Career

[Dirty]

I was just wondering if anybody could offer any information to a high school graduate interested in pursuing a career breeding reptiles. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

[gonesnakee]

Start off by getting yourself a good paying job & start with reptiles as a hobby & progress from there, Mark

[Cookie]

I would have to agree with gonesnakee! Get a fulltime job and take it from there Also start breeding some mice first ALOT of different sizes will be needed so you have alot of mice breeding to do as buying 2-3 hundred mice a week would run you an easy 150.00 a week. Also if you don't register your new business you will find yourself paying retail prices yourself!!! As many wholesalers won't sell to the public unless you have a "friend" on the inside.... then you have to equipe your place with the racks etc to house these reptiles as in most cases there are bylaws that prohibit to many reptiles in ones home and may have to find a commercial place to conduct your business. And you wrote "just out of high school" i think as well maybe start reading some literature as well as problems and sickness will arise and being "new" to this you have to be able to spot these problems for your reptiles sake and for your financial sake as i am sure you can't pay your rent etc running a non profit org, as you have mice to buy/raise reptiles that need to eat and may eat for up to a year before selling them and at a mouse a week times 100 reptiles still in stock could run you 5200 mice a year not counting the ones you have sold and what you fed them. don't count on mice sales to run your business like the old days as you will find people are buying breeders and breeding themselfs. Crickets are a different story not many people raise there own crickets but it is picking up in that field as well. As far as breeding goes well me personaly i think you should start as a hobby unless you have alot of cash to invest and maybe lose as nothings for sure. Hope to see your name up there one day and i wish you luck in your adventure.

[austinnoel]

Prepare to be in it for the long run. Most of the bigger breeders spent years and years just building up their collections. Wish you luck.

[Mark]

I'm with gonesnakee on this one. Also if you are needing a lot of feeders either bree your own or hook yourself up with a regular supplier for rodents.

[csolis]

If you want you could also pursue a carreer as a zoo keeper/scientist that specializes in reptiles(herpatologist). You would have to take a university course in Zoology or Wildlife biology. But if your looking more into private breeding than I agree with everyone else, get a full-time job(a high paying one if you can!) and read up as much as you can on the keeping and breeding of reptiles. If you want you could also do some volunteer work at a reptile zoo/specialty store. I work at one so if you want I can get you info on how to volunteer. Just pm me.

[Dirty]

Thaks for the help everyone

[albinoburm123]

i have a question is it alright to put to burms together

[concept3]

csolis, zookeepers get paid next to nothing, just so dirty knows that. Albinoburm lol you posted in the wrong place but to answer your question, NO it is not ok/

[Herpguy2004]

have u ever considered a rescue org? many local buisnes are more lickly to donate or lower prices as u can get tax breaks if u regesiter for chertiable organization status or whatever its called. i know people doing it and they say its a very rewarding career. if u apply for zoo status you can open it up to the public for display and make some cash that way as well. just another thing to conisder, after i finish school and get some money in the bank i plan to open a rescue mainly for large herps that are eather no longer wanted or injured. i have been planning it for almost a year now... one day though lol. it helps that im going into a career that pays good:)

[csolis]

I know zookeepers get paid close to nothing,but if you really want to be a zookeeper your usually not in it for the money,I 'm raising a family on even less then what a zookeeper makes so its not like you can't live off of it.I took an animal care course in college about a year and half ago and did my co-op at the toronto zoo,I got to tell you it was the best time i have ever had,I would love to get paid for it!! Zoo-keepers at the zoo start at $14 or $15 an hour,not much but worth it I think,you could always breed reptiles on the side.

[BoidsUnlimited]

Are you attending college......

[csolis]

No, I graduated already.I'm now working breeding and caring for Reptiles, I got lucky cause one of my professors was also GM at a company that works with reptiles(eduaction,birthday parties and retail of reptile related merchandise and animals) so I volunteered for a while and eventually was offered a full-time job. getting paid to do something you love to do,nothing beats that man!!