Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I understand what you guys are saying now. However, wouldn't an 18000 dollar snake be a little too hard one's wallet? Part of me says its worth it....
while the other part questions if its worth 18k dollars for a pet.

just a thot

"18k dollars for a pet."

It would not be purchased as a pet.

It is looked at as an investment.
NEWReptiles.com

n/p

Thanks for the memo.
I forgot it.
If you want a pet buy a normal ball python with nice markings.
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RicK @ BbI

Ball Boutique,Inc.
The home of the singing snakes!

I know there are some big breeders out there that run their operations as a business first (there are a few notable exceptions as we all know!), but I think the hobbyists are different. Luckily I have enough disposable income that I can afford a few morphs and to do some small-time breeding. Sell some of the high-dollar offspring? Sure. Keep some for breeders? Sure. But those that I keep for breeders ARE pets. Just ask my girlfriend - they're out of the cages several times a week and regularly handled (by her as much as me). She takes better care of our snakes than a lot of people take of their children. It's hard to get her to let me sell ANY of the offsping, even the normals, because she has to be SURE they're going to good homes. Do *I* have a hard time selling them? Yes, I do, but I can't keep every snake I produce. I love the animals, I love breeding them, and I love watching them hatch, period. It's always exciting to see what pips out!

I guess the bottom line is, can a $10,000 snake be a pet? Sure! $10 snake as a pet? Sure! Can you have a basement full of expensive pets? Sure! Just depends on your disposable income and drive to get what you want. I've worked *very* hard to get where I am, and continue to work hard to get what I want. Two jobs, sometimes 3 jobs - I work to get what I want. But would I sell one of the expensive morphs for $500? No. If someone wants one, let them wait until the prices drop that far, or let them work as hard as me to get one. One more thing - as I've gotten older, I've found out my parents WERE right about most things. If I only had the wisdom I have now when I was in my teens, twenties, or even 30's...

Whoa! falling... off.. my.. soapbox...
Astronomy Picture of the Day

The majority seems to say these are investments. I think that is a just plain dumb way to look at it. If everyone buys an investment, what is the point of selling these snakes. The designer industry can be the dumbest thing i have ever seen. We spend all this time and money making a burmese and reticulated python smaller when a ball python is not too different than a burmese and it is smaller. Or how about the green phase burmese, I thought they were a really cool looking snake...duh, because I love green anacondas. Shoot, this industry is looking so dumb now I took my young green anaconda to a show and I must have gotten 10 people asking me if it was a green phase burmese. I think the piebald is a great looking snake and is awesome...not 10,000$ awesome though. pretty soon they will be just like the albino burm that started this fad. Everyone wants them and people were paying a ton and now they are disposable. Then they will be making one just like the pied but with black instead of white and it will be 100,000$ and they will keep that going and these all black snakes will be the craze when you just lost the beauty of what a ball python is. So a bunch of people can make a ton of money until the trend dies. We look like a bunch of high school kids showing off our new air jordans until next years design comes out. I am not even against this industry in total, I think the hard work in producing these animals deserves a few thousand dollars for a really cool animal that took years of selective breeding and care. And I would buy that hard work and dedication as a pet. But 100,000$ for an all white ball python! Maybe I will paint my diamonds green since there are no green diamonds...wait maybe I should just buy an emerald. I am sure I am going to get jumped on huge for this post but you all are saying these are investments...this is a pet industry and people get a lot from careing for snakes and keeping varieties. I will state again I am not against the work people do and I am not against the designer industry either, but when you go calling all these animals investments it sounds like a slave trade.

I've had both burms and balls and don't think they are much alike at all, even if they where the same size. I don't know much about anacondas but suspect they also have their own personality and husbandry needs.

I guess the question is if lots of people would like to have a leucistic ball python. Everyone has his or her own preferences. Some hate the finicky nature of many ball pythons and prefer a less timid animal. Some don't like all white snakes. However, I'm betting there will be a huge demand for these as pets - EVENTUALY.

So, if lots and lots of people want leucistic ball pythons, who will do the huge amount of work needed to produce lots and lots of them in average clutches of 6? It takes a huge INVESTMENT in a huge business engine to get the work done to meet the eventual demand of these for the pet trade. Maybe the breeders are guessing wrong on what people want, if so the price will collapse quickly, but I wouldn't count on it.

Just buy a normal and LEAVE us. If i had 100k to spend i would almost instantly buy a leucy. Not only are they the 2nd most beutiful snake in the world IMO (2nd only to albino spiders) but in 3 years if you breed a male to 3 females. Lets say only 2 of the females produce. Each female lays 4 eggs. You can sell the male babies for 40k . Then the next year you will have all white snakes after you breed the leucy to the hets.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

My image Gallery

That was a nice change! I thought I was the only person on this forum that loves Astronomy! Anyway nice diversion.

Thanks,

Debra
Camlon Reptiles

You're welcome. I'm a little further (finacially, anyway) than most. I have a Celestron C-14 that produces incredible views.

On APOD, be sure to take a look at the archives and index - they have some amazing pictures.

Another few useful links:

Save the Hubble
http://savethehubble.org/petition.jsp

Dim the Lights and Save the Stars
http://www.darksky.org/

Hubble Heritage Project (great pics)
http://heritage.stsci.edu/

And the best for last.. a recommended reading for all:
A fuzzy little insignificant dot...
Pale Blue Dot

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

I borrow my uncle's Meade LX200GPS every once in a while...get some great lunar photos....need a little more practice with planetary shots though.... I haven't tried deep space shots through the scope yet...but I have some nice wide field photos...

I was quite a ways through getting my PhD in astrophysics before I was forced to take some time off for health issues and have since reconsidered everything. Sometimes I regret it, sometimes not.

Since I worked in infrared, here's what I'd be doing right now.
http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/

My advisor had been on the team for this telescope for years and we had guaranteed time obversations. Would've been nice...

np
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)

My image Gallery