Would you ever consider purchasing a WC ball?

I guess with all the great breeders out there, all the available animals, I wouldnt risk the natural disease issues that could possibly come with WC. Plus I struggle with the process of taking from the wild and shipping in groups etc etc. So probably not:)

If I wanted to expand my gene pool then yes I would buy a wild caught. But for someone wanting a pet only then I wouldn't recommend it. Unless said person is willing to do the right thing, and take care of it properly and let the animal adjust slowly. I also think that a person who uses a rack system is going to have a greater success with a wc then the avg. person. As many people have stated if not shipped here for the pet trade then the adults would be EATEN for dinner. So if the right one presented itself then yes I would purchase a wc. But keep in mind I have a great relationship with my vet and I house my guys in racks, and I have the patience to leave them alone as much as possible so that they can settle.
Mike Kelly

For balls no.


I almost bought a WC anaconda, but I decided to wait for a more expensive CB specimen.

If I was against wild BP's I wouldn't have one :P

Granted, mine was probably somebody's escaped pet, but I found him in the wild :D

No. There are too many much nicer CB out there. WC can sometimes be difficult to feed, so I'd rather not deal with that.

I wouldn't unless it had some gene or had potential.

All pet stores around me sell CB anyways, whcih is good

I have in the past with great success and would again in the future because I take the time to take proper care of the animal. As a matter of fact this year I am getting a few mixed lots of wc and they will all be taken care of. The biggest reason I do this is to get new blood as well as a couple of dinker projects. I also have a QT room that is on the other side of my house with seperate ventilation to that room than the rest of the house. I feel that they are going to be imported no matter what and a lot are going to end up dead because someone is going to see the cute little bp at a pet store that is all alone and they think it is lonely so they will buy it with a heat rock, glass tank, tiny water bowl, and a bunch of climbing sticks with no hides at all and then the snake will be dead. All a long the pet shop that is was sold in had 50 more in the back and only put a few out so the public thinks they only have a limited supply so they will sell at a higher price and at a faster pace. Yes that is actually what happens at most pet stores anymore. None really care about the animals they care about the $$$. Sad but true... So instead of some one not knowing what they are doing I am getting the babies getting them healthy and if none fit my breeding plans then yes I do sell a few off at cost to friends, family, or to one and only one local pet shop that actually takes care of the animals in the store. I guess I may have annoyed a few people off with this and some others will argue with me but this is the way it is.

I'd buy wc if it was something new/different that would make for a good project. However, I am no where near the stature as a hobbyist to get in there before the big guys and I do not have the connections or money for it, anyway.

Otherwise there's no point for me. There are tons of fantastic cb snakes available at any given time that I can pick from instead, especially since I'd likely be buying a normal anyway if I went wc. The vet bills and pissy snake would not be worth it.

yes i would but only to try and find another line of ball pythons. If i did the first place it would go is the vet to get the proper meds to rid it of any parasites it may come with. Other than that i prefer to only buy captive bred reptiles

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Originally Posted by Crazy4Herps

Just curious. Please explain your views. Personally, I would never purchase any WC animal, not only because of health and feeding problems, but because I believe it is morally wrong. But let me know what you guys think. :)

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Is it "morally wrong" to buy a morph that was produced from a WC animal....because most of them are.

BG does understand what you're saying though. He doesn't like all the WC animals that come in, but he can't be a hypocrite about it.

Also, if BG would venture a guess he would estimate that 95% of the normal Ball Pythons in captivity are captive hatched babies. The number gets lower each year, but most are.