shody breeder?

At first no he could not but through selective breeding, picking very pretty light females and holding back brighter males for a few generations, you could get some nice pastels. It will just take time. I would contact the breeder and let them know of the mistake and if they do not stand by their product you could try to get a refund/replacement for him. If not you could go through a different breeder and get a different one and just keep him as a pet.

I would personally be very ticked off if I didn't get the snake I asked and paid for. This is a business based on looks and genetics, and I want what I SPECIFICALLY want. Not a "stock" animal. If it's a pet then it's not a big deal but since you plan on breeding I would make a fuss about it

@OP

more pictures would be nice. Then we can see the side-pattern of your BP, and compare it to the section of side pattern in the picture the breeder provided.

right now everything your picture shows is hidden in the picture the breeder provided and vice versa. your pic shows one side, the pic from the breeder the other.

with pics showing more of your snakes pattern we can settle this issue with certainty.

I had a ugly Pastel and he gave me beautiful babies...

Pastels especially lower quality ones change a lot the first few months. it's possible it is the same snake but from several months back. still dirty pool not to update the picture but it might be the one you picked. on a side note it is also not hard at all to make a pastel look a whole lot better in a picture then it does in person.

The breeder's picture shows a pretty distinctive pattern right behind the head. OP does that look like yours? And yes, the right lighting can make a snake look a lot better in a picture than in person... but the opposite is also true, where sellers use crappy cell phone pictures...

After looking at the pattern, it is not either snake in the image, should I demand some short of compensation? Perhaps a discount on another animal or something of the like? Notice the pattern behind the head does not matchhttp://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...1141_thumb.jpghttp://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...9913_thumb.jpg

I agree: I don't think the snake you got is either of the two in the other photo you posted. Neck pattern is wrong.

I personally would be so very disappointed, upset, and angry if I didn't receive the snake I said specifically I wanted. I would contact the breeder and calmly explain the situation and see how they want to make it right with you. If the seller has any sense as a business person he/she will work with you to come to an agreement that will make you happy and satisfied. Good luck, let us know what happens.

Ouch. I truly hope the breeder makes this right for you! Good luck!

i agree, the pattern does not match, its not one of the two in the picture the breeder provided. the neck pattern is the easiest way to spot it.


so one thing is for sure: the breeder/seller is cutting corners. you asked for pictures of the BP you want to buy, and now the pictures just dont match the BP you got.

also it obviously had an incomplete shed now; but thats not necessarily the breeders fault, maybe your humidity was too low when the BP tried to shed, in the first pic you posted the BP is in shed but there is no incomplete shed.