Upsetting Craigslist Ad

So I was looking at craigslist to see what was on there, and found an ad that breaks my heart and I just had to share with other people who would feel the same. This person has a three year old female ball python, they say it's almost 3 feet long and they feed her a large rat once every two months! There's not any pics of what they've kept her in, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was improper too. They're asking $150 for her, and I really want to get her to try and nurse her back to health, but unfortunately I don't have that much to spend right now. I'm wondering if I could talk them down on the price. The picture is kind of blurry but you can at least see the size of the snake, which seems ridiculous for a three year old snake.


https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...a_1200x900.jpg

With the forced perspective in that photo it's hard to see how big she truly is. Her spine does not look like it's protruding though.

Also depending on the supplier's size definitions, a "large" rat every two months may be more than adequate for a non-breeder adult ball python.

Unfortunately many people get BPS and take no time to learn how to properly care for them. She does look small, but who knows, she probably hasn't been properly sexed - could be a male. Either way they definietly aren't feeding her enough, and like you said, probably don't have proper husbandy either. I rescued a BP off craigslist last month and he came to me freezing, starving, and mite ridden. So just be aware you will likely have underlying issues to deal with if you adopt her.
That being said I don't regret getting Aesir, he is an absolute sweetie and a joy to have. I bet they would go down in price, I got Aesir down to $80 off a $150 posting.
Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped that cute little noodle.

I did email them, I haven't heard back yet. I figure there will be issues to deal with if I do bring her home. As far as the properly sexed part, it sounds like she was bought from a breeder. She's supposedly a granite pastel, though it's hard to tell from the pictures and I'm not super familiar with morphs yet, but she almost looks like a normal to me, but I'm not sure. Of course I don't know who the breeder was so not being properly sexed could be a possibility. I'll attach the other pics so you can see all of them.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6_1200x900.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...n_1200x900.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...A_1200x900.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6_1200x900.jpg

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Originally Posted by BlueFenris

I did email them, I haven't heard back yet. I figure there will be issues to deal with if I do bring her home. As far as the properly sexed part, it sounds like she was bought from a breeder. She's supposedly a granite pastel, though it's hard to tell from the pictures and I'm not super familiar with morphs yet, but she almost looks like a normal to me, but I'm not sure. Of course I don't know who the breeder was so not being properly sexed could be a possibility. I'll attach the other pics so you can see all of them.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6_1200x900.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...n_1200x900.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...A_1200x900.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6_1200x900.jpg

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She looks like a norm to me, if I am correct granites are more bright and have a more yellow marking pattern than the brown/gold that female has. But I could very easily be wrong. She really doesn't look in too bad of condition though.

Maybe I'm overreacting, it just seemed like it was an awfully small size for a supposedly three year old snake. Thanks for everyone's input though, I appreciate it.

There is absolutely no pastel in that snake. I do not work with granite so I can not say about that but to me looks like a normal

Yeah that's what I was thinking. The ad says the guy paid 500 for the snake. I think he may have gotten swindled. But if the snake doesn't look to be in bad condition, I'm probably not going to get her since I don't need to get another snake quite yet, especially not what he's asking for what may be a normal.

Looks like a healthy weight to me.

Based on the pictures, the owners living conditions aren't great so I can just imagine how bad it is for the snake. WTF is wrong with people. :mad:

If you don't have $150 to spend on a healthy snake you don't want, you sure as heck don't have $150 to spend on an unhealthy snake you do want. Don't go looking to pay for other people's problems.

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Originally Posted by Eric Alan

If you don't have $150 to spend on a healthy snake you don't want, you sure as heck don't have $150 to spend on an unhealthy snake you do want. Don't go looking to pay for other people's problems.

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+1 this. You don't know what kind of issues you will incur by taking that snake from somebody who hasn't properly cared for a snake. It's sad that they have these kind of people in the world. They get something and fail to do the proper research of what they're getting. I don't even try to meet these people because I have a short temper for ignorance and it'll only end up in a brawl session.

That snake doesn't look bad to me. Also snakes grow at different rates and some are just smaller or larger than others. I mean heck, Gio's male BCI is about 7' where as my female one is 6.5' and they are both about the same age and I actually fed my girl more than Gio fed his boy. I wouldn't base a snakes health on its size.

And like Eric said, if you don't have $150 for a healthy snake, then don't want to buy an unhealthy one. Vets are expensive. I've had to take a couple of my snakes to the vet and my beardie over the years and let me tell you, the vet bills were a lot more than the animals cost but I love all my pets so money wasn't an issue for me. They are all my scaly kids lol.

If you want to see unhealthy reptiles, go to Petco lol. There will be at least one there that is in rough shape.

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Originally Posted by BR8080

Based on the pictures, the owners living conditions aren't great so I can just imagine how bad it is for the snake. WTF is wrong with people. :mad:

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I didn't even notice the background until now hahaaha

He might keep his snakes in the garage. I have heard of some people doing that even though I don't know why you would.

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Originally Posted by BlueFenris

Maybe I'm overreacting, it just seemed like it was an awfully small size for a supposedly three year old snake. Thanks for everyone's input though, I appreciate it.

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Depends on the snake. I have some slow grower that are close to 3 now and under 1000g.
Snake looks healthy but no pastel or granite.

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Originally Posted by BR8080

Based on the pictures, the owners living conditions aren't great so I can just imagine how bad it is for the snake. WTF is wrong with people. :mad:

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Because he lives in what appears to be a basement that could use a floor refinishing? Could of flooded at some point. From the photos there appears to be nothing wrong with the snake and personally I'm not going to make snap judgements over where someone sleeps, could be a beautiful 300k house above him. I think you are being highly critical with your assumptions not evidence. However it is about as normal as they get.

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Originally Posted by BR8080

Based on the pictures, the owners living conditions aren't great so I can just imagine how bad it is for the snake. WTF is wrong with people. :mad:

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I agree. Not to mention, I'd be surprised if someone living in those conditions had just dropped $500 on a reptile. At least not without doing research...but who knows humans are strange creatures. Maybe he got swindled or maybe he is doing the swindling? Luckily for you, other potential buyers are probably sketched out as well and you could negotiate that price way down.

This is a kid who moved his bedroom to the basement. The soda cans, the backpack, the unmade twin bed with camo(?) sheets and cloths hung above, the ipod wire hanging down from the crawlspace, the rusty exercise apparatus, the lack of wherewithal to take a photo of his squalor and post it on the internet; this is a kid. (and maybe I'm crazy, but those look like the hands of a teenage boy) - He's lying about something: either the age, the source, the price, or something, but this is a bum deal and i recommend not getting involved. Also, I am not a BP guy, but i agree that the snake does not look to be underfed or in pain, so dont beat yourself up over not rescuing it.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Depends on the snake. I have some slow grower that are close to 3 now and under 1000g.
Snake looks healthy but no pastel or granite.

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Good point, I have a female YB granite that is three years old and may top 1000 grams this year. There's not a thing wrong with her, she's just a small girl.

Also don't equate messy living conditions for the people with messy conditions for the animals. I have a few friends whose houses are absolute disasters, but their stables are spotless. Priorities...

Thanks for all the replies. I talked myself out of feeling bad enough to try and rescue the snake since it doesn't seem to need rescuing. I know other potential buyers aren't really taking either since he had the price at $200 previously and dropped it to $150 after a while. Still asking far too much for a normal.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Good point, I have a female YB granite that is three years old and may top 1000 grams this year. There's not a thing wrong with her, she's just a small girl.

Also don't equate messy living conditions for the people with messy conditions for the animals. I have a few friends whose houses are absolute disasters, but their stables are spotless. Priorities...

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Haha, i'm kind of like that sometimes too. I'll let things go around the house but if my snakes take a poop or piss, i'm like a fly on it to get it cleaned lol.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Good point, I have a female YB granite that is three years old and may top 1000 grams this year. There's not a thing wrong with her, she's just a small girl.

Also don't equate messy living conditions for the people with messy conditions for the animals. I have a few friends whose houses are absolute disasters, but their stables are spotless. Priorities...

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100% Agreed