Reptile & Amphibian Forums

sure there are more morphs out there, but with all the reptile shows and the web, not to mention the value of these animals, it seems like nobody trusts me enough to alough me to stop by and pick out a hatchling from a new group that just became avialiable (or just don't have the time}. I used to love seeing breeders colections.someone I met through a newspaper or just word of mouth.I had a chance to see if they where keeping thier snakes clean and what the parents looked like.Don't get me wrong I'm glade ball pythons are selling for tens of thousands, It insures the future of the hobby. but it was buisness before it just wasn't "all buisness".

Without the internet, I'd be up a creek without a paddle. So I'm very glad it's here. But I still have some friends with similar interests and we check out each other's snakes and sell stuff to each other. I'm not really into the high dollar animals, though. Not that I don't like morphs, I just have preferences for other species.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

If you are referring to "stopping by" at a breeder's house (or business place) and picking out snakes or perusing the collection, there are plenty of valid reasons why the breeder would be reluctant to do that.

1. The possibility (very real) that you would inadvertently bring a disease into his collection. People are probably the biggest vectors of disease.

2. Time. As you said, with all of the shows to prepare for, all of the other work associated with breeding, and TRYING to spend some time with his family, there just aren't enough hours in the day. It's difficult sometimes to spend an hour or two with someone who wants to look at your collection.

3. Security. It's not that he doesn't trust YOU, necessarily, but maybe people you tell about your visit, etc. Breakins and thefts happen in collections. If someone who has that on their mind finds out where he lives (or works) and what he breeds, it could all be gone while he's eating dinner or sleeping.

4. Liability. If that breeder also happens to work with venomous animals, there are possibilities for liability problems. The insurance policies for this are very specific about who can be around the collection, when, and under what circumstances.

Like when an UNDERCOVER F & G wants to stop by to check out your animals. The potential for zoning issues. I always made it a point to never sell out of my house but sometimes you have someone you have become acquainted with that wants to stop by & see what's goin' on. Only to learn that he is there to try to get you into trouble & cause more problems if you are not zoned to run a business out of your home - which most people are not. Now I allow no one to visit my collection.