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I would hope a higher price-tag might act as a deterrent, at least some of the time, to irresponsible customers buying snakes. I would also hope it might act as a flag to see who would be able and willing to afford a vet should their animal need one.
My local reptile store is a very busy place, and I notice a lot of things that bother me when I am there. More than one person seems to have this "cheap" mentality when it comes to their animals and feeders. I paid a lot more for my carpet python, garter snake and rosy boa because they came from stores. One lady raved at me that I was paying too much. But these are animals, not things! I felt a connection with my carpet python as soon as I saw her in the store. I was willing to save up and pay whatever I could, knowing she had a good temperament and was well looked after. I also needed to prove to myself that I was capable of budgeting in case I needed to pay for vet bills, heaven forbid, and also that she was the one snake I really wanted and was prepared to look after for 20+ years. It's not like buying a toothbrush where you can just go to the dollar store and get away with buying something cheap and low quality. A person should be willing to pay more for a living creature.
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