help in choosing ball python?

Another suggestion...look around on Craigslist. Lots of people looking to get rid of snakes that are often adults, well taken care of, and very used to being handled. Getting an adult that is feeding well could eliminate some of the issues of a hatchling.

FYI.....There is a private seller offering what sounds like a normal for $25 in your area. Also, an adult with equipment for $300............do a Craiglist search and you will find them.

I would definitely look around before you go to petco or petsmart. They are overpriced and you often get a sick or mite infested animal. Not to mention, they keep all of their BPs in the same tank which causes stress to the animals right off the bat. As was suggested, check craigslist but be careful there as well. There are alot of scams and people just flipping snakes for a quick buck. If you take your time, you can find a really nice deal. You could even get a male pastel for less than the price that both petco and petsmart sell their normals for. Good luck! Wanted to also mention that hatchlings are alot of times prone to striking. They usually will grow out of that as they put on size.

Sometimes finding a reptile breeder in your area can be tough. Believe me I know. If you can coax yourself to be patient ( yeah right! ) try to find a reptile show/expo near you that you can attend. You will meet many breeders this way, and get the chance to see many snakes in a short time. The trouble is, reptile shows can be as hard to locate as breeders can be. You might consider starting with a locally owned small pet shop in your area, if you can find one. Even if they don't carry reptiles, they can be great sources of information on shows and breeders.

The internet is also your friend, but a very picky friend who tends to show you what they like and not necessarily what you were looking for, so you have to patiently weed through the junk to find the treasure.

Also, even if you don't see any breeder's advertising on Craigsist, you can post an ad of your own saying that you are looking for a local breeder to possibly purchase from in the future. I almost never advertise on craigslist, but I browse it enough if someone near me was looking for something I had, I'd answer them.

The biggest thing is to be patient. And yes, that is easier said than done, but if you can be patient until you find a breeder or show in your area, it will be well worth it in the end. Most breeders not only have a bigger selection and different morphs, the animals are almost always healthier and feed better, and a bonus is you'll have someone to turn to when you have a question.

If you look for a while and still can't find anything close to you, do consider purchasing a snake online. It's a scary business at first, yes. But once you take that first big step, usually you are very glad you did. Spend a little time talking with the breeder online, asking questions and such, and you can usually pick out someone who'll be good to you. I have both purchased snakes online and sold snakes online, and so far my experiences have all been good.

Gale

I would also suggest a breeder...I didn't know of any around me until a WHILE after i started looking.. We found one on Kijiji (its like craigslist but not as sketchy...but still iffy. Dunno if americans have it.) and thats where we got our first BP. Just gotta keep on looking, and ask around perhaps. Make an Ad on Craigslist looking for breeders or info on breeders.

As for Petsmart, our local one is good, its not perfect but its good. Each snake normally has a place to its own, and if there is more than one its maybe 3 max in a BIG terrarium and not for long. The employee's are all reptile people so they are pretty taken care of, and same with most of the animals. Obviously they can't get everything right away as they are normally always on the move doing something. but overall they are pretty good. Depends on your stores i suppose..

Also, even if you gotta drive 1-2 hours it'll be worth it for a breeder, The drive there will be slow but the drive back will be faster!


Shifty

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Originally Posted by helloelliee

I just went to kingsnake.com and searched for breeders in West Virginia and it said sorry no results :/ I'd much rather buy from a breeder. I don't like buying them from stores either... I'd hate to order one offline and then not know the demeanour of the snake.

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If you are on Facebook there are breeders/sellers in the Charleston area who advertise on the groups 'WV Exotics' and 'WV Reptiles'. You can also post a WTB ad, and find people selling feeders and other supplies as well.