Randar's Reptiles in Atlanta Georgia Review

I'm a huge reptile and amphibian enthusiast so whenever I get a chance, I like to check out local pet stores and reptile stores (if available). You just never know what steal may be hiding in a hole in the wall pet store owned by mom and pop...

Well, I knew that I was going to be in Atlanta, and I've been having an urge for a new reptile or amphibian or two, so I did a search to see if there were any good reptiles pet stores in the Atlanta area that I could visit. I've been to Atlanta many times before, but I've never really had the time to check out any pet stores.

The only one that I could find was Randar's Pets. There were tons of Petsmarts, but I have one of those back home; I really wanted to visit an actual reptile store if I could find one open.

Like I said, I found Randar's. I did all of my other running around, and made the reptile store my last trip, just in case I found something I couldn't leave without.

Upon first impressions, it was bad....

I called ahead of time to make sure that they would be open, so that I wouldn't waste the gas there. The store was a little out of my way, but I was really hoping it would be worth it.

When I got there, I wasn't even sure I was at the right place. The complex sign, had a sign for Randar's Reptiles and Exotic Pets, but the door only said 'Pets.' I figured it was more than likely the right place to start, but you never know.

When I walked in, the strong odor of a pet store hit. This was unlike just about any pet store that I'd been in, and trust me, I have a few rough smelling ones in my hometown. The odor was a mix of bird and dirty reptiles. Although, all the cages were cleaned, the entire place just smelled.

My next thought was that the building was about the same size as my living room, maybe a pinch larger, but not by much. Now, granted there was an entire back area that was blocked off for employees only, but even still, there wasn't much there.

As for the quality of the animals...

The Birds:

• The cockatoo was in a large cage, which isn't normally see. The bird was definitely in a spacious cage. In most cases, large birds are housed in small cages that just aren't appropriate even for short-term use. (I actually believe that the cockatoo is a personal pet, not for sale.)
  
• The African Gray was also in a decent size enclosure.

My concern is that they didn't seem to be fed a good diet. All I saw was a sunflower see mix in the African Gray's cage, and nothing in the cockatoo's. Neither had fresh foods, unless it was already eaten. There weren't enough toys, either, and the cockatoo was badly stressed. He just wanted attention, as every time you walked away, he squaked and screamed until you walked back.

• There were tons of finches in smaller cages that were pushed back in the corner.

The Small Animals:

• There was one hairless rat that looked ok. He lived in a small tank.
• The gerbils or haired rats (I really couldn't tell because of their conditions) looked very sickly, missing hair, and all in a giant pile. There were at least 5-7 of them in one tank. Those few that walked around were hunched over, and didn't look to have much time left.
• There were two large guinea pigs in a 30 gallon tank. with no food.

To tell you the truth, I can't recall seeing any food bowls or water bottles in any of the rodent tanks, but I'm sure I have to be mistaken.

The Reptiles:

• There were two small turtle tubs. One with a red ear slider and a map turtle housed together (there shouldn't be any mixed species like that). There were three other unknown turtles in the second tub; these had weird shells as though something was incorrect with their husbandry or diet; it wasn't quite pyramiding, but the carapace flipped outwards all the way around.
• There were tons of albino pythons split between two tanks. They didn't have any water or hides.
• The leopard geckos and African fat tail gecko were all housed in kritter keepers without any heat, which is promoting improper care and poor husbandry, as heating is vital. The AFT didn't have any humidity either, which again is poor husbandry. The enclosures were way too small for the older juveniles and adults that were housed in them. At least the guy did only have one per container.
• The crested geckos were both large, adult males being housed in medium kritter keepers, which is again way too small.
• There were many tarantulas, which seemed to be housed fine, as well as the bearded dragons (although the bearded dragons didn't have a water bowl or a food bowl.)

My main disappointments included improper care of the geckos with improper enclosure sizes, substrate, humidity, and heating elements. I understand these animals are meant to be there short term, but even Petsmart houses their reptiles better, which is sad to say considering this is a reptile and exotics pet store, not a general pet store that mainly focuses on dogs.

Would I buy from this store after going to it one time?

No...

First impressions are important. When I walk into your store with a screaming bird, strong odor, sickly looking rodents, and reptiles not being cared for properly, I'm not going to buy from your store and I certainly won't recommend it to others.

1086 Jonesboro Road
McDonough, GA 30253
770-898-5678

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday-Saturday: 10am to 7pm
• Sunday: 12pm to pm