Looking to get me some snakes

I've decided to want to breed reptiles and my focus will be on ball pythons. Currently I have an '07 normal female, '07 100% het pied normal male, '07 pastel male, and an '07 pastel female. I am looking to add some more snakes to my collection this year. Currently I am talking with someone about getting two normal females that will be breedable next season. But I also want to get some hets or visable morphs. I would like to get a spider (not sure if male or female), mojave (not sure if male or female), yellowbelly (male) and a pair of 100% het albino normals.

When I was talking to the guy at the store where we get our feeders, (Off the Ark) he said that once all the breeders are hatching out morphs, they might be getting some morphs into the store from local breeders and such. Now, I was already thinking of getting the snakes from actual breeders like 8Ball.

Would you go with the store or a breeder? I bet the majority of you will probably pick breeder, but I was just checking to see what you would do. Most likely I will go with getting them ALL from the breeders themselves rather than buying from the store.

I'd go with the breeder cut out the middle man and earn a friend in the same breath

In your neck of the woods there are alot of breeders, you can get your pick not what the store picked.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

I'd go with the breeder cut out the middle man and earn a friend in the same breath

---

amen!

I only know one person around here who breeds snakes and he is who I'm getting the two female normals from.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I only know one person around here who breeds snakes and he is who I'm getting the two female normals from.

---

What am I chopped liver :tears:

I don't know where you are from... :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I don't know where you are from... :(

---

Oh your wanting to go visit a breeders place..LOL

sorry yea my place would be a bit of a drive. :gj::rofl:

Wouldn't mind having one shipped. I've visited your site several times but you don't seem to having anything available.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

Wouldn't mind having one shipped. I've visited your site several times but you don't seem to having anything available.

---

Yea nothing available yet but got loads of breeding going on and look to have stuff available this summer/spring... but I can steer you to several great people

newenglandreptile.com
Baileyreptiles.com
exoticsbynature.com
8ballpythons.com

Just to name a few

I would go directly to the breeder unless you have a breeder that also runs a pet store! Generally speaking my wife and I have developed good relations with 2 different breeders already and are working on one from here! Don't be afraid to get mailed snakes from a reputable dealer. We had two shipped from two different Florida breeders and we are using one of them again for the Albino Female we bought. Not a single problem with shipping other than the weather needs to be watched closely. We would have went to a breeder in our local area if we could have found any. (It is always nice to be able to see how other people do things first hand instead of asking questions.) We also ordered another Female from HeathersHerps here on line and so far the experience has been great! :gj: Just have to get the weather to cooperate again so we can ship it!

Pet stores are for the very beginner or unfortunately impulse buyers. Due to the lack of knowledge most pet stores have with ball pythons they don't always recieve the best care. Still it is generally a good idea to develop a relationship with the local pet store as this is where you will more than likely be getting your feeder mice/rats from and they tend to hold things back for regulars they know they can expect every other Friday that is buying $50 worth of rats and mice! ;)

Something I am not sure if it matters or not, but I see a lot of breeding projects where mom or dad get bred back to the siblings or the siblings get bred together. While I know this is necessary for making some morphs, I hope my BPs will be slightly better by getting the initial breeding pairs from different breeders. (Note: Have to be careful with this and Axanthics though!)

I agree with the majority to get it straight from a breeder.

I would also suggest you send me your pastels!:)

:D If you mean my pastels, I intend on breeding my male pastel next year.

I think it depends... for instance I got my mojave from a breeder/shop owner and i was very pleased. my other snakes came from a private breeder but his mojaves werent exactly what i was looking for. i think when your investing alot of money you need to pick the animal that you absolutely want. i saw quite a few mojaves before i settled on the one i have now.

I think you should shop around (shops-if they have healthy stock with good reviews) go to shops, visit lots of websites, kingsnake, exc and get the animal you like best (Assuming its HEALTHY and comes from a reputable breeder)


GOOD LUCK!! its tough when you have a shopping list as long as yours..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

:D If you mean my pastels, I intend on breeding my male pastel next year.

---

Aww come on. You know you don't really want them. I'll just drive to VA and pick em up.:D

I wish I had gotten mine from a breeder!

Well my shopping list isn't THAT long. :D Now if I was getting my way there would be at least two more snakes on that list. :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gloryhound

Pet stores are for the very beginner or unfortunately impulse buyers. Due to the lack of knowledge most pet stores have with ball pythons they don't always recieve the best care.

---

I disagree with this. Pet stores are HORRIBLE for the very beginner. As you point out in your next sentence, they will usually receive advice that ranges between not very good to absolutely wrong.

i'll tell you what i would do. i would pick me up some bumble bees, mojave,albinos, and a lot of hets. if your looking to produce balls i would order hets. They are MUCHHHHH cheaper and they can produce some of the nicest offspring. but hey its my 2cents only

I intend on getting some hets. Het albinos are defiantly on my list. I also want to eventually get some het axanthics and some het pieds.