Finding a breeder is not always an easy thing to do. It can take months of research to find a reliable one for the exact reptile you are looking for. It’s not an easy task, but researching should always be done prior to purchasing. If you are not sure about the breeder, avoid them all together.

There are a lot of bad breeders out there. What each person sees as a bad breeder is different, but in this case we will use ones that mistreat animals, sell cheap iguanas, and lie about their sales. I’ve seen and dealt with these dealers, and they give off a bad vibe. Iguanas grow extremely large, and a lot of people have no idea about this. That cute baby iguana that was purchased for $10 later becomes a 5 foot monster that no one knows what to do with. Breeders that sell these animals without prior warning are horrible. An iguana should have a higher price tag to ward off people who just want a cheap pet.

What do you look for in a good breeder? I recommend not only looking for reasonable prices, but healthy livestock and breeders who are willing to share their information.  When asking about an animal don’t be afraid to ask about the parents of the reptile, if it is WC (Wild Caught), CBB (Captive Bred and Born), CBR (Captive Born and Raised), Farmed/Ranched, or even LTC (Long term captive). A lot of breeders will not tell you about this, but instead will try to talk their way around it. You can ask about the lizard, the generations behind it that are CBB, and even the setup for the animals when not on a breeders table. Never be afraid to ask questions or demand answers. If a breeder won’t answer, they might not be worthy to deal with.

If you are looking to purchase a reptile from a breeder online then use forums to search for information and reviews. A lot of forums have review sections, which people will often post their experience in. Never purchase from someone on a forum without finding history on them. If there is none, then question why. There are a lot of good and bad breeders on forums, so finding information, even from other forums, should be done. There are some people who are banned from one forum for selling reasons that are selling on another. Don’t hesitate to ask a Mod/Admin if they were banned for something related to selling, and if so if they could explain to you what happened.  A lot of Mod’s/Admin’s won’t mind telling you about a problem seller as they prefer no one else has to deal with them either