Opinions on an Albino

Hi all,
I found this '08 female albino on an ad. There is another picture of her in the ad but it is not a good shot. This is the better one of the two even if it is not that great either. Do you think she's a good specimen? Would you pay $400 for her? I don't have any specifics as far as weight, temperament, etc. All it says is that she eats both f/t or live mice and that the owner has to sell to pay his rent. I'm thinking of giving this to my husband as a present. He is a big fan of albinos while I'm not really much into them - I love spiders - so I really don't know what constitutes a good albino pattern. What do you guys think? Is she a good pick-up?

http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l...s07/albino.jpg

Well the pic is kind of small so it is hard to tell really. Really it is all about personal taste though, do you know what your husband like as far as pattern is concerned??

Also, $400 seems low for a female 'bino, have you checked the seller out to make sure they are legit? I would be more inclined to go with someone you know is safe even if they are a bit more expensive. Just me personally though.

if you can pop your self i would sex her to be sure before you pay $400, or probe her.

and if its a craigs list add its probably bull. there are allot on there :(

I know my husband is in love with Mike Cavanaugh's albino pictured here:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...a/DSC01214.jpg

It is bright yellow (is that what's called a high-contrast?).

Oh, and yes, it's from craigslist. So, yeah... probably should just wait for a "reputable breeder" one.

Why rule it out right away, thats kind of the beauty of Craigslist over Kingsnake or something else online isn't it, that it is local so you should at least contact the guy and go check her out. No use passing up a great deal if it is legit.

its a scam i tried emailing them and nothing. there was another one with the same picture a few days ago and the guy told me it was sold, and then the ad was erased so who knows.

you should always check on those. there was a male albino along with a het albino female for 350 in my area a few weeks back. it was legit. if i had the cash they would have been mine for sure. so just because it seems too good to be true sometimes its not. remember people need cash cuz the U.S. sucks

like everyone mentioned, the price being so low is a warning sign... BUT that does not mean it is a legit deal. I would contact them and get more info. There are lots of albinos that eat just fine (like mine) but there are also lots of them that are very difficult feeders.

If I were buying it, I would ask to see it feed in its normal setup before buying.... but that is just me.

What mustang said makes it even more questionable in my eyes.

Keep us posted. It looks great given that it is a terrible picture.

Mike

I will attest to the fact that my family has gone snake-crazy. They have. It's so bad that they're borderline unreasonable. I showed this thread to my husband and told him about what y'all think. Do you think it mattered? Heck, no. He decided to drive 2 hours to Orlando to check out the snake, 2 kids in tow, ON A SCHOOL NIGHT! Anyway, this is how crazy it went - I sent the guy an email asking for information. He said he got the snake from a Repticon show in Orlando last year. Said the snake was born in July. Guaranteed female by both the breeder at the Repticon show and his local vet. Very easy-going - he has kids too that play with the snake a lot. But, he said she is a picky eater. He said she is offered food every week but she misses weeks lots of times. He said he can meet tonight. Well, I thought the "picky eater" part will discourage my husband, but no. He still wanted to see it. So he gets off work, tells the kids to pack up because we're going on a roadtrip. I didn't even get the guy's phone number yet and where we are supposed to meet! Anyway, an hour into the drive he finally calls me and we set up a meeting place - this gas station by I-4. So we get there, my husband checks the snake out, talks to the guy for quite some time (he is a young, nice guy!), goes to the ATM at the gas station and hands the guy 400 bucks. My jaw dropped. I didn't expect to get the snake on the spot! I thought we were going to sleep over it first. Well, too late now. I don't even have an enclosure prepared yet. I know, bad right? So, we get home at midnight, I scramble to get an enclosure readied. I got a 10-gallon with a heat lamp with a night glo bulb (whew!). I had to mutilate 2 tupperwares to use as hides and another tupperware for the water bowl. She is on newspaper until she gets a vet visit. No temp or humidity gauges, no thermostat, nothing. I know I'm not doing this right but I'm doing the best I can with what I have. I have to say, she is pretty for an albino (I'm not a big fan of albinos). I still think Mike's snake is prettier though (brighter yellow). I don't know what came over my family. We've seen several albinos for sale at the pet store and online ads. But for some reason, my husband just had this crazy urge to get this one. I'll post pictures when I get a chance. I'll be busy getting her a proper enclosure tomorrow!

glad everything worked out..........:gj:

CONGRADULATIONS!!!!

Good luck. you have reached the first step of recovery in admitting to your families addiction :) :8:

Given the history of feeding trouble, I would strongly suggest at least for now you stick to hard core husbandry rules until it is on a regular feeding schedule. It will suck for now, but that means a small tub (not a tank)... perfect temps, two identical hides so small that she litterally barely fits in them.

I know this will be particularly hard for your little ones and hubby, but do not handle it at all other then to clean tub for a couple weeks. You have brought yourself to the next level in this hobby... It is an expensive snake with an established feeding problem. You must be disciplined and do things perfectly to start with... you will have pleny of time once she gets acclimated to hang out with her... (about 30 years)

Mike

i love my bino, hes a great little guy. hes also a picky eater, wont touch F/T.

I really need to get a camera. Finally got the enclosure stabilized. Mike, I know you said simple and basic = tub, 2 identical hides, etc. And I know I should do it that way. But, I got all these 10 gallon tanks and no appropriate tubs, so I built up one of the 10 gallons and jam packed it with stuff, 2 identical hides - rock "boxes" that has a bottom and top - filled with substrate so she'll have to squeeze in. It's really dark in there. Put a gazillion plastic plants and even put a log over the water bowl so she'll feel slightly covered when drinking. Well, she's been cruising for the past hour, so yeah, she's stressed out. Nobody is allowed in her room until she settles. She's in seclusion! Hopefully the kids will honor the rule and not try to be sneaky.
Anyway, I got some camera phone pictures. Sorry, I don't have better ones. By the way, the lamp is just so I could get a better shot with the camera. I did not put a lamp on the enclosure - relying just on the UTH instead. I heard albinos are extra sensitive to bright light.
Here she is:
http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l.../sunshine2.jpg

Here's the entire enclosure:
http://i314.photobucket.com/albums/l.../sunshine1.jpg

P.S. My husband named her Sunshine. I guess the yellow color reminds him of a sunny day...

She's awesome, congrats on that find! I wish I had someone to share my addiction with, but everyone thinks I'm nuts because I've got more than one and still want at least a few hundred more :D

I like how you set the tank up, it looks like it should be cluttered enough that she'll feel more secure. It looks awesome to boot :P

Tess, that setup looks great. I suggested a tub just because it is so much easier and cheaper to do the "basics" for a problem feeder. However, the tank setup you have there looks like it has all the necessary ingredients.

Now just keep those kids completely away from her for at least a couple weeks, and take some good pictures the next time you have to maintenance on the tank!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike Cavanaugh

Tess, that setup looks great. I suggested a tub just because it is so much easier and cheaper to do the "basics" for a problem feeder. However, the tank setup you have there looks like it has all the necessary ingredients.

Now just keep those kids completely away from her for at least a couple weeks, and take some good pictures the next time you have to maintenance on the tank!

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Thanks Mike!

Grrr... I found my husband in the room this morning taking out the tops of the hides looking for the snake. I tell ya, sometimes I feel like he's my 3rd kid. Sigh.