prices?

[Muddyredneck]

ok so im new to bp but not reptiles and got a few questions.. id greatly appriciate your help since this seems like a very friendly forum. i got a reptile show on the 13th nd am looking into getting my girl a bp since she has fallin in love with them but am not sure of a few things

1)what should i look for in a hatchling/yearling like size/weight?
2) about what should i pay for say a pinstripe or spider or maby a lesser? or even a bumblebee (pretty sure thats a morph)
3) i have its enclosure set up right now with around a 92 degree hotspot is that to hot? and what should i be trying to get its humidity to?
4)anything else that will help me choose a great pet/possible breeder should i choose to get into that which im not 100% sure i ever will

[geekypythongirl]

If you want to get a good idea of current prices, spend some time on kingsnake.com. Look at several ads. That will give you a good idea of 'market' price.

You can always find deals if you look and wait. Of course, that takes longer.

Check out all the FAQ's on this site for temps and tank and humidity info.

Talk to the breeder. Ask questions. You will be able to tell pretty quickly if the person knows what they are doing or not. I tend to not buy from someone who is short with me, and who doesn't want to talk herps. Of course, not everyone is like that, but I feel if you don't really love doing it, its going to show in your animals.

Good luck, you are on the right forum!

[emiebeth]

First off, welcome to BP.net!

1) As there is no "standard", really, for BPs (they all grow at different rates, just like humans), I don't think you can pick a good BP by its weight or size. I would make sure that it its body is round (basically, you don't want it to be "triangle shaped" with its spine clearly defined). If you're picking one up at a show, you really shouldn't have any problems with this though. Breeders tend to bring the best of their animals to show.
2) For a pinstripe, I've seen them anywhere between $300-500, depending on if its a male or female. For almost all morphs, females will be more expensive by $50-150, depending on the morph. I've seen spiders between $150-300 and lessers between $300-600. Remember that you usually get what you pay for. Someone may be selling a lesser for $300, but it probably won't be the best looking example of a lesser; whereas if you buy a lesser for $500, it should be a lot better looking than the other.
3) 92 is perfect ^__^ and the humidity should be between 50-60% with 60-70% during shed.

I'm still quite new to BPs myself, so anyone can feel free to correct me on this information, especially on numbers one and two if you have more knowledge about this! The information here is merely what I've seen, heard, or observed since discovering the world of ball pythons =)

Good luck with your soon-to-be new BP!

[grim reaper in NY]

I've heard you can get some really good deals at the herp shows and I'm hoping that's the case as we're attending our first one this month as well.
As has been said previously though, you get what you pay for. If you buy a pet on the cheap side, chances are the quality, markings, and so forth might not be as striking as a higher end pet. Patience is key in your search though. The right one will come along eventually.

[Muddyredneck]

one more quick noob question (i know how it is for other species just checking) do you guys feed your new ball pythons the night you bring em home or wait a week? cause i know there stressful feeders so im wondering if the food item is just to much stress? im thinking this is one of them things to offer but not be upset if he doesnt take it but would like clarification

also do you just leave em off a plate if they dont take it off tongs? cause i know my retic slams rats like no joke lol

[iCandiBallPythons]

Sometimes they will take food the first night, and sometimes they wont. It just depends on the animal