Selling gravid BP's...

So as I do every so often, I was browsing Kingsnake and I found an ad with someone selling some gravid female (obviously), BP's, and it made me think- Wouldent it be a risk to ship a 'gravid' female half way across the country- or wher ever?

Juuust wondering... I just think that if I was full of egg I'd be pissed if someone stuck me in a box for me to be tossed around and such! But I'm not an exspert- hence, me asking the exsperts :)

I would sure think so...how ruuuuuude of the owner and irresponsible

If the snake is packed properly then the snake is physically fine. But yes it does stress them out a bit more and in turn makes them pissed off.

I bought two gravid female bp's last year. One just had large follicles and I guess the move stressed her out and she reabsorbed them. The other laid 7 eggs and I got her feeding normally.

Well I wouldent think that it would make the snake die or anything.. Well, I guess that depends on the situtation and care with shipping- but still, it can't be good for a 'preggers' girl to get stressed.. It makes me feel bad :(

You'd be surprised how resiliant they are. They go threw WAY worse stresses being imported then being shipped over night to a buyer.

Very true- didnt even think about that. Wow, that would suck too- hiding away in a little 'burrow' of some type, full of eggs, go to get some water and BAM- your being carried away in a bag and shipped off....

Yea, I guess a breeder shipping them off itsnt as bad as that... But why would a breeder want to sell a snake that they just bred? I dont think that really makes any sense.

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Originally Posted by mischevious21

Very true- didnt even think about that. Wow, that would suck too- hiding away in a little 'burrow' of some type, full of eggs, go to get some water and BAM- your being carried away in a bag and shipped off....

Yea, I guess a breeder shipping them off itsnt as bad as that... But why would a breeder want to sell a snake that they just bred? I dont think that really makes any sense.

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The breeder themselves did not breed the snake to ship it off. All those gravid females are pure imports collected form the African BP ranches. The reason breeders snatch up a wild caught gravid female BP is because Gd only knows what she bred with and what she'll throw. So for paying for a $200 gravid female a breeder could stand to make a lot of money from the unknown clutch. That's also why some breeders buy those females in bulk! They don't care if the female dies because the financial output isn't high as long as her clutch survives and could produces a new line of an old morph or a whole new unknown morph line.

Yea, I understand that- even though its not right.. But there is a few people on there selling gravid snakes that they say that they bred themselves..

Heres one with an supposed 'het albino' female to an 'albino' male: http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=32&de=564149
So if he really did breed his het girl to an albino, why wouldent he just keep her at least untill she laid the eggs? I dont know- to me it just doesnt make sense

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Originally Posted by StormDragon

The breeder themselves did not breed the snake to ship it off. All those gravid females are pure imports collected form the African BP ranches. The reason breeders snatch up a wild caught gravid female BP is because Gd only knows what she bred with and what she'll throw. So for paying for a $200 gravid female a breeder could stand to make a lot of money from the unknown clutch. That's also why some breeders buy those females in bulk! They don't care if the female dies because the financial output isn't high as long as her clutch survives and could produces a new line of an old morph or a whole new unknown morph line.

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DAM! $200? Who do you go to?:8:

I was just offered some at $75 each!

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Originally Posted by mischevious21

So if he really did breed his het girl to an albino, why wouldent he just keep her at least untill she laid the eggs? I dont know- to me it just doesnt make sense

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Some people need to sell them really bad. I dont think he wants to wait an additional 2 months for the eggs to hatch so he can then sell them. It is easier to ship a gravid female than to ship eggs, if some people are that crazy...