Shipping can be a problem this time of year, indeed. No reptile shows near you? IF you consider Petco...proceed with caution. As another poster pointed out: Not ALL can be assumed bad. But be careful. My suggestions if you go with Petco:

Ask what day(s) the snakes are being fed, and ask if you can watch them eat. Ask what they are eating (frozen/thawed, live?) and ask to handle the snake(s) you are interested in(Don't handle for 24-48 hours after a meal). Look for any signs of poor health, look for any kind of bugs. Go back to the store the day AFTER they eat, as early as possible, to check for any signs that any animals have regurgitated. ASK if any are EVER regurgitating. The more questions you ask (and the more you learn from these forums so you know what the RIGHT answers are) the more you will find out if the folks at YOUR Petco have a basic knowledge of what they are doing.

Gather info there...Allow it to generate questions HERE...and make the best decision you can. Good luck. Duffy

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