Importing WC balls?

Thanks for the help. I am not looking for the next hottest thing or some miracle snake or anything like that, just looking for friendly advise on how the imported snakes get in this country.

from what ive heard you have to buy the contact info

They ship them in on contracted lots. The people who buy direct from the exporters would contact them and arrange for X number of straight hatched babys, or X number of females, or specials.. and then when they are ready to ship, they have a lot of paperwork, and eventually ship them over in large crates(in bags inside) for the buyers to pick up at a airport.
Once they are inspected and all that, they get to take them home to set each one up with water etc. Sometimes the babys are not even shed for the first time, so it can be a real hassle getting them all set up and ready for sale.

That's the rough idea of what happens. The easiest way to get one(or more) is to buy from the people who buy from the exporters, since you can't exactly buy "a few" from overseas.

Thanks, that is more of what I am looking for.

I import directly from West Africa and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Just let me know.


David Fernandez

Awesome, thanks. I was just wondering what was all involved in it? What paperwork and who you have to go through to do it? I am trying to get more of a solid grasp on how everything works from the ground up. I have heard people talk about looking at photos of certain snakes on import paperwork and whatnot and was just wondering how all of this worked.

Mainly, if I were looking to bring in say 100 new snakes or so, what would I go through to do it.

The first thing you need is a contact in West Africa..without that the rest is useless. That's also the hardest piece to acquire. Once you have that then you will need an Import license. That's a federal license..not state. I would also get a Wildlife broker to clear the shipment. It can be a pain to clear it yourself. Really after you have all of that you just need money.

Let me debunk a few things while I'm at it..

You can buy one animal. Exporters are not really concerned with quantities unless we're talking about normals. I had one shipment last year that only contained 3 animals. It's the dollar amount that really matters.

You do not have to buy the contact. I have contacts in Ghana,Benin,and Togo. I did not pay for any of them.

CH animals are just as easy to set up and get going as CB animals. I have never received animals with ticks,mites,or diseases. That has been my experience. I can't say what other people have received and of course WC animals are a whole different ball game.

I hope this helps. Contact me if you have any other questions.


David Fernandez

Thank you very much for the information.

How did you go about getting your contacts over there? Is there a list that you got or did you have to actually have to go there and meet them in person? If you dont mind me asking what does it cost to have them shipped overseas and what percentage of the snakes actually make it here alive if you order less then 10 snakes?

Finding legitimate contacts is not easy. There isn't a list and I didn't go over there. Shipping prices will vary depending on the size of your order and the airline used. Dead on arrivals are very rare..at least they have been for me.



David Fernandez