By Jennifer Higgins In the culinary arts, they say food presentation can make or break a dish. Though probably true, I doubt the same sentiment can be heard from a gecko or a tortoise. However, it seems that reptile owners take food and water presentation quite seriously. No longer is a simple, round, glaze-finished ceramic dish good enough for some herp enthusiasts to use […]
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Feeder Food
If there’s one truth in the pet trade, it’s this: all of those critters have to eat. Reptiles, particularly, have diverse tastes in food that can simultaneously give you a throbbing stress migraine while providing the single greatest source of incoming revenue for your store. Staying abreast of new developments and changes within the realm of reptile food may well prove the difference between long-term […] Read More →
Better Living Through Chemistry
BY JENNIFER HIGGINS Just because they aren’t warm and furry or can’t fluff their feathers, doesn’t mean reptiles aren’t at risk of being under the weather. The physical health of our reptile friends should be just as important as their habitat size, food, water or substrate. Lizards, snakes and turtles/tortoises are exposed to a host […] Read More →
Handle With Care
The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), the most popular and best-selling chameleon across the nation, is native to the Middle East, specifically modern-day Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Within their natural habitats, veiled chameleons tend to prefer coastal mountainous regions, particularly those with significant rainfall. However, they have spread across the globe, even establishing populations as far […] Read More →
Shell Games
By Jennifer Higgins Because tortoises and turtles are both categorized under the order Chelonian, they share many of the same physical, nutritional and behavioral characteristics. However, there are several differences. Due to their respective natural environments in the wild, tortoises and turtles must be maintained in captive habitats that accommodate their diverse needs and should […] Read More →
A Nice Niche Pet
When customers think of reptiles, most people tend to think of snakes or lizards, chameleons or geckos. However, despite their continual popularity and their fixture-status among reptile owners, turtles are often an overlooked second-cousin to various other species and varieties of reptiles. However, a knowledgeable store owner can easily translate our proverbial “heroes on the […] Read More →
Cozy Comforts
By Jennifer Higgins What better way to enjoy your reptilian family member than to display and maintain it in one of the most natural indoor habitats: a terrarium! Many reptile hobbyists are no longer satisfied with a tank containing a few pieces of rock work and a plastic plant or two. It has become more […] Read More →
One Hot Reptile
Want a way to ensure more register rings? Think insurance, as in Geico. That company’s pitchman has entrenched geckos within pop culture. It’s your job to get patrons to enroll in a pet ownership policy that involves purchasing more gecko goods from your shop. Most experts will tell you that geckos are a great beginner […] Read More →
Staff Training Redux
There’s a fundamental truth in life that many have to come to accept over time: people can’t be everywhere, and they can’t do everything. Even the owner of a small, mom-and-pop-style store is going to want to take a day off at some point. For that, they have their staff. The staff represents the machinery […] Read More →
