Should I buy this one?

shop the net for breeders, you should be able to find a baby that is eating frozen thawed. males usually cost a little less.



vaughn

Yes.... '05 means it was born in 2005. And 256g seems awfully small for an '05. It might also be a bit set in its ways as far as eating live....and given its small size, indicates it may be a really picky eater anyhow.

If I were you, I'd trust my instincts and pass on that one.

A lot of the websites you see for breeders are either not up-to-date...OR...they don't list prices for normals they may have available.

You could shoot a PM to Adam_Wysocki (of 8ballpythons) or Cueball (Chris, of VPI) or KLG (Kara of NERD)....those are great places to start...and if they can't hook you up, they can probably recommend someone who can.

Lastly, I would just say to not put too much weight on the $$$ involved. Not to say that we shouldn't budget and be reasonable...but don't worry about how you think others value "normal" BPs....rather, how much value do YOU place on them, and on the quality of pet you want for your family. Personally, I would not hesitate to spend $100-$125 (shipped) on a quality animal that I was confident would be a good fit for my family.

100 to 125 would be just fine for a good snake. It will be with us for quite a long time. I'd buy an albino right now if I didn't just have to buy curriculum materials.

I'll shoot those guys an email and check out their site. Thanks a ton!

Oh, and is it true that Males or more docile than Females, or is that a myth?

I'd say that's a myth. They're all pretty docile, as a general rule. That being said...there are always individual exceptions to the rules. :P

JLC, you are going to get me in trouble. lol. They have a male Het Albino at 8ball for 100.00, and my cogs are grinding about how I could breed it in a couple years, etc.

This snake stuff is a wee bit addictive. The more I read the more "ideas" I get. lol.

I picked up 3 females from Will at www.ectotherms.net. It was a good experience and a pleasure to do business with him. He has some pretty nice normals as well. But like said shop the web for something that calls to you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChroniclesofYarnia

JLC, you are going to get me in trouble. lol. They have a male Het Albino at 8ball for 100.00, and my cogs are grinding about how I could breed it in a couple years, etc.

This snake stuff is a wee bit addictive. The more I read the more "ideas" I get. lol.

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I'm afraid you've stumbled into a huge nest of Enablers here. :P And on that note....I'll tell ya that you can't get any better service or quality than from 8ball. (Of course...I'd say the same about VPI or NERD....and a few others I know...but since you mentioned 8ball first, he gets the kudos this time! :D )

if you're gonna spend $100 on a snake i would look at a male pastel. they are getting pretty affordable, and they can have some wild color to them. plus if you do end up going on the breeding train you will be one step closer to making some lovely morphs.

i got my female for $10 from Brock Wagner. since i was buying other snakes from him (a spider and a pastel) i didn't have to pay shipping. ultimately i received 5 snakes and paid one shipping charge. another female i got at an reptile expo for $30. and my very first snake came from a pet store and i paid close to $80. so prices can very ALOT depending on where you get them, so look around.

Well I'll be an awful enabler here and show you my own 100% het Albino male from 8Ball just so you know what you are looking at down the road. This is Malachi, an 05 male and a really great snake. He's a solid eater, came in beautifully well started by Adam and packaged so well the snake likely never had a clue it left one enclosure for another LOL.

Malachi as a baby getting ready to hunt his dinner....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ngFromHide.jpg

Malachi at 8 months of age....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...8MonthsOld.jpg

Malachi being held by our then 5 year old son....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...eyMalMay06.jpg

Malachi at 2 years of age....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...71021grams.jpg

Now if you'd like an Albino down the road, starting now with a nice baby 100% het male would be a fine start and they are certainly reasonably priced for a nice snake with that genetic potential and a reputable breeder backing that guarantee of genetics. At some point if you want to breed you could get the matching female to raise up (or start with a female now, if you prefer that option). Either way if you get a 100% het if you never breed, you have a lovely pet snake...if you decide to breed, you have a very nice start on it.

Whatever you decide, personally I'd say go with a breeder. Local pet stores are notorious for selling sickly baby snakes just unpacked from Africa and this time of year it's even worse. Some reptile shows are great, some aren't. For a newcomer you want it to go as smooth as possible and that tends to come, as far as I'm concerned, with a snake from a reputable breeder.

Also if you are concerned about live feeding and would prefer the snake started feeding f/t then be upfront about that and speak with the breeders you are considering and see if one either already feeds f/t or would consider switching the snake over for you prior to shipping to your home.

Honestly i would email breeders stating what you're looking for, a price range you'd like to be in, and a snake that is well started on f/t. prehaps someone can hook you up?

either way, once you start the fun don't stop!