Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I hope this is not inappropriate, but I have my 20 gallon tank set up with an under cage heater, coconut bark substrate, a half log (purchased from pet store), water dish, mesh top with clips and lighting for my first ball python. I was not very impressed with the people at my local pet store that had baby ball pythons, and was concerned about how thin they seemed (almost like they were dehydrated) so I'm going the online route.

I am interested in a female and was checking out this site: http://www.exoticlizards.com/pythons-for-sale.html and was interested in Female #22. If you were just starting out, and thought about maybe breeding in the future (once you've learned as much as you possibly can), would she be one that YOU would choose, or would you choose one of the other females available. I also like male # 29.

Would really like to get your feedback and thoughts.

Thanks in advance! Apologies in advance if it was not appropriate for me to post a website, but really wanted someone to view the pictures and advise.

Robin

thats definatly not inapropriate i ask MANY questions like that on this site. from what i know those pythons looked healthy on the outside, but you never know, check and see if they are captive bred, or if they were wild caught CB or WC. CB is prefered.....ya well thats all i can say and know im right...

ha

They say that they are captive bred in Ghana, but not wild caught. Good/bad?

I don't know that I will breed in the future, but I am definitely fascinated by these beautiful creatures and at this time, am mainly interested in obtaining one for a pet and don't want to spend a lot of money on my first snake.

The woman who runs this business with her husband spent over an hour with me answering my questions. She said they are currently eating live hoppers and are being fed each Sunday.

Robin

These sound like farm bred animals in which folks from the Ghana area collect gravid females, allow them to lay their eggs and then collectors artificiallly incubate them and then import them around the world. The mothers are typically returned to the area where they were found (but there are exceptions and money usually dictates where they end up). This isn't necessarily a bag thing but to say that they were captive bred and born is a bit of a mistatement. Still, these farm raised imports typically do acclimate but it takes more time than those who were captive bred and born here in the U.S. who experience far less stress in transit. I have a wild caught male that is approximately 5' that I have had for nearly 38 years and has done very well but will go on 6-8 month self imposed fasts every year which would be very concerning for most hobbyists.

The key is to pay close attention to stress management of your new snake. Make sure it is well hydrated and avoid overhandling at all costs. If these babies are taking live hoppers that is great and it won't take long to wean them on to dead prey (the babies I produce typically only need 2-3 live meals before being switched to F/T rodents).

I am not a big advocate of glass tanks as snake cages; many reasons and I would recommend looking at a cage made specifically for snakes such as neodesha, vision, boaphile, etc.

Hope this helps.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>They say that they are captive bred in Ghana, but not wild caught. Good/bad?
>>
>>I don't know that I will breed in the future, but I am definitely fascinated by these beautiful creatures and at this time, am mainly interested in obtaining one for a pet and don't want to spend a lot of money on my first snake.
>>
>>The woman who runs this business with her husband spent over an hour with me answering my questions. She said they are currently eating live hoppers and are being fed each Sunday.
>>
>>Robin
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Rob,

She said that they were captive bred there for the skin trade, and then those that they (in Ghana) don't like for their patterns are sent here.

Should I do more looking around? I did like that she was very patient with all my questions (and I had a lot of them). I don't want to invest a lot of money in what's essentially going to be a pet (i.e., not interested in an expensive morph, but if money weren't an issue, a piebald would be my "dream" snake). Maybe some time in the future as I become more experienced, I might consider breeding.

Just out of curiosity, why are you not a fan of glass aquariums? I'm in Metro Atlanta, and my local choices of reptile breeders or stores seem rather limited which is why I'm going the online route.

Additionally, these folks seem to have a lot of good feedback (but I know anyone can put whatever they want on their websites). What to do, what to do????

Robin

The info you are getting sounds suspicious; there would be no economic value of baby ball pythons if you have to raise them for 3-5 years until they are large enough to skin....sounds very bogus to me. How about adopting a ball python from a herpetogical society's adoption program? Here in Chicago, we have a wonderful program and many bp's become available through this program; some that are really nice looking. As far as glass tanks go, its not that I think that they are terrible, however, here are a few of the pitfalls that I find with them:
- There are few commercially available, if any, aquariums that have the proper locking screen top. Most are flimsy and many BP's have escaped from these supposed "secure" lids. Using weights to keep tops down is also a big NO-NO; BP's will eventually find a way out.
- With the open air screen top, much of the heat dissipates out of the top making these cages somewhat difficult to heat. Covering the top will only make the problem worse as you will have an environment with low air quality.
- With little ventilation towards the bottom of the tank, you can get a nice build up of noxious gases and stale air which is where your BP will spend most of its time.
WIth this being said, I know that there are some folks who have used glass tanks for years w/out any problems so just do what you feel is best for you and your snake.

Take care, Rob

>>Rob,
>>
>>She said that they were captive bred there for the skin trade, and then those that they (in Ghana) don't like for their patterns are sent here.
>>
>>Should I do more looking around? I did like that she was very patient with all my questions (and I had a lot of them). I don't want to invest a lot of money in what's essentially going to be a pet (i.e., not interested in an expensive morph, but if money weren't an issue, a piebald would be my "dream" snake). Maybe some time in the future as I become more experienced, I might consider breeding.
>>
>>Just out of curiosity, why are you not a fan of glass aquariums? I'm in Metro Atlanta, and my local choices of reptile breeders or stores seem rather limited which is why I'm going the online route.
>>
>>Additionally, these folks seem to have a lot of good feedback (but I know anyone can put whatever they want on their websites). What to do, what to do????
>>
>>
>>Robin
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

99% of animals sold as Captive hatched are actually just WC animals that harbor parasites (internal and external) and usually do not make very good pets. Spend a little bit extra, buy a snake from a trusted breeder that is captive bred. You will not be sorry! Get a female, if you ever have plans for breeding in the future, a nice big female is a good thing to have. Large males are a dime a dozen.

Good luck
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"stupid is, as stupid does" --Mama

well captive bred were born captive {duh} they are used to humans and cages, wild caught snakes arent, they often get stresssssed and dont want to eat because they dont like the whole captivity thing, but anyways wild caught were meant for the wild and hunting, CB's can eisierly be taken care of and BLAH! ok you get it.. im runnin out of vocab....

-eisirly, mark

1

is actually #13, but 22 looks like a nice, healthy girl. Looks like you're a fan of the higher golds, and she's probably my second choice for that reason. Whether or not the babies are CB or CH is really a mute point so long as they've been started by the person keeping them now. If they've taken the time to answer all your questions, and are willing to do so after you've made your purchase, then they look like a good seller to me. I say go for it.