Zoo Med Laboratories is a San Luis Obispo reptile supplier for big box stores like PetSmart, Amazon and Walmart that was recently sued for allegedly listing false snake-care guidance on its website claiming that snakes may be held in an enclosure that is half the length of their body.
The consumer protection lawsuit, led by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), was dropped and Zoo Med removed the guidance from its website.
A recent study published in the Journal Animals found that snakes in captivity must be able to stretch out fully in order to survive. It states that recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes may be shorter than the length of a snake are based on decades-old ‘rule of thumb’ practices that are unsupported by scientific evidence.
Zoo Med supplies things like food, medication, lighting and heating accessories and tanks for fish and reptiles.
The company also offers habitat and care recommendations on its website — which was the focus of PETA’s lawsuit.
PETA Foundation Litigation Manager Jenni James is based in San Luis Obispo and worked on the lawsuit. She said although Zoo Med removed the claims, they still had damaging impacts.
“Zoo Med’s intentional misinformation resulted in countless consumers improperly and cruelly confining snakes in these tiny enclosures that are far too small for their wellbeing,” James said. “So now that Zoo Med has removed this false claim from it’s website, that’s a victory for PETA and for the snakes.”
KCBX News independently confirmed that the snake-care guidelines on Zoo Med’s website have been changed, but Zoo Med declined to make any statements regarding the change.
Cody K. is a San Luis Obispo resident and owns a number of reptiles. One of his pets is a Ball Python named Nebula who he’s had for years.
Cody said he did a lot of online research before he got her. He found a pretty large community of reptile owners on the internet that think a lot of the care information found in pet stores is outdated.
He said Nebula’s tank has always been larger than her and now that she has almost doubled in size, he is looking to upgrade the tank.
“Larger snakes — they do deserve a larger area and they should be able to stretch out,” Cody said. “Humans wouldn’t want to live in a tiny studio where you couldn’t stand.”
PETA said most people cannot meet snakes’ specialized needs in captivity but Cody said he doesn’t agree. He said if you have the right care information, snakes can thrive with minimal work.
“I think my snake is very happy and healthy and she looks good. She’s a good weight,” Cody said. “She’s [the] easiest of all my reptiles I have.”
KCBX News asked a number of reptile care specialists to comment on recommended care practices for snakes but none of our calls were returned before air time.
Cody attended the first ever SLO Reptile Expo in March of 2020 hosted by Zoo Med that drew tourists from around the state. The supplier plans to host another in October.
PETA said it will continue its efforts to hold companies, including Zoo Med, accountable for misinformation.
James says anyone who believes they were misled into purchasing an insufficient reptile enclosure can fill out this survey.
