Spotting a Fraud

With reptiles becoming more popular, it is now an industry that is worth thousands if not millions of pounds, with many animals sold and bought worldwide. Sadly with any trade, there are fraudulent sellers out there and this post is about how to spot them. Always ensure that you purchase from a reputable seller.

One of the most commonly used frauds is morphs. This can be as subtle as saying an animal is het when this is not so, to claiming an animal is a specific species when it's entirely different. The sex of the snake may be listed as female when they are male, as generally females are worth more money.

Here are a few pointers of what to watch out for and are common on auction sites, social media and free listing sites. Trust me, I have seen a few shocking ones myself.

• Het Banana Ball Python - The banana morph is not recessive and cannot be het.
• Dinkers (a normal morph that looks slightly different) - Some people claim to have dinkers to increase the value of a normal morph.
• Sometimes morphs get renamed in order to achieve more money. Ensure you research into what you are purchasing before you buy it.
• Sometimes a seller will be desperate to get rid of a large number of off spring. An unsuspecting customer may want to buy a dwarf boa and end up with a green anaconda.
• Lying about how large and animal gets too for example, a burmese python grows to 4ft, when in fact they can grow up to 20+ft.
• Another con is, the reptile will not outgrow a small tank. This is rubbish, reptiles will need their enclosures upgraded throughout their life time, depending on what you purchase.
• The most extreme case that I have heard of is a venomous snake being sold to a youngster as a safe species.

Banana ball python

The best way to spot a fraudulent sellers is to research into reptiles as much as possible, especially those that you are interested in. Always ask the person that you are buying from loads of questions. Don't be afraid of putting them on the spot as a genuine seller would be used to it. Ask to see the snakes records, sometimes these can be faked and hard to spot when they have been, although it's always a good idea to ask. Refrain from using action sites unless it's from a reputable seller. If the seller is rushing you then something is up. My rule of thumb is; if it's too good to be true, then it probably is.