Should I buy this one?

[ChroniclesofYarnia]

I am looking for an inexpensive Normal for a pet. I found one on ballboutiques.com for the price I am looking for. The only things that gives me pause is that he is live fed, and I want to frozen feed. Also, the owner has not handled him, which gives me pause since this will be a snake that is around two little girls.

I tend to listen to my gut feeling, but I am not an expert on these things so I figured I would ask for opinions. What do you think? If you don't think it is what I am looking for, could you recommend another quality place where I can get one for about 75 or less shipped?

Thanks!
Christina

[elevatethis]

Are there are breeders that are local to you? That way you can handle the animal yourself and see if it "speaks" to you.

Also, finding a snake, even a normal, for less than $75 shipped is going to be tough. Shipping alone can run around $60, plus the cost of shipping boxes, heat/cool packs, etc...it's not cheap to ship. For that price, you're basically asking for a free snake...

[ChroniclesofYarnia]

I live in very rural Montana, so no one is local to me.

What would be a usual price to pay for a Normal with shipping, in your experience?

[Kagez28]

i would find some local breeders, or maybe a reptile expo/show in your area. there you can see the snake before you buy it.

also where are you located, maybe a member is near you and has some animals for sale.

[ChroniclesofYarnia]

I live near Glasgow, MT. We are three hours from a Walmart, so I would be pretty surprised if there were any breeders around here. There are certainly drawbacks to living in the boonies.

[JLC]

Hi, and welcome to BP.net!


As Brad mentioned, when you include shipping, it's pretty hard to find a BP for less than $75. But when you consider the long-term commitment you're making, as well as the possibility of troubles and vet bills due to buying "on the cheap"....$75-$100 really isn't that much to spend. (In MY opinion. )

If you live someplace that has reptile shows or expos, you might consider browsing there as well. Look a breeder in the face and shake his hand and look for that animal that just "speaks to you" as Brad also mentioned.

As for buying this particular one from Ballboutique..... I'm assuming you're looking at a baby BP that has hatched out this year. Most breeders start their hatchlings out on live prey to make sure they eat right off the bat. If you get the snake young, you have a very reasonable chance at successfully switching it over to f/t. It just may require a bit of patience and persistence on your part.

And as for the non-handling....again, most breeders simply don't have the time to handle all their hatchlings, much less try to "socialize" them. And in the case of BP's especially, it's really not necessary. They're totally harmless as little babies, even if they are feeling defensive and look aggressive. Again, with a bit of patience and persistence on your part, you stand a high chance of having a laid back, easy-going pet that is safe for children to be around. (Supervised, of course!)

[JLC]

Hehe...ok....do disregard what I said about expos and shows.....I've only just now read where you live. Shipping is indeed the best option for you. That being said, there are a lot of really great folks that will be happy to set you up right and at a decent price as well. We know lots of them personally and will be glad to help you find someone willing to work with ya.

[ChroniclesofYarnia]

It's actually an '05, which may be why it is selling so inexpensively. (I'm assuming 05 means it was born in 2005. It's 256g.) It's really just the live feeding and non handling. (I'm assuming, again, that it is 2 years old and never been handled.)

I am not wanting to appear cheap, but don't want to overpay for a Normal, which most people don't seem to care for. I see some places selling Normal babies for 100 to 150, and that doesn't include shipping. (and these were males.) From what I have read on forums that is high.

Eventually I would love to have an albino!

If you know of some options, definitely throw some links my way. I've got the enclosure all set up and ready to go. My girls are very excited. We've been wearing daddy down for almost a year now! We had a State Fair here a bit ago, and I had to pry them away from the visiting reptile exhibit. My five year old was the first volunteer and practically lept on the stage to hold a baby Reticulated.

[elevatethis]

It's actually an '05, which may be why it is selling so inexpensively. (I'm assuming 05 means it was born in 2005. It's 256g.) It's really just the live feeding and non handling. (I'm assuming, again, that it is 2 years old and never been handled.)

2 years old and only 256 grams? That might be a clue as to why its so cheap...

I have yearlings that are almost 1000 grams...the snake you are talking about is either a problem feeder or a snake that's never been fed...someone selling a snake that age at that size to an inexperienced buyer should be ashamed of themselves. I would double check on the age and size...that's really small for that age.

[ChroniclesofYarnia]

My mistake...the 1 in the description is off. I believe it is 1265...I hope. He said it doesn't eat weekly, though. I suppose that is normal for larger snakes.