Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Our family has been seriously considering getting a baby ball python for about a month now. It is something I have wanted for years and the time seems right. We've read quite a few care sheets online and have been browsing this forum and a couple others during the past month, so hopefully we've got the basics down. We plan on going to the MARS show this weekend and may bring home a baby if we see one we like. I do have a few questions about buying at a show and bringing the baby home.

1) - Is it reasonably safe to assume that anybody selling at one of these reptile shows would be safe to buy from? Or are some of the vendors just as bad as many pet stores?

2) - We live more than an hour away from the show. How do we safely transport our new baby home?

3) - How much do normal hatchlings go for at these shows? Will there be a price difference between males and females? Or does everyone just bring their fancy stuff and we might not even see any normals?

4) - Anything else I've forgotten to ask that we should know about or look out for?

Thanks!

well I've never been to that show but I've been to local ones, make sure whoever you buy from is willing to give you a contact number or email address to help with any problems you may come across, (a business card is a plus), about the drive home an hour isnt too bad on them, a lot of people drive much farther with balls, it should be fine in whatever container they give with it, as long as its not too hot and you dont make many stops on the way home, especially prolonged ones.

I will probably take some heat for this but...

1) - Is it reasonably safe to assume that anybody selling at one of these reptile shows would be safe to buy from? Or are some of the vendors just as bad as many pet stores? No. I have never been to this show but I have been at shows that have some "characters". There are lots of possible hets that can be bought for under $100. This will let you know that the snake was captive bred and born as there is no such thing as a wild caught/captive hatched possible het baby. The idea being to pay a little bit more for a healthy snake than a little less for one that could be captive born and not so healthy (an incur vet bills).

2) - We live more than an hour away from the show. How do we safely transport our new baby home? He will likely be sold in a deli container. Put that in a paper bag and close it so it is dark. Don't turn the air up high and go straight home and he'll be fine.

3) - How much do normal hatchlings go for at these shows? Will there be a price difference between males and females? Or does everyone just bring their fancy stuff and we might not even see any normals? There will be lots of "normals" and possible hets (even a lot of the small breeders will sell their possible hets as normals). Males are usually less expensive than females. I think males make better pets than females because they typically stay smaller thus eat less expensive food (because it is smaller) and use less expensive cages (again because they can be smaller). But this is just personal preference. Depending on the route you take you should be out the door for under $100 for a possible het and under $50 for a "normal".

4) - Anything else I've forgotten to ask that we should know about or look out for? Food. Usually you can buy frozen rodents at these shows and thus won't have to pay for shipping (if you choose to go the frozen route). Other than that have fun and take your time.

I am no where near that show. but i have been to many others.

1) Yes you should be okay with buy from anybody there. just make sure it ia a healthy snake. if possible see it they will let u watch it eat. most vendors dont feed before the show so the snake is usuall ready to eat.

2) They might give u a little deli cup for the snake. i personally bring my own pillow cases and keep them in there. it has good air flow and they dont see whats going on so it cuts back on stress.

3)I have personally bought very nice females for $25 and and males for $20. you can get some possible het for around $100 but i dont know what your budget is.

4) Make sure u have the tank and temps are set up before you get the snake, have it ready when you get home. Once you get home i would leave the snake alone for about 5 days with no handling and then try offering food.
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Jeff Kearney Orlando Florida (407) 766 6066

0.1 CB Spouse
4.4.1 Bearded Dragons
1.0 Mali Uromastyx
2.5 Ball Pythons
1.1 Blue Dumpys Tree Frogs
1.0 Armadillo Lizard
1.0 Tokay Gecko
0.1 Marble Gecko
1.0 Fat-tailed Gecko
1.0 Lucy Leopard Gecko
0.1 Carrot Tail Leopard Gecko
0.1 Speckeled Hog-Nose
0.1 Garter Snake
1.1 Dogs
2.3 Cats

Do not ever assume anyone is OK to buy from No matter who it is even some of the bigs guys will sell crap. Always check the snake out and handle it and make sure it has good body tone and it has good tongue motion. Ask pleny of questions. I learn this one the hard way but make sure you put the snake down on the table and you feel all the way down the spine. What you are feeling for is kinks know or bumps. Not matter who you buy from you always check it.
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Thanks and Take Care
Thomas Jones
Thomas@rockinreptiles.com

I might take some flak for this, I don't know.

From personal experience, I won't buy a snake from someone that has more than one snake in a container. I bought one from someone that was switching snakes in and out of containers, grouping them up, etc, and whattdya know: Internal parasites. It wasn't at the MARS show, but whatever.

And talk to the vendor. If its a really nice person who seems honest and offers contact information and care information, that's a good sign. If you get brushed off of they act like they don't have time to answer your questions, just move on to the next vendor.

I know I'll just be repeating myself from the other responses you got but I figured I'd just throw in some extra. More responses are better than none. Plus I'll be at the show too

1) Is it reasonably safe to assume that anybody selling at one of these reptile shows would be safe to buy from? Or are some of the vendors just as bad as many pet stores?
---It is difficult to say what is a "good" or "bad" vendor. Not EVERYONE is safe to deal with, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're dishonest. Larger vendors have a lot of animals to take care of, so you shouldn't depend on what they tell you and THOROUGHLY check out the one animal that catches your eye. Advice given above, like checking its spine carefully for kinks and letting him roam around your hands for a little bit is a good idea to get a decent long look at him/her. Asking them to feed it in front of you is an excellent idea, I hadn't thought of that. Don't be afriad to ask questions. Any GOOD vendor will be willing to talk to you and understand you are investing in a life-long pet not a breeding project (There are a lot of arrogant breeders out there that won't give you the time of day cause your not buying their thousand dollar morphs that are sitting on the table, and those type of guys aren't worth your time). Make sure you ask how many times your baby has eaten, what type of pray it eats (size, live, frozen/thawed) and how often. Make sure it seems healthy and active. Make sure he doesn't seem to thin or look sickly or have parasites.

2) We live more than an hour away from the show. How do we safely transport our new baby home?
---I also live an hour away, and it truely isn't as bad on them as you think it would be. The snake will probably be given to you in a plastic container... ask if they have any extra snake bags to spare (alot of vendors will have extras behind the table). If not, bring a pillow case with you, or cover his container up with your sweatshirt something, or put him in a paper bag as recommended above for the drive. In darkness, they feel secure, it will eliminate stress. When you get him home and put him in his cage, I would recommend leaving him a lone for a couple days with no accessive handling. Let him get used to the environement. as it will help him wind down and eliminate stress he/she may be feeling.

3) How much do normal hatchlings go for at these shows? Will there be a price difference between males and females? Or does everyone just bring their fancy stuff and we might not even see any normals?
--- There should be pleanty of normals. A lot of vendors sell them in bulk to pet strores that come though the shows. One of my favorite little snakes was hand selected out of a big tupaware of a whole lot of two-week old babies. She was active and social and had had her first meal (as what I was looking for), and is now one of my best eaters. She was only $15 bucks. But baby normals should range with an minimum of $15.00 to a max of about $50.00. It will vary depending on the breeder and on the quatlity of the animal. Females are usually cost a few dollars more than males, but some place sell them for equal prices.

4) Anything else I've forgotten to ask that we should know about or look out for?
--- Since your looking for a pet, I'd recommend to take note of the persoanlity of your snake, instead of picking the one with the prettiest pattern off the bat. Being head shy is typical of a lot of baby balls, which truely isn't a big deal, but I would suggest to pick one that isn't too afraid of you and especially one that isn't nippy! Nervousness, fear, and biting can be worked out of any animal with time and being worked with patiently and often enough. However, picking a layed back, social animal that doesn't have a lot of fear from the beginning will be easier on you. You'll be able to enjoy him more, and I've personally found that my outgoing snakes typically don't stress as often.

Hope that helps!
Congratulations on you soon-to-be new pet!
Excellent choice, if I do say so myself
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Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)