isn’t the best but there are people who work here that know what they are doing and care about the well-being of the animals.

[@mike2687]

I worked at a PetSmart for a few months back when I was in my late teens... we did a "dead run" every morning for fish that didn't make it through the night. This was nothing different than any other pet store--what was different, if any fish died throughout the day, we were told to leave them in the tanks along side the living fish we were trying to sell. It wasn't until closing time that we took the dead out... this allowed them to keep better inventory--supposedly.

[@kaylarose6624]

I work at this box chain store. The amount of times I have to tell people to straight up ignore the care guides because they’re incorrect and promotes malpractice and to do their own research is insane.

[@shannonciesluk4757]

Review all the cage guides! It’s such a big difference from the 90s and even early 2000s

[@loura246]

I used to annotate and edit those care guides during my slow shifts when I worked at petsmart. One of the hardest things at that job was trying to persuade customers that the "official" store resources weren't good sources of information

[@texastopshelfreptiles867]

I am no advocate for petco. But I have to say i was impresses with the store by my house. The manager explained he loves reptiles so he goes above and beyond. Even the 2 tegu were kept well and were reasonable. Hats off to this 1 store. Lol

[@willowstar157]

I work at Petsmart...when you said you were going from the crestie pamphlet to the leo it was just *"oh no."* On the bright side, I'm fairly sure the beardy care guide still says something stupid like a 40g is fine for their adult size. When even our sales tag that goes on the habitat display has "upgraded" to saying 55g minimum. So while it's not really a death sentence, there's definitely guides that are still vastly more old school than those two

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

lol, I just filmed part two where I rip to shreds the beardie care guide last night, video drops soon.

[@mikey8915]

I love that yer Canoodian like me , it's awesome to have advice from my fellow countryman. I've watched a bunch of your videos and they're awesome. I'm from London, there's not much out here for reptiles as far as I know. I'm definitely gunna venture out to ya sometime. It'll be nice to support local small time Canadian business. It'll be a while till I can get a little reptile buddy but hopefully it'll happen someday. I've been wanting a beardy for ten years but I've kept up my knowledge on the care of them to make sure I know what to do when the day at last comes! Cheers 🍻

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

hope to see you at an expo sometime

[@RamSkelly]

as a current petsmart employee (im considering applying at my exotics veterinary office for multiple reasons) i have read them and its sadly corporate... at my store many of us dont give the care guide or we will cross off the incorrect information, it can vary per store which deffinitely sucks... i can atleast thankfully say that both stores ive worked in have been knowledgable about all of our animals and we do our research, encourage pet owners doing their own research, and FREQUENTLY shout to corporate to make the guides better and more accurate (again these are atleast the 2 stores ive worked in). i do appreciate theses videos, i even recomend your channel and other reputable ones to pet owners

[@ing3666]

I LOVE Diamond! Just got our 16 year old a Leo and this Mama has done her own research! A rabbit hole…. So much to learn but I’m up for it. You are one of the KZbin channels I have been watching. Thank you so much for your info! So appreciated!

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

although petsmart doesnt exist in the uk there is pets at home. thankfully the one local to me doesnt sell reptiles anymore but as a fishkeeper the fish care is shocking. they have a dumb fish stocking system that makes no sense, dont follow cycling guidelines, mix incompatible fish with each other [ fin nippers with longfin fish etc ], dont properly quarantine, have really cloudy dirty tanks with little stimulation for the fish and the fish are so unhealthy [ ich, flukes , infections, black fungus on the tetras, gasping mollies etc ] selling big fish like common goldfish, clown loaches and chinese algae eaters for little tanks and the poor care of the feeder bugs lmao they sell insect food for the feeders but the feeders are half starved

[@TheGPFilmMaker]

I'd love more of these videos! I also love how chill Diamond is - such a good lizard!

[@geckosarecute6304]

When I saw your beardie with money I giggled. 😆 He will owning the bank soon! 😆

[@wili_ridesa_sporty6706]

Was at a PetSmart over the weekend, mentioned to the employees their ball python enclosures were in the 30% humidity range, all three had badly stuck sheds and looked dehydrated, was brushed off with “ it’s feed day, and were under staffed!” Two of them were in chameleon enclosures with no hides or substrate 🤦‍♂️

[@rasbowsreptiles7310]

I am going to make a video one day about the top KZbinrs that have a positive impact on the reptile keeping community and you will definitely be on that list, Adam. Always talking about how we can do better. Your videos are the bee’s knee’s.

[@mandyluna]

I absolutely love that you like to spread positive vibes! Also I enjoyed watching you get frustrated over this because it shows your passion and care for animals. 💓 Can't wait for more videos like this! I really hope these companies see videos like this and up their game. Or get shut down.😝

[@aronoiiel]

I never ever recommend our pamphletd to new owners. I do all I can to properly educate cudtomers on proper care. Petsmart doesnt educate their employees its up to us to do that on our own time. Its literally like target and walmart. Its all about prophets. I am lucky enough to work in a store where my fellow workers do what we can to properly educate people and if we tslk people out of a beardie because they dont want to biy the proper uvb (which thank god we finally sell arcadia at petmsart) then so be it. We also refuse sells if its clear they wont do whats recommend for the pets care. Yes alot of stores dont do this but dont lump all the stores into the same batch. Some of us actually do care and actually do educate ourselves and try to help these animals.find proper homes

[@commander.saavik]

Pretty sure he's bashing Corporate and their uneducated, profit-driven policies, not individual stores. No matter how well-educated and caring an individual store's managers and employees are, there's only so much they can do before Corporate fires them all and replaces them with more compliant people.

[@animefreakazoid2504]

I definitely think he's bashing corporate as well instead of stores like yours or mine where we generally care for the well being of these animals and do our best to make sure people have the best info to care for their animals. I don't know if you can but I've been taking our animal guides and have been blacking out false information like housing geckos together that way people don't think it's okay. I haven't gotten in trouble for it yet because I've been using that as an opportunity to educate customers on why some of the info is blacked out.

[@pyt.angelixa]

So, I work at Petsmart and most of us who are very experienced in reptiles disagree with the care guides. As well as the care. But honestly we can’t do anything about it since it’s corporate, it pisses us off

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

wicked!

[@MotherTruckinReptiles]

That one point on the crested gecko pamphlet had to have been a typo that no one edited. I'm pretty sure that was supposed to say Do not house more than one male or do not house two males in a tank and they somehow combine the two statements and screwed the entire thing up.

[@dominickm02]

I work at PetSmart, and I’d like it to be clear that if you want to blame anybody for any information you get from them please blame corporate. Most of the employees that work at a Petsmart absolutely love animals and do their best to give you the best advice that they can. At my store we will also never lie and even look things up that we are not sure about. Generally we are all pretty knowledgeable about all of the animals we sell. We do our best with what we’re given but at the end of the day sometimes it’s just not enough and there’s only so much we can do.

[@spencerhalvorsen2398]

I used to work at a Petsmart, I would always tell people that these guides weren't 100% accurate. Especially about the housing multiple reptiles in a single tank

[@Hippolf]

I work at one of the big box chain pet stores. Obviously I can't control the care guides or the products sold but I do try to guide people interested in keeping reptiles--e.g. discouraging keeping them in groups for the most part. Thankfully I don't think most people even bother with the care guide pamphlets.

[@mrperson8321]

I once found a care guide I don’t rember where from but it said to keep a iguana in a 20 on calci sand

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

That is so sad

[@ing3666]

Me again. We got ours from Petsmart and Oscar was in with another, which now makes us think to change the name to Ossa. But the gal who helped us was knowledgeable on Leo’s because she has them. But also told us we couldn’t gender confirm until he was older. We,got a 20 gal and put tile over 95% of the reptile carpet that the setup came with. She also suggested bio substrate but we are waiting until Oscar gets bigger and I get him a 40 gal. We’re sticking with Oscar for now. Oscars’s Oasis was a cartoon my kiddo and I watched and loved when he was younger. Thank you again!

[@RatManGriffin]

I formally worked at Petsmart, specifically in Petcare. The state that a lot of our animals came in was heartbreaking. Anytime we had someone interested in an animal, I was always very clear about the care they would need and encourage your videos for reptile care, Leopard Gecko specifically for leopard gecko care, and specific small animal youtubers for hamsters, chins, or guinea pigs. For birds, I did my own research because I had no personal experience with. If someone had a question I couldn't answer, I would ask an associate I knew had more information, or be honest and say I don't know and that would need to be Googled. Me and my team always made sure that no matter how much crying or screaming someone did, if they weren't seen as the appropriate home for that animal, we would not be sending them home with it. Part of why I left was corporates involvement in our animal care and giving into the customers. I couldn't do it.

[@thinriches]

Could you do one for Petco too? I am wriggling my way up the ladder and the more ammunition I have to combat our specific guides and policies is invaluable. These companies only see themselves. They take advice from a handful of veterinarians on staff and are insulated from the outside world of exotic animal keeping. This has caused them to entirely miss the strides we are making in the hobby. In order to disrupt the status quo I need stats, research and company specific examples. I have the data, I need more examples. Hope the success of this video prompts you to follow it up. I recommend your channel to every person who speaks to me about beardies, leopard and crested geckos. Thanks for your tireless work to improve the hobby and educate the public.

[@Mothobius]

And the fact that sometimes they kick you out for giving other people good info and good KZbin channels on how to actually care for them proves they want money

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

I think most of the employees are good people but for sure the minimum wage power trippers work there sometimes too.

[@Mothobius]

@@WickensWickedReptiles yes that's true. Most toy the employees seem to care about animals and have their own collections. But I've heard some people say they have been kicked out for "harassing people" for telling them against the stores recommendations. Because their goal is to sell stuff not for anyone to know stuff.

[@kineiya]

On the crested gecko the two is a misprint. It's supposed to be one. PetSmart employee's are told to put out those care sheets and the misprint one's are mixed in with the corrected one's

[@nogames8982]

Then I guess one of those employees needs to spend a few minutes and weed out the misprinted ones.

[@xBloodxFangx]

Id honestly not advise to keep any leos together of any gender unless you are breeding and have a better understanding of their behavior. My male saw my female and hit the glass at full speed wanting to kill her. Yeah that care guide is gonna get a lot of geckos killed...

[@creepyoldlady2995]

My crestie uses her water dish to soak in prior to shedding. She has never had a problem with stuck shed, only once there was a miniscule bit of shred on her crest that I brushed off. She's only a baby, about 8 months old. I don't know how she learned to soak before a shed, but whatever she's doing seems to work.

[@CJ-hh3gx]

That's really weird that the care guide for cresties doesn't talk about the prepared diet. When I worked there, that was their primary food source. We only put in crickets every so often.

[@adventureswithdill7887]

I work at petsmart and I hate how we all have a bad rep , it’s like people think we wake up and go to work and just hate animals or something… I’ve work at 2 different stores now and me and all my colleagues are very knowledgeable on the animals we sell if we feel people aren’t going to properly take care of the animals or don’t buy the need things for the animals to live a good life we will deny pet sales.. yes I understand it’s a massive chain store and these dumb booklets probably aren’t correct but from my experience we treat the animals very well and try our best to make sure they are going to a loving home

[@heartlandreptiles]

I’d love to see a ‘90s care guide review because I remember reading them as a kid!

[@benangotti3281]

Really like how you get so passionate about the lives of these reptiles.

[@kindandkillerart1893]

I’d absolutely love to see the snake care guides like the corn snake, king snake, and ball python

[@evolynrayne]

I wonder if petsmarts PR team will respond to this in any way... like by fixing any of their care sheets.

[@kaledarkwind8751]

I think the reason that none of the care guides mention not to put two males together, is because they are ubable to ssx their animals

[@brianl.1112]

I used to work at petsmart and looking at these handouts hurt my eyes, I used to write the correct facts on them or cross out the very bad advice

[@onixxfilth]

I have a Pueblan milksnake and am so glad I went with a local exotic shop instead of a chain store.

[@CrystalheartedEve]

i always recommend to avoid stores like Petsmart, Pet Supplies ans Petco Ect... If you wanna do the pet store route, find a private or small business pet stores. I have one in my town and they love their reptiles and care for them like kings and queens. They also run a rescue side for reptiles and small mammals. Small/private pet stores ive always had a far better experience for. But Breeders are still number 1!

[@brookepauley1013]

as a petsmart employee I'd like to say we don't even follow those corporate made careguides

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

I sure hope not. Although in this store the living conditions of the animals was piss poor

[@brookepauley1013]

@@WickensWickedReptiles im a part time manager at my store. Last year my store was in the top 25 in the company. This year we haven't dropped below number 10. Sadly we do use repti carpet for Leo's because we have nothing else we are allowed to use because of stupid corporate. Our snakes are on repti bark and eco earth. Any species that requires humidity gets checked/misted 4× a day. I never recommend those guides and don't even put em out.