# Where do you find reptiles to buy?



## croc_hunter_penny (Apr 10, 2019)

Hey everyone, 

I have been looking for a couple of snakes to add to the ol' collection, but it's been a while and it seems all the old websites have disappeared. 

Where do you go now to find breeders? 

Where are the classifieds pages? 

Is gumtree all we have now? 

I'd really like to get a common tree snake and also a water python. Nobody seems to have either of these anymore, just lots of carpet pythons and jags it seems


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## chloe.j.f (Apr 10, 2019)

Facebook groups 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ColourBombReptiles (Apr 10, 2019)

What groups would you suggest XD


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## Sdaji (Apr 10, 2019)

It's mostly Facebook groups, and there's also Reptiles Classifieds Australia.

Unfortunately, Facebook is an extremely poor format for classifieds, but nonetheless it's taking over every aspect of the internet, even where it makes things much, much worse. It makes classifieds almost unsearchable for more than a few days back, so you need to keep watching, as opposed to older style websites which let you search back over the last few weeks or months.


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## Yellowtail (Apr 10, 2019)

Reptile Classifieds seems to have gone missing today?
I hope we are not down to Facebook.


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## Sdaji (Apr 10, 2019)

Yellowtail said:


> Reptile Classifieds seems to have gone missing today?
> I hope we are not down to Facebook.



It seems you're right!

Let's hope we're not stuck with Facebook! Presumably someone will put up an alternative to RCA (just as RCA replaced RDU), but every time it changes it'll take a while for some people to catch on.


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## ColourBombReptiles (Apr 10, 2019)

I can’t fond any good breeders on Facebook, but atleast we can see reptiles that are actually still available!


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## Herpetology (Apr 11, 2019)

Australian reptile enthusiasts has a few of the big name people.

The way I tell is seeing who is freinds with my friends who are big breeders and quite private in who they add. (They only add people who have made a breakthrough In a new morph, are specialists in certain species etc)


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## jacques92 (Apr 11, 2019)

Facebook got lots of reptile pages .
If you post what you are after on any of them someone will tag a breeder of the species you are after.


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## nuttylizardguy (Apr 11, 2019)

Gumtree, PetPages are the first places I look when I am ready to take on a new lizard as a pet.

Took a few years for me to find someone who had a young captive bred eastern water skink for sale.
Plenty of people breeding bluetongues, bearded dragons and water dragons, but people who are breeding netted dragons, pink tongues, water skinks and the like are very scarce.

I don't buy reptiles very often and only ever deal with breeders who a closer than a 1 hour drive from my home.


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## Stuart (Apr 13, 2019)

Anyone want to help set something up with APS? Just an idea considering this site won't be going anywhere


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## ColourBombReptiles (Apr 13, 2019)

Maybe


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## Yellowtail (Apr 13, 2019)

Stuart said:


> Anyone want to help set something up with APS? Just an idea considering this site won't be going anywhere


I sent a message to Shaun asking what was happening with the Reptile Classifieds site and only got a vague answer like he's been away from the computer, did not know and would check?
The structure and functionality of RCA was good except perhaps the photos were too small when viewed on a computer and APS is better in that regard. No idea of the economics of running such a site but APS exists now so any revenue from advertising etc must be a bonus to the existing cost structure, RCA charged for a variety of things including bumps and I am sure breeders will be happy with something similar.


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## Bl69aze (Apr 13, 2019)

Stuart said:


> Anyone want to help set something up with APS? Just an idea considering this site won't be going anywhere


i can help if you ever need it  i assume its finish the market place you had ideas for a while ago?


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## Wokka (Apr 13, 2019)

Dont most of the big sites buy out the smaller ones to stop the dilution of traffic. I think its standard capitalism to wipe out the opposition, create a monopoly , then put up prices! I think something like APS, which doesn't have a profit motive, would be a great base to build from.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Apr 13, 2019)

Herptrader is still running but has very little traffic since it became seperated from Brians herpshop and started charging a fee.
Reptile Classifieds is quite poor tbh. Spends so much time offline.

FB is the best location for buying and selling regardless of whether people like the idea or not. Huge audience and easy to find whatever it is you are looking for. Half my hatchies were sold this year before I was ready to advertise them.


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## Yellowtail (Apr 13, 2019)

Pauls_Pythons said:


> Herptrader is still running but has very little traffic since it became seperated from Brians herpshop and started charging a fee.
> Reptile Classifieds is quite poor tbh. Spends so much time offline.
> 
> FB is the best location for buying and selling regardless of whether people like the idea or not. Huge audience and easy to find whatever it is you are looking for. Half my hatchies were sold this year before I was ready to advertise them.


Maybe because I'm the only one in Australia not spending most of my time on FB I don't understand it but I find it just a mass of morph photos with people posting likes, I knew someone that got thousands of likes for her snake collection photos but when she had to sell none of the likes bought any. A lot of my hatchlings are sold to people referred from previous buyers but I have had no problem selling anything I advertised on Reptile Classifieds for good prices. I am rarely a buyer because I maintain a closed collection and then only from people I know and trust who breed what I need.


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## Southernserpent (Apr 13, 2019)

Not having a go at you yellowtail but how are you a closed collection if you buy animals in. What is the actual definition of a closed collection as I here it often


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## Yellowtail (Apr 13, 2019)

Southernserpent said:


> Not having a go at you yellowtail but how are you a closed collection if you buy animals in. What is the actual definition of a closed collection as I here it often


In the last 2 years I have purchased 2 axanthic jungles and one paradox albino and they are in quarantine in my home 100 metres from my main collection for 3 years then I will have a virus test done before I will consider using them in any breeding program. A few I purchased before that like imbricatas and GTP's are also in my home and while they are well past even the most extreme quarantine period I do not breed them. My breeding animals that I sell hatchlings from are all descended from animals I purchased more than 10 years ago, no one else goes near my breeding animals and I have a strict protocol with handling and cleaning, all buyers are met off site and do not handle a hatchling till they have bought it, I breed my own rodents in laboratory conditions and have disposed of rodents that may have been in the vicinity of wild carpets before I managed to make my rodent growing area completely snake proof, not 100% as you say but I can only think of one breeder who goes beyond this.


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## Sdaji (Apr 13, 2019)

Yellowtail said:


> In the last 2 years I have purchased 2 axanthic jungles and one paradox albino and they are in quarantine in my home 100 metres from my main collection for 3 years then I will have a virus test done before I will consider using them in any breeding program. A few I purchased before that like imbricatas and GTP's are also in my home and while they are well past even the most extreme quarantine period I do not breed them. My breeding animals that I sell hatchlings from are all descended from animals I purchased more than 10 years ago, no one else goes near my breeding animals and I have a strict protocol with handling and cleaning, all buyers are met off site and do not handle a hatchling till they have bought it, I breed my own rodents in laboratory conditions and have disposed of rodents that may have been in the vicinity of wild carpets before I managed to make my rodent growing area completely snake proof, not 100% as you say but I can only think of one breeder who goes beyond this.



That's pretty impressive! It goes beyond my standards and you're one of only about 2 or 3 people I can think of I can say that about. Actual quarantine requires this sort of approach, and almost no one does anything resembling effective quarantine. Interesting to hear from someone who actually takes it seriously.


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## Southernserpent (Apr 13, 2019)

Thanks for sharing your protocol on quarantine. You hear the word closed collection thrown around a lot but as sdaji has said I don't think to many of them take the measures you do to ensure your animals are disease free.


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## ColourBombReptiles (Apr 13, 2019)

I have tried to find a fem axanthic coastal carpet on fb in my price range with no avail


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## Yellowtail (Apr 14, 2019)

Reptile Classifieds is back after nearly a week?


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## Pauls_Pythons (Apr 14, 2019)

Yellowtail said:


> Maybe because I'm the only one in Australia not spending most of my time on FB I don't understand it but I find it just a mass of morph photos with people posting likes, I knew someone that got thousands of likes for her snake collection photos but when she had to sell none of the likes bought any. A lot of my hatchlings are sold to people referred from previous buyers but I have had no problem selling anything I advertised on Reptile Classifieds for good prices. I am rarely a buyer because I maintain a closed collection and then only from people I know and trust who breed what I need.



Im hearing you Ken but I have exactly the same problems on RCA if Im honest. Lots of looks, email etc but very few sales. I think the whole thing with fb is becoming known. Once you have been on the reptile pages a few years its easier to sell as people start hunting you down. I dont breed in big numbers so it makes no real odds to me if the hatchies stay with me a year or 2. The thing that always makes my blood boil is the time wasters.
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ColourBombReptiles said:


> in my price range with no avail



There might lie the problem.


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## Bl69aze (Apr 14, 2019)

ColourBombReptiles said:


> I have tried to find a fem axanthic coastal carpet on FB in my price range with no avail


What is your price range? only ones I've seen are around 3000 and for a reason.


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## Nero Egernia (Apr 14, 2019)

Bl69aze said:


> What is your price range? only ones I've seen are around 3000 and for a reason.



Wow, I've always had a soft spot for the black and white critters.

If WA dropped the python import ban, or permitted keeping more species, I'd reckon there would be a lot of people looking to buy. As a WA resident myself I get super jealous looking at all the beautiful critters other states get to keep while we don't have much of a selection at all. Not to mention our prices can be insane at times in comparison to the Eastern states. It really does my head in. 

On the topic of Reptile Classifieds has anyone noticed that the website tends to be rather glitchy?


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## ColourBombReptiles (Apr 15, 2019)

I need one for about 1000


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## Southernserpent (Apr 15, 2019)

Sorry to tell you but I don't think you will find a visual axanthic for 1 grand. Lucky if you find one under 2 grand this season


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## Stuart (Apr 17, 2019)

Thanks all.

I am in NZ travelling at the moment but I'll reach out to those who offered and we can see what can be done. I have been keen on the idea for a while but just haven't had time.

Stu
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Yellowtail said:


> I sent a message to Shaun asking what was happening with the Reptile Classifieds site and only got a vague answer like he's been away from the computer, did not know and would check?
> The structure and functionality of RCA was good except perhaps the photos were too small when viewed on a computer and APS is better in that regard. No idea of the economics of running such a site but APS exists now so any revenue from advertising etc must be a bonus to the existing cost structure, RCA charged for a variety of things including bumps and I am sure breeders will be happy with something similar.



To be transparent, the site and infrastructure costs me a couple of hundred dollars per month to be hosted. I don't ask for money to support the site as I found that the very few who had a bad experience caused waves if they had funded the site. I just keep it going as a resource for Aus keepers, regardless of some of the negative history


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