Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dumb question, which is better to buy Captive Bred or Wild Caught ?

Captive Bred! Let me tell you why...

For one, you know the history of the snake. It was bred in captivity. If you get one from a breeder, you get even more - when it was hatched, who bred it, what it ate, when it first shed, so on and so forth.

You also know that it doesn't (or at least, is extremely unlikely to) have internal parasites such as protozoans or other nasties. It also probably doesn't have external parasites (such as ticks) either!

A good breeder will be able to tell you what it's currently eating and how often. A petstore should also be able to tell you the same thing - if they can't, don't buy from them.

A captive bred animal is born into captivity - it is already acclimated to things like living in a cage and eating rats and mice.

A wild caught animal, on the other hand, is likely to have external parasites, and has also been through a long and stressful importation process. This usually means that a WC doesn't eat right away, sometimes for as long as a year! Many WC are problem feeders for a long time after being acquired, and some people have to resort to scenting the prey items with gerbil or ASF rat bedding.

In most cases, WC is just not going to do as well as a captive bred animal of the same age.

You're better off getting captive bred, especially if it's going to be a pet.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Buying captive-born ball pythons reduces the stress on the threatened populations in the wild and helps ensure you will get a healthy, established eater and a snake already used to contact with humans. Buying from a reputable breeder will ensure that you will get the help and advice you need to assure that your ball feels comfortable and secure enough to eat after you bring it home and let it get settled for a week or so.

With the increased popularity of reptiles as pets there is increased pressure on wild populations. In addition to the more than 60,000 ball pythons that are imported annually, ball pythons are killed for food and their skin is used for leather in their native land. For some reason, despite their low reproduction rate, wild ball pythons are the least expensive pythons on the market, generally wholesaling for under ten dollars. Imported ball pythons also harbor several different types of parasites which may go unnoticed by the novice snake owner. All around, it is better to buy a captive-born hatchling or an established, well-feeding juvenile, sub-adult or adult than an imported ball of any age.

In captivity, young ball pythons will grow about a foot a year during the first three years. They will reach sexual maturity in three to five years. The longest living ball python on record was over 48 years old when it died. Egg-layers, female ball pythons encircle their four to ten eggs, remaining with then from the time they are laid until they hatch. During this three month period, they will not leave the eggs and will not eat.

http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html

willzy