Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it just me or is there ALOT of people now that own 2000 thousand dollar snakes that don't really have any idea what they are doing? I'm not really talking about the people who have bought a decent amount of snakes just to try to breed them and make a buck but the people who only have 1 or 2 snakes (for example and albino and/or a pied).

It amazes me that people will spend the money on something they don't know how to properly care for. What ever happened to learning about something before you get it, especially if your going to lay down a few thousand dollars for it.

Anyway, just wanted to rant a little and would love to smack some sense into some of these people. ; )

Jason

Yea what a bunch of stupid punks! lol

Actually I just got my first snake and its a normal ball. I dont know all there is to know about snake keeping but neither does anyone else on this forum. I think your rant is like McDonalds saying you cant work here if you dont have experience in washing dish's for a fast food resturant. You could read all the books you want about washing dish's or in this case snake keeping but there are going to be things that your not going to learn from a book or from a caresheet from the internet. There are always things you cant learn with out the hands on experience. Thats why sites like KS is so awesome. People with less experience can come and ask questions and learn from the more experienced keepers.
Whats the differece in a normal ball or a morph? Do they eat special food, do they require different care? So what if someone wants to spend 1500 dollars on a snake rather then getting a 40 dollar normal. Just because im new to the hobby and i ask questions that i am not able to find in a book makes me an idiot and i need sense smacked into me? You have never asked a question about anything concerning your reptiles? You have ALL the answers? Maybe you should write a book addressing all these questions and then you wouldnt have to read all the newbie questions!
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

I agree with J35J in that I am surprised how many people whose first ball python is an albino or pied. mkco79 I agree that kingsnake is a great site and most of the ball python folks are more than willing to answer questions!

The difference between a morph and a normal is a handfull of cash. If I were to spend two thousand dollars plus on an animal you bet I would know everything possible going into that purchase! I think that is the point J35J was getting at....if not that is my point
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3.12 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball python
1.0 Plains Garter
0.1 Rosy boa
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
1.1 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
-----My list is too long, so I'll stop here!
*Amy*

I can understand that point but then again whos place is it to say what one should do with there money? If would have had the money my first snake would have been a pied! Why? Well I dont plan on having a big collection. I dont even plan on getting another even tho i already want to. So why not buy something that you raelly want especially if your only going to plan on having one. Just because one newbie has more money then me and gets a pied im not going to hold that against him when he asks a question on the forum. I might be a lil jealous but that will go away in time! lol
My whole thing is that if there were no newbies asking questions about there snakes on this site then all those who breed them would not have any money because they wouldnt be selling them. So some newbie like myself goes out and gets a snake and has a question and all of a sudden we are being told that we are all idiots and we need to be smacked! Whats that all about?????
What happened to "the only stupid questoin is the one thats not asked"? How is it that someone asking a question to learn and be a better keeper is an idiot? If thats the case then every person on this site that askes a question is an idiot and should line up to be punched in the throat!
Its all good, people are free to think what they want I just wanted to add my opinion.
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

Ill just stick to asking questions and replying to those who will still answer them. Maybe give my best advice to those that i can help! All the bickering and pointing of fingers goes against what a help forum is all about to me and its sad that people feel the need to judge others by the type of python someone decides to get!

Thanks for reading all my posts and to those who have spent the time to answer them and help me out thank you very much!

Mike

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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

I understand your point that getting a morph as one's first ball python seems like an irresponsible way to spend money. New keepers will always make mistakes, and financial responsibility would suggest that one make those mistakes with a less expensive snake. I cringe at the thought of people wasting $2000 just as you do.

The other side of the coin is that if one does the right research, the mistakes should be small enough that the snake will still be healthy and happy. If one doesn't do the right research, then why is it better for a normal ball python to suffer than for a morph to suffer? In either case, there's a problem with people buying animals and practicing such poor husbandry that the animal will be unhealthy and uncomfortable. Neither $40 normals nor $4000 morphs should be made to suffer.

I agree with your point in many ways, but I see the other side of the coin. If someone just wants one albino ball python and is willing to learn and do what is needed to make that animal healthy and happy, I'm happy that this person has what he or she wants.

Bill

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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

You can also hope that someone who pays that much might be quicker to learn. Rarely happens that way, but you can hope. You can also hope that anyone who gets anykind of animal does their research. I myself am guilty of getting animals without knowing much about them before hand, but I set myself to learning quick after I got them. My green tree python for one. This lovely baby in a pet store that had snakes 'disapper' all the time. After the last rash of disappering reptiles I decided I'd get him out of there. I'm still learning about all my guys. Things I didn't think of to ask, things that are unusual.
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3.4 Normal Ball pythons (Hoss, Little Man, Adam, Helen, Annabel Lee and the new girls who gets named when they eat)
0.2 Snow corns (Legolas, Eurydice)
1.0 Amel het charcoal (Orlando)
1.0 Hypo het anery het Amel (Antony)
0.1 Amel het Stripe (Cleopatra)
1.0 Caramel Motley poss het Amel (Flick)
0.1 Amber (Amberly)
0.1 Normal Cal King snake (Sidhe which sounds exactly like "she"
0.0.1 GTP (Kissy the Red)
1.1 Haitian Boa (Enkil and Akasha)

And bunches of furry pets

I think not.

If you have the resources,interest,and half a brain; If you are going to dedicate your the time, and energy in an animal that will live 25+ years (God willing; Why not invest in what you like?

If a person was planning on getting his first dog, No one would tell him to buy a mutt first to learn how to take care of it....

My first was a pastel...

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"There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness"
COLD BLOOD.........WARM HEART

I know different people are at different points in their life, but in a day and age when the sunroof option on a mid sized car costs $1500... $2k for a ball python dosnt seem like much. Everyone gets a tax return every year, I have never gotten one less than $2k... seems like a good time to buy that $2k snake. I am not saying its right that they dont know anything about them, but $2k is a price that almost everyone can afford if they really want to. I am glad BPs morphs have come down to this price range, now I can afford some of the ones I want. I thought it was insane they where so expensive (but I do understand WHY they where). I think (hope) the price of most morphs will stay around $1K-$2k for a while, and further more I hope a bunch more people who have no idea what they are doing buy them, they are NOT hard to take care of, and sparking new interest in reptiles is awsome. No one was an expert when they started.

I had a boa back in college and gave it away because of busy transitions. After 15 years, I just became interested again through this site. I bought an albino ball python and simply adore him! He's thriving! Just because he's expensive and the one I chose after being absent from the hobbie, dosen't make me less of a good mama then those in the game longer. There are people out there who have kids who haven't had one before and they still can be great parents!

My first snake was a gopher snake, then after I learned that these babies didn't take to being handled too much I switched to BP's. I had 5 normals for about 5 months to learn how to care for them, feed them, house them and nurture them.
It was then I took a chance with an Albino that I bought for around $2000 and he's doing fine now. In the 6 months that I owned him he's over twice as big now (500 grams).