He gives an insight into the reptile trade
Peregrine Livefoods is the largest dedicated reptile wholesaler and supplier across Europe, breeding millions of insects annually, and supplying over 3,000 unique products to hundreds of shops every week. We caught up with their Head of Live foods Dan Blackstone...
What are live foods?
Live foods are the main prey items of insectivorous animals, such as reptiles, amphibians, and fish (as well as some birds and small mammals). A wide range of invertebrates, including insects, molluscs, and worms are required to feed the enormous number of exotic pets in the UK, as well as the staggering diversity of animals in Britain’s zoos.
The most popular live foods in the UK (and across Europe) are crickets and desert locusts. These species are the staple diet for the country’s most loved reptiles, the Bearded Dragon and Leopard Gecko. They also play an essential role in the diets of Crested Geckos, Chameleons, Tree Frogs, and more.
Live foods are sold in a fresh and healthy condition so that animals can benefit not only from their nutritional profile, but also actively hunt within the enclosure. This enactment of natural behaviours is essential to the well-being of reptiles and other insectivorous animals. Even species that may survive on commercial diets, such as tropical fishes, can benefit enormously from hunting live prey such as daphnia, bloodworms, and tubifex.
Some live foods are universal, such as mealworms, calci-worms, and waxworms. These can be fed to a range of species from Geckos to Goldfish and Turtles to Tarantulas. On a more specialist level, some reptiles require specific live foods to meet calcium requirements for breeding conditioning, others require specifically sized prey items to thrive, and some need fast-moving prey while others need slow ones.
What is the market potential of selling live foods?
In 2022, our Exotics Keeper Magazine conducted a survey to learn more about reptile keeping in the UK. Using data derived by the UK Pet Food on the number of households with exotic pets, we predict there to be 7.2 million reptiles and amphibians being kept in the UK today. 631,823 of these are Bearded Dragons and Leopard Geckos.
The average Leopard Gecko or Bearded Dragon will eat around one tub of insects a week and has a captive lifespan of 20 years. This equates to around 1,042 tubs of live food in a lifespan.
Businesses that can supply a reliable source of live foods can establish themselves for repeat custom from a reptile keeper for decades. In fact, most reptiles have captive lifespans more than 20 years. A hobbyist that keeps several insectivorous animals, breeds their animals, or adds a tortoise to their collection, may return to a business week in, week out for their entire life.
How easy is it for traditional pet shops to stock live foods?
Traditional pet shops can begin stocking live foods easily and instantly. Simply select a species and place an order with Peregrine Livefoods. The top three most popular livefoods are locusts, crickets, and mealworms, which are often seen as the go-to for most beginner hobbyists.
Where appropriate, our insects are supplied with bran, which helps sustain them on the shelf.
Once a business has a growing number of reptile enthusiasts entering the store, we recommend offering our most unique items to capture the attention of the specialists and establish authority within the industry. For example, fruit flies are essential for poison dart frog keepers (one of the fastest-growing areas of exotics keeping). Calci-worms are a superfood that every advanced reptile keeper is searching for due to their high nutritional value.
How does Peregrine Livefoods work with retailers?
As well as a vast range of POS to inform customers of your new offerings, our sales team are on hand to provide expert information (we’ve been doing this for over 35 years!) about the lifespan, nutritional benefits, and more, of different live foods.
We can offer advice on how to maintain the nutrition of an insect (a process known as gut-loading), how to choose the correct feeder insect, which supplements to use, and more!
To find out more, visit peregrine-livefoods.co.uk