New to snakes/forum; Questions and Intro

Hi everyone. Ive loved reptiles and amphibians since I was very young, but I was never allowed to have one as a pet due to my Mothers fear of them. Well, im allowed to make my own decisions, and id like to get a ball python. Im doing my research, asking questions and so on, but id like to have a place to come and talk about it, and talk to other owners.

Before I get it, id like to know if there are any tips on what to look for, how to buy, the first few months/years, or anything I wouldnt find in the care sheets and regular books. I have a ton of questions, but so far everyone seems pretty nice, which is great.

Also, would someone kindly go over breeds of ball pythons with me? Are the different names only related to the colouring, or are there different attitudes, like with, say, a dog? I work in a pet food store by the way, so I have access to a HUGE range of supplies and products (I can special order anything from any company whos products we sell), and at a discount too!


Thanks a ton,


Andrew

Hi Andrew! Welcome to BP.net! :handshake


First off....you're already doing the very best thing you can do to prepare for your future BP...which is learning and planning ahead before you get it! ;) That's awesome!

Something I'll say that you won't usually find in books or most caresheets is to suggest that you DON'T buy your snake in a pet store. Get to know some breeders (through this site and others like it....although THIS one is the best and you'll meet some GREAT folks here!) and buy directly from someone you trust. This greatly increases your chances of getting a healthy, well adjusted snake that you'll be very happy with.

Ball Pythons don't come in "breeds." They're all ball pythons, no matter what color or pattern they have. However, whenever the colors or patterns differ visually from the common "wild type" or "normal" colorations, they are called morphs. These looks are rare and many years of breeding and work go into bringing them to the public, so they tend to cost a lot more than normals.

Hope this helps some! Feel free to ask all the questions you need to. It's what we live for here! (Well....that and pictures! :P )

Yeah. Working in a pet food store, I always tell people not to buy any pets from stores, and to go to breeders. Id like to buy one off bp.net, but I live near Toronto, which may make it hard to ship up here. Unless some local breeders frequent the forums, I may need to go to a show?

If you PM "Uncle Festae"....he'll be able to point you in the right direction for either local breeders that are trusthworthy...and/or expos that you can cruise.

welcome fellow canadian. there are many canadian breeders out there who can hook you up. of course, with a little paperwork you can also buy from the many many MANY american breeders.

welcome!

Know of any near Toronto perhaps?

http://www.ballpython.ca/about_us.html

Thanks. I took a look and they're either sold out or they arent done hatching. I guess they're hard to find north of the border :)?

first you ALWAYS want to email them and ask if they have any available because often their websites are not totally 100% up to date.

check out the BOI

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...play.php?f=614

and these people are canadian

http://www.theurbanreptile.com/

there's also:

http://www.mountaingeckos.freeservers.com/photo5.html

and

http://www.a1pythons.com/avail.htm

and

http://www.proreptiles.com/

and

http://coreywoods.com/

and that's all i have for now

Wow. Thats a lot to chew through. Great! Thanks for that. Do most breeders supply snakes only, or do they offer starter kits as well? Also, im looking to get a normal, or a regular. They actually look nicer then half of the morphs, and I dont think I need a $14500 snake, but I notice that most breeders have few/none. Theres nothing wrong with just wanting a normal one is there :S ?