So got a call from a pet store....

[SlitherinSisters]

The guy just opened up his own pet shop in a small town not terribly far from me. He ordered 9 babies from a distributor in CA, I never heard of them, so I forgot their name by the time I tried to look them up. He said he purchased a bunch of reptiles and supplies from them, 6k worth! But those BP babies are dying left and right. He's had them less than 2 weeks and 5 of the 9 have already died. 2 of which he had sold and the people came back to get a refund. I tried asking him questions, but he's not familiar with ball pythons. He doesn't think they looked thin or orange-I told him some people/distributors will dip bps in Iodine. I'm guessing they were imports or maybe domestic and hadn't ate if they are already dying??? His temp is 87 on the hot side and 75 min on the cool side. He keeps his shop at 75 because he breeds hedgehogs and they need higher temps apparently. He's using some sort of slab rocks stacked, or something, so there is room for all the bps to hide in.

I have NO clue what sort of advice to give him! Does anyone else have some ideas? He said two of the four left have eaten, but the other two haven't. I told him to assist feed the two that aren't eating that way if they die at least he tried to do something! I'm thinking they are probably thin and he just doesn't know that a thin bp is bad, not normal. IDK....I've got nothing. I also told him if it were me I would put them in tubs for awhile, but I don't think he was too keen on that idea.

I'm not really looking for advice for him, more for me because it's driving me nuts wondering why they are all dying. My guess is that it's probably already too late for the 4 left.

[PitOnTheProwl]

I am with you on this one. They were probably too young, and had not been fed?
Doesnt help if he doesnt know how to care for them either......
I think pics would be worth a thousand words.

[RichsBallPythons]

Offer to help him for a small fee or say you can do consignment with your normals you hatch out. You help him out he allows you to sell your normals at his shop.

[SlitherinSisters]

Yeah.... He did admit that he doesn't know what he's doing with them and doesn't plan to ever order bp babies again, and if he did from breeders next time. I don't necessarily think it was his fault since they died so soon. Bp babies are a real pain, I couldn't imagine getting them from a distributor!

[cschneider]

That's so sad... My first thought is, they haven't eaten yet, or since he doesn't know how to care for them, he is doing something very wrong. If you get a chance, maybe get a pic of his set ups. I would be very interested to see.

[SlitherinSisters]

He did offer to buy my norms when I hatch them. So I suppose I got something out of the call!

Thanks Rich

[PitOnTheProwl]

Offer to help him for a small fee or say you can do consignment with your normals you hatch out. You help him out he allows you to sell your normals at his shop.

Great idea........help both of you out at the same time

He did offer to buy my norms when I hatch them. So I suppose I got something out of the call!
Thanks Rich

Good job (pat on your shoulder)

[jonesy72]

keep talking/working with him .. educate him . = everyone wins..if he listens to you

[Never3]

Jonesy is right,you need to educate the guy. It will benefit you both, in the long run. at any rate,it sound to me like this wholesaler/what ever sold this guy some bad snakes. think about it...no one that cares about these animals would ever sell them prematurely, or sell bad animals. this person was only in it for the money. which is total BS!!!

[SlitherinSisters]

keep talking/working with him .. educate him . = everyone wins..if he listens to you

You're exactly right about that.... I hope he doesn't get on here and look around, then I'll feel bad, but he kept interrupting me every time I tried to say something. It was so frustrating!

Jonesy is right,you need to educate the guy. It will benefit you both, in the long run. at any rate,it sound to me like this wholesaler/what ever sold this guy some bad snakes. think about it...no one that cares about these animals would ever sell them prematurely, or sell bad animals. this person was only in it for the money. which is total BS!!!

Yeah, I'm thinking it was a shady distributor. I hate distributors!