{"id":1476,"date":"2021-12-03T19:42:08","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T19:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/?p=1476"},"modified":"2021-12-26T15:58:13","modified_gmt":"2021-12-26T15:58:13","slug":"buying-amphibians-reptiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Places to Buy Amphibians &#038; Reptiles (Beginner&#8217;s Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>So you&#8217;ve decided to keep a reptile or amphibian as a pet. You&#8217;ve done the research, know the supplies you need, and now you have to find a trustworthy place to buy the pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now what? It may surprise you to learn that finding a decent place that sells frogs, toads, salamander, and reptiles can be a challenging endeavor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t worry, friend. I&#8217;m here to help. Over the years, I&#8217;ve developed some interesting ways of finding local breeders. I&#8217;ll even share one method that might possibly score your a free pet! Keep reading to find out more&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notices wpbf-block wpbf-block-notices wpbf-content-justified-left\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notice wpbf-block wpbf-block-notice wpbf-notice wpbf-notice-error\">Wait a minute! Before you buy an amphibian or reptile, make sure to check your local\/state laws pertaining to keeping exotic pets. Some states prohibit owning certain species.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-662ca9edaade4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-662ca9edaade4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#1-local-breeders\" title=\"1. Local Breeders\">1. Local Breeders<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#how-i-find-local-breeders%e2%80%a6\" title=\"How I Find Local Breeders&#8230;\">How I Find Local Breeders&#8230;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#google-it%e2%80%a6\" title=\"Google it&#8230;\">Google it&#8230;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#search-facebook\" title=\"Search Facebook\">Search Facebook<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#reptile-conventionexpo-vendor-listings\" title=\"Reptile Convention\/Expo Vendor Listings\">Reptile Convention\/Expo Vendor Listings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#2-adopt-reptiles-amphibians\" title=\"2. Adopt Reptiles &amp; Amphibians\">2. Adopt Reptiles &amp; Amphibians<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#3-reptile-conventions\" title=\"3. Reptile Conventions\">3. Reptile Conventions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#4-online-stores\" title=\"4. Online Stores\">4. Online Stores<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#5-local-stores\" title=\"5. Local Stores\">5. Local Stores<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/#tldr-where-to-buy-amphibians-or-reptiles\" title=\"TLDR; Where to Buy Amphibians or Reptiles\">TLDR; Where to Buy Amphibians or Reptiles<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1-local-breeders\"><\/span>1. Local Breeders<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding <strong>a local breeder is my number one recommended source for reptiles and amphibians<\/strong>. They&#8217;re knowledgeable about the species they&#8217;re raising and it&#8217;s a source of passion for them (most of them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-i-find-local-breeders%e2%80%a6\"><\/span>How I Find Local Breeders&#8230;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are three ways I go about finding local breeders. It&#8217;s not difficult and I imagine you&#8217;ve already thought of two of three ways. So, let&#8217;s jump in and explore. Along the way, I will put these steps into practice by finding local breeders in random cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"google-it%e2%80%a6\"><\/span>Google it&#8230;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The most obvious thing to do is simply to search google. Type in &#8220;buy frogs near me&#8221; or &#8220;reptile breeders in [insert your state or city\/state]&#8221;. A quick google search may yield positive results instantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notices wpbf-block wpbf-block-notices wpbf-content-justified-left\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notice wpbf-block wpbf-block-notice wpbf-notice wpbf-notice-primary\"><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> many &#8220;reptile breeders&#8221; breed and sell amphibians too! It&#8217;s worth searching for reptile breeders, if your search for &#8220;frog or salamander breeders&#8221; is coming up empty-handed.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Chances are, however, that you&#8217;re not going to uncover all the local breeders in your area. &#8220;Why not?&#8221; you might ask. Well, because not everyone who breeds reptiles and amphibians has a working website on the internet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of them are small. They may or may not be interested in building a website. Oftentimes they opt for a Facebook fan page instead. This, as you might have guessed, brings us to our next point&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"search-facebook\"><\/span>Search Facebook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Using Facebook to find a local breeder is probably the best way. Breeders with websites usually have a Facebook page too. The reason is that Facebook is a popular platform and it&#8217;s easy to stay connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some phrases to search: <strong>Reptile breeder<\/strong>, <strong>amphibian breeder<\/strong>, <strong>exotic pets<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because Facebook has your location, it will yield results closest to you. Explore the businesses and groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notices wpbf-block wpbf-block-notices wpbf-content-justified-left\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notice wpbf-block wpbf-block-notice wpbf-notice wpbf-notice-error\">Facebook prohibits selling animals on their website. You can find local breeders but you most likely won&#8217;t find prices listed due to Facebook&#8217;s policy. You may see the term &#8220;rehoming fee&#8221;&#8230;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;re most likely to find a local breeder using Facebook. If that doesn&#8217;t work, I have one more idea&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"reptile-conventionexpo-vendor-listings\"><\/span>Reptile Convention\/Expo Vendor Listings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Buying reptiles from conventions is a good option. In fact, I have a whole section on this below. That&#8217;s not what we&#8217;re talking about here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many reptile conventions have a website; especially the large ones. On their website&#8217;s event page, <strong>sometimes they list the vendors attending their expo<\/strong>. What does this mean? Well, some of the vendors are local breeders! Their contact info is listed too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll use ReptiCon as an example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Go to <a href=\"http:\/\/repticon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">http:\/\/repticon.com\/<\/a> (link opens in a new tab).<\/li><li>Using their menu, navigate to Locations \u2192 Florida \u2192 Jacksonville <em>[Figure 1* below]<\/em><\/li><li>Scroll down until you find the floor plan window.<\/li><li>There are 3 tabs (floor plan, sponsors, and marketplace). Click &#8220;Marketplace&#8221; <em>[Figure 2* below]<\/em><\/li><li>Find a breeder on this list and click its link.<\/li><li>Read the description and click the &#8220;Contact Us&#8221; tab. <em>[Figure 3* below]<\/em><\/li><li>You will find an email, phone number, website, etc.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/?attachment_id=1481\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-1-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg\" alt=\"Figure 1 (ReptiCon \/ Search Local Breeders)\" data-id=\"1481\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-1-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/?attachment_id=1481\" class=\"wp-image-1481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-1-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-1-repticon-search-local-breeders-400x310.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-1-repticon-search-local-breeders-768x594.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Figure 1<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/?attachment_id=1482\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-2-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg\" alt=\"Figure 2 (ReptiCon \/ Search Local Breeders)\" data-id=\"1482\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-2-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/?attachment_id=1482\" class=\"wp-image-1482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-2-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-2-repticon-search-local-breeders-400x310.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-2-repticon-search-local-breeders-768x594.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Figure 2<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/?attachment_id=1483\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-3-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg\" alt=\"Figure 3 (ReptiCon \/ Search Local Breeders)\" data-id=\"1483\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-3-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/?attachment_id=1483\" class=\"wp-image-1483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-3-repticon-search-local-breeders.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-3-repticon-search-local-breeders-400x310.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/figure-3-repticon-search-local-breeders-768x594.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Figure 3<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulations! You just found a list of local breeders in Jacksonville, FL! Now do that search with a city near you. If ReptiCon doesn&#8217;t visit your area, google other reptile expos and search their websites for this type of information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2-adopt-reptiles-amphibians\"><\/span>2. Adopt Reptiles &amp; Amphibians<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the reasons I like the exotic pet community is because of the helpful, caring people. When a person is unable to care for their beloved pet, for whatever reason, there is someone willing to adopt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You can adopt someone&#8217;s reptile or amphibian.<\/strong> You&#8217;re helping a fellow human and possibly saving a pet&#8217;s life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve found a few reptile rescue groups in my state. Every day, sometimes multiple times per day, there are people posting in these groups trying to rehome their pet(s). That&#8217;s where you come in&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how do you find one of these groups? Facebook!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go to Facebook and search for something like &#8220;<strong>[Your State] reptile &amp; amphibian rescue<\/strong>&#8220;. For example: &#8220;Texas reptile &amp; amphibian rescue&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of these groups are private. Send a request to join. Other times you&#8217;ll find non-profit groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rescue-rehome-amphibian-screenshot.jpg\" alt=\"Rescue\/re-home Amphibian Screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-1484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rescue-rehome-amphibian-screenshot.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/rescue-rehome-amphibian-screenshot-314x400.jpg 314w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption>Screenshot from a rescue group. Name\/Group is blurred for privacy.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is what to expect: There are people of all sorts, of course. Some of them are honestly in need of help and want their pet to go to a good home. They&#8217;re willing to give you their beloved pet. Sometimes they come with enclosures, sometimes they don&#8217;t. Some people ask for a &#8220;re-homing fee&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"background-color:#f8f8f8\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>My experience adopting a leopard gecko:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My sons had one leopard gecko at the time. She&#8217;s great; we still have her. The boys wanted another. I came across a post from a nice lady who could no longer care for her leopard gecko. I sent her a message and we chatted for a bit. She liked her leopard gecko and wanted to ensure he was going to a good home. To make sure I was a good fit, she requested a picture of the habitat I would be keeping him in. After setting up the enclosure, I sent her a picture of it and she loved it! A few days later we met up and I got the leopard gecko. He&#8217;s great! The boys still have him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Your experience may be different than mine but if you&#8217;re willing to adopt a pet, it&#8217;s worth finding a rescue group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3-reptile-conventions\"><\/span>3. Reptile Conventions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my favorite places to acquire pets is at a reptile convention! I&#8217;ve talked a little about conventions in a previous section already. In case you had no success using that method; <strong>go to a reptile convention!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Go to google and search &#8220;reptile conventions near me&#8221; or something similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a list of some popular reptile\/amphibian conventions in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Name<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Website<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Facebook<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Cold Blooded Expos<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/coldbloodedexpos.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Website<\/a><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ColdBloodedExpos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>HERPS Exotic Reptile &amp; Pet Show<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/herpshow.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Website<\/a><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HERPShow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>ReptiCon<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/repticon.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Website<\/a><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RepticonReptileShows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Reptile Super Show<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/reptilesupershow.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Website<\/a><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Show Me Reptile &amp; Exotics Show<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/showmesnakes.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Website<\/a><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/showmereptileshow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Facebook<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption>Popular reptile and amphibian expos in the United States.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I apologize to my readers in Canada, the United Kingdom, and other regions. I could use some help expanding this table to include expos in your part of the world! Please let me know what your favorite expos are in the comment section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4-online-stores\"><\/span>4. Online Stores<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Buying animals online can be tricky due to shipping. Shipping an amphibian, for example, is challenging because they&#8217;re delicate animals. It&#8217;s hard to maintain an optimal climate from a cardboard box, especially during the winter months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having said that, reputable online stores are well aware of the complications. They pay careful attention to the details (weather, for example). They offer overnight shipping, ensure the animal will be comfortable, and abide by the laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Full disclosure: I have not purchased a reptile or amphibian from an online store. I cannot give you honest feedback on this subject.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notices wpbf-block wpbf-block-notices wpbf-content-justified-left\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpbf-notice wpbf-block wpbf-block-notice wpbf-notice\">My recommendation is to try and find a local breeder first. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Having said that, I&#8217;ve been in the hobby long enough to learn of two reputable online stores. Again, I have not purchased animals from either of these websites but <strong>they have a good name in the hobby<\/strong>. That&#8217;s all I can tell you. Do with this information what you will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.morphmarket.com\/us\/c\/amphibians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Morph Market<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joshsfrogs.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Josh&#8217;s Frogs<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.backwaterreptiles.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Backwater Reptiles<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you bought an amphibian online? The readers and I would love to hear your feedback in the comment section below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5-local-stores\"><\/span>5. Local Stores<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Local pet stores can be good or bad, depending on how well their animals are cared for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Large chain pet stores are notorious for not knowing where they get their pets and even dealing with wholesalers known to mistreat animals.<\/strong> Independently owned pet stores are typically better at caring for their animals but not always. Again, it depends&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order for you to get a solid understanding of what can happen at the suppliers of the large chain pet stores, I&#8217;m going to direct you to a link on PETA&#8217;s website. They did a good job exposing the terrible treatment of reptiles and amphibians at one supplier. Warning: this content is graphic: <a href=\"https:\/\/investigations.peta.org\/reptiles-suffer-petsmart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">click here to see<\/a>. By the way, I don&#8217;t support PETA or other anti-pet groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After seeing this, it&#8217;s hard to support big chain pet stores that acquire pets from suppliers like this. It&#8217;s for this reason that I encourage you not to purchase from one of these places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This doesn&#8217;t mean all local pet stores are bad, however. As I mentioned earlier, some independent pet stores are knowledgeable about the pets they sell and they take very good care of them. Use your best judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"tldr-where-to-buy-amphibians-or-reptiles\"><\/span>TLDR; Where to Buy Amphibians or Reptiles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The previous section talked about local stores and how they&#8217;ve been known to mistreat animals. This is mostly the case in large chain pet stores. For this reason, I recommend finding a local breeder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding a local breeder can be as easy as searching Google. Another method is to find breeders through Facebook. Alternatively, you can find reptile and amphibian rescue groups on Facebook. This would give you the opportunity to adopt a pet that needs a new home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Going to a reptile convention is one of the best means of acquiring exotic animals, too! Online pet stores are available but I personally haven&#8217;t tested them because it is challenging to keep a comfortable climate in a shipping box, I recommend trying to find a local breeder first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope this article helps you find what you&#8217;re looking for! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I&#8217;ll do my best to reply within a timely manner. Also, don&#8217;t forget to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/pet-frog-cost\/\">learn about the initial setup and ongoing cost of keeping frogs as pets<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So you&#8217;ve decided to keep a reptile or amphibian as a pet. You&#8217;ve done the research, know the supplies you need, and now you have&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Places to Buy Amphibians &amp; Reptiles (Beginner&#039;s Guide) - Mr. Amphibian<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this article I&#039;ll reveal 5 ways to buy your first pet frog, toad, salamander, reptile, and other exotic animal.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mramphibian.com\/buying-amphibians-reptiles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Places to Buy Amphibians &amp; 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