Betting it was someone who you have met or who has been to your home.
They would have had to have known the reptlles were in there.
I'd be calling around all local pet shops (don't rely on the cops to do this for you, they'll not do anything for several weeks and the reptiles will be long gone or dead by then). Might have been stolen on consignment to meet an order.
Hope you had the reptiles covered by your home and contents insurance or pet insurance at least that we you'll funds to replace them, not as good as replacing reptiles that you've developed a relationship with but better than nothing.
Toe-rags like that need to be dealt with harshly.
Not the same but I know how you feel, some toe-rag broke into my garage and helped himself to most of fishing rods and reels, and some of tackle boxes full of squid jigs and soft plastics, my gaffs and my telescopic (12') landing net and my nigger rod and reel, my 18V drill, my router and a set of router bits I got from my granddad's estate about a month before Xmas last year. I was disturbed from my sleep when they dropped my nigger rod and reel from the hooks under the rafters onto the concrete floor. I lost about $3000 worth of fishing gear and $2000 with of tools.
Took months to settle witn the insurance company - I was lucky I had photos showing my fishing gear (in the background (the rods and reels) and I had receipts for the stolen tools and serial numbers. (Pays to keep reciepts long after the warantees are finished and long after the tax work-expenses claim was lodged).
I was so angry and upset , especially about having my fishing gear knicked just at the start of the summer fishing season , I'm still a bit paranoid after the event. They deprived me of something I love doing for several months while I was waiting for the insurance company pay up or replace my stuff. I was not a happy camper !!!
I hope your pets are found and returned to you none the worse for the experience but I don't hold out much hope of that. How would you prove the stolen reptiles are your's (unless they like you enough to come to you when placed near you) ? or maybe by their markings on their bodies from photos of them - I hope you have lots of photos of the reptiles and gave the cops some photos to use .
Makes you wonder if surgically inserting electronic pet tags in lizards and snakes might be worth doing (if it can be done in such a way that it has no ill-effects on the reptiles concerned) ?
