Chameleon Breeder Says Reptile Business Is Good

Chameleon Breeder Says Reptile Business Is Good 28-2-7 For Randy Archibald of Barrhead, Alberta, breeding and selling reptiles is an enjoyable and profitable business that supplements his income as a registered nurse. In fact, he and his wife Tracy, say they expect the reptile business to help support them during retirement. "I've been into reptiles ever since I was a kid. It's a passion we turned into a business that makes us extra money," Randy says. "Over the last 10 years, the reptile trade has been growing by leaps and bounds as awareness and public interest has grown. They're popular pets because they require limited time and energy." The Archibalds raise chameleons, lizards, and snakes. The couple markets 90 per cent of their stock directly to retail pet stores and wholesale distributors. The rest are sold by word of mouth and at three trade shows each year. The Archibalds say pet stores prefer to purchase directly from breeders. He gets $30 to $60 (Canadian) per animal from pet stores, depending on the type of animal. "I found that I make the most money if I keep my production to about 1,000 animals per year," Randy explains. "One year, I produced 2,200 animals, but I had to drop my price in order to move them all, since I couldn't make the time commitment necessary to find additional markets." Archibald notes that it's possible to find markets in Europe and other parts of the world. "I have a small business license and an import/export permit so I can also sell to the States," he notes. He says he charges private individuals $80 (Canadian) for male chameleons regardless of the time of year, whereas pet store prices fluctuate. Usually, pet stores at least double their money, but in spring, when supply is plentiful, they sell for significantly less. The Archibalds produce veiled chameleons and panther chameleons, both of which can vary their color and pattern to reflect their mood or breeding state. They range from sky blue to orange to red but they are usually green. This ability to change color, combined with their unique rotating cone-eyes and two-toed feet, endear them to pet lovers. "The more you feed them, the more eggs they will produce," he says. "I have seven breeding females and get between 20 and 60 eggs per female. The eggs take six to 10 months to hatch. The most time-consuming part of it is making sure that the babies start feeding properly," he says. Archibald sells baby chameleons when they are about a month old and well established. Chameleons reach adulthood in six to eight months and require a 30-gallon aquarium or equivalent-sized cage by that time. Randy built most of his own cages which have either glass, wire or plywood sides. The Archibalds raise their own reptile food û enough to meet the maintenance needs of all of his adult stock. This involves a vegetable garden and indoor plastic tubs where crickets, super worms, mealworms and cockroaches reproduce. "If you had the time and room, you could also make a very good living selling just these kind of things for pet food, especially crickets and mice," he says. Their reptile business requires a time commitment of at least one hour per day. When they're at the height of baby production, the chores grow to up to three hours per day. The couple says there is potential to earn $15,000 to $18,000 of extra income from the annual sale of 700 animals. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Randy and Tracy Archibald, R.R. 2, Site 4, Box 98, Barrhead, Alberta, Canada T7N 1N3 (ph 780 674-2771; email: snksarch@hotmail.com).

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