What kinds of python should I get/possible breeding?

I've been thinking of getting a bp for a while now but now sure what kind to get? I have seen normals around for about 50 or so but I don't know if its best to get a m/f normal first, and then another morph to breed with it if i decide to do so? I figure if I start small I can breed and trade up to a more expensive one. My budget for the snakes alone is about 400. Also how do you determine the sex safely?

Also can anyone tell me if this is just a normal?
http://www.502streetscene.net/forum/...ighlight=snake

Thanks.

oh also i think I might buy that one. What kinda of questions/signs should i look for when handling it?

Welcome to the forum. I would say start with one BP and spend at least a year keeping it so you can learn the habits and peculiarities throughout each season.
Since you are also interested in breeding, you will need to also look at the cost of setting up the incubators, housing, and food supply for the hatchlings. And depending on the market at the time you may have to care for them for a fair amount of time before they sell. As well, you would have to learn the proceedures and certifications for shipping, and accepting payments, taxes, etc...
As far as what to start out with cost wise, I would have to say a female normal and a morph male. Or a pair of Hets. You have definitely got a long road of research and preparations ahead. The initial step would be to master the care of your first BP. Just my opinion...

To add to what was said. I would start small and yes that looks like a normal.
You have a long road ahead of you and a bit of reading as well.
If you do decide to breed I would breed something you really like due to you may end up keeping the offspring for quite some time. be prepaired for that.
Just the small amount of BP's I have keep me busy at least 1 hr a day. This is a every day job to check on your animals and keeping great records.
You really have to love it even if the chips are down so to speak. Vet bills can break you along with the feeding & heating bill.

If you do decide this is the route you want I do wish you luck and hope for sucess in your future venture. :gj:

thanks for the advice. I was thinking about doing a female normal with maybe a yellow male pestel i found for 225. what kind of vet care is required? mainly routine vet care since if i feed them correctly, keep temps and humidity correct there shouldnt be many problems right? i was thinking of using a rack system to house them to allow for expandability.

Please don't get that snake in the add. The "setup" that it comes with is actually rather dangerous for a ball python. It would be a waste of money to pay that much for the setup and the snake only to find out that all of the provided equipment is useless.

I would find a local reptile show near you and buy your first animal from a reputable breeder so you know it was well taken care of and is healthy. It would probably be beneficial to buy a baby and raise it to an adult before attempting breeding. This way you gain a lot of experience with these animals as babies and adults.

My best advice is to take your time. Get everything setup before you get the snake. Ball pythons will always be around so no need to jump into things quickly :).

Edit: 225 for a male pastel is pretty expensive. I have seen higher end pastel males for $100-150 and lower end males for around $75.

I only take my animals to the vet if they need vet care. If you keep your temps right and properly quarantine new animals, you would ideally have no problems that would need vet attention. That being said, you should always be prepared to take your animal to the vet.

A rack system is probably a good idea especially if you plan on getting multiple snakes.

also i was reading the sticky about different breed identification but what about quality? I guess part of the quality would be knowing the different gene traits and if they are unknow would that cause the value to be lower ie the yellow i was looking at? Should i take pics and see if the forum can determine the quality?

A female normal sounds like a great start. Some of my favorites are my normal girls. As far as getting a male, that price for a male pastel is a little too high, unless he is a proven breeder of really good quality.

Vet care is really only needed if your snake gets an infection of some kind, injured, or has parasites. It would be a good idea when you get your snake home to take it to the vet and have it checked for parasites and just get an overall check up. Once she has a clean bill of health, the only time you should have to take her to the vet is if she has a problem. Annual checkups are not needed for snakes.

A rack system is a great way to go. I couldn't be happier with mine. They allow for expansion and take up less space than bulky, heavy tanks. Cleaning is also easier. Instead of carrying around heavy glass tanks and scrubbing corners, tubs are easily carried and washing them takes seconds rather than minutes. I highly recommend Reptile Basics. The racks come ready to use. All you do is plug it in and fill it with snakes. :)

Pics would be great, but quality not only comes from how the snake looks, but where it comes from. Buying from a reputable breeder can make the whole process of getting a snake so much easier and they will be there when you have a question about your new friend. When you buy from a well known breeder, many have a genetics guarantee, so you know you are really getting what is advertised, and they make sure to sex them correctly.

yeah i ve been reading that the hot rocks are a bad idea for pythons. I was thinking of using the tank for some fish. how does the size affect breeding? I know that there are min weights for each sex but will bigger ones produce better young? Also i know that u dont want them to be too fat or too skinny.

Females are generally larger then males since they produce eggs. The bigger the female, the more likely that she will produce a larger amount of healthy eggs.

It takes a couple years for a female to get up to a good weight for breeding. Patience is the key :)

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Females are generally larger then males since they produce eggs. The bigger the female, the more likely that she will produce a larger amount of healthy eggs.

It takes a couple years for a female to get up to a good weight for breeding. Patience is the key :)

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+1

Patience, patience, patience. I can tell you that ball pythons will make you the most patient person on earth...or you will go crazy like me! :rolleye2:

But as Kaorte said, the bigger/older the female, the better. The general "rule" (its not really a rule but a guideline) is to wait until the female is at least 2 years old, so she is going into her third winter (since most bps are born in the spring and summer) and she weighs at least 1500g. You don't want them to be fat, but you will know if she looks a healthy weight. Males generally can breed much earlier, sometimes within the first year of their life. My minimum size for males is 500g and I check to make sure they are producing sperm plugs. (I had a 400g male producing sperm plugs, but its good to get some size on them before you try them on a female)

i gonn check out a show in a ccouple weeks. Also i live in kentucky so if u know any thing about the laws or know a good place to learn about them that would be help full. I dont plan on this being a business just private sales or trades if any.

Shows are the best place to go if you want to see a ton of morphs up close and personal. I have no clue about the laws of Kentucky as far as keeping snakes, but I did find this.

http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exot...state.php?s=ky

It does not list anything about pythons, so I think you are in the clear as far as I can tell.

yeah in kentucky we love our freedom! :)

yeah in kentucky we love our freedom! :)

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Originally Posted by ramz7887

I was thinking of using the tank for some fish.

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There is a huge difference between an aquarium and a reptile tank. They are designed and constructed differently, which is why a 50gal reptile tank will cost you around $200 or so and a 50gal aquarium will run you about $400-$500. You can keep reptiles in an aquarium but there is no vice versa. If you try to fill a reptile tank with water, you are going to end up with a 50 gallon mess on the floor...

I just assumed it was a fish tank but i don't know i'll have to ask. It will depend on the seals.

Start with a female normal! As stated, it takes 3 years to start breeding her! Also male morphs are cheaper the female morphs! A spider male would be a good idea! Spiders always sell fast!!!