Being fair about PetSmart (and buying your ball python from them)

[Kaorte]

I got my first bp from my local petsmart here in Chicago. At first I had no idea about breeders or anything. Then I learned that you really shouldn't buy animals from big box pet stores. But looking back on it, I wouldn't have done anything differently. The petsmart by me is great. The animals are always well taken care of, clean, and the staff are actually pretty knowledgeable. Most of them actually have some reptiles of their own!

It really just depends on the store and where they get their animals from. If they get imported animals, chances are they will have more problems. If they get them from a local source, chances are they will be just like any other snake you buy from a breeder.

[Killerflash]

I just wanted to touch in on this a little bit. I've been working at Petsmart for a few months now and I'm basically our reptile guy and we get all of our reptiles from specific breeders that we trust and they have their animals tested for disease and what not prior to doing any business with them. We have a pretty good team who takes good care of them really well at my store and I think someone mentioned it earlier, but I wanted to mention it again that we do have a quarantine room specifically for sick animals and also a new arrival room which is basically another quarantine room for new animals we get to stay in for a while to make sure they are healthy before they go out for display.
We get all kinds of morphs too; our most recent one is a piebald we got last night.

With that said it can be very different store to store some are great and I wouldn't be surprised if some weren't. I've actually talked to a guy at another location over the phone who didn't even know what a 'ball python morph' meant. All of my reptiles I have are from breeders right now, but after working here I wouldn't be strayed from getting one at a good store by anything other than price (Unless there is a sale &#128523.

[AKA Dave]

Tucker is a Petsmart refugee. Although he was a little expensive for a normal, he's been great and really launched me and the family back into herps. Even my anti-snake wife now holds them and is actually breeding Crested Geckos herself. Point is, I think if varies from store to store. I've got a good relationship with my local Petco too. Be polite, answer their questions and see if you can't be helpful. It really pays off for everyone involved IMO.

Dave

[pbyeerts]

I got my Ginger from my local PetSmart, and except for some mites, she's been in perfect health.


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[maudie]

got my first ball python at one of those, she's the sweetest snake you'll ever meet as well as in perfect health. they overpriced her a bit, but she was well worth it

[mainer12]

Got my second ball from them, labeled as a super pastel but I'm fairly certain that he isn't. Should be an interesting project proving him out eventually though

[distaff]

My biggest problem with pet stores is that there is no bio-security.

Anyone who wants to may ask to handle an animal. That person may already have snakes, and have a mite problem as well. That spreads mites to the snakes at the store. I also have heard of returned live mice refused by a BP. If you buy a live mouse at a pet store that accepts mouse returns, then there is no guarantee that that mouse wasn't in someone else's cage (a possibly dirty cage infested with mites).

Mites are suspected carriers of IBD. You will probably know soon if your BP catches IBD, but you might not know for many months if your boas catch it.

[FluppleWott]

I was at Petco yesterday checking out there ball python. The lady i was talking to was able to answer any normal question i was asking. The snakes tank looked fairly clean and the snake was active hanging around the front of the tank for everyone to see him. The normal price is $80 though, which i guess isnt too bad once thinking how much shipping costs from out of state breeders. But every so often they have a sale of them putting the price down to $40. I wouldnt hesitate getting one from the petco near me. I got a hamster there and had her for a month now with no problems at all. Shes very friendly. I think if the animal does die within 15 days you are able to take it back and exchange it. Hate to look it like that but it does cover there negligance if the animal happened to have an existing problem when you bought it.

Funny. I never really realized that the prices would be different at different Petcos lol! At our Petco, the normal ball pythons are $59. Every now and then all of their reptiles are half priced, too.

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[BCS]

It has nothing to do with ball python personality that you should stay away from petsmart, its their care of the animals. Totally different animal but, we once bought a pet rabbit from them, he had snuffles, unknown to us. They day we bought him he started sneezing and white mucus from his nose. We asked pet smart for their vet and for a free visit to the vet (petland does pay for animals first vet visit as long as it is within ten days of purchase) but this is not how pet smart works. They refuse to pay for the vet so we took him back. It was super unfortunate. Ten days later we found a healthy rabbit breeder and got one off of them for half the price we bought the one from pet smart.

Pet smart (and pretty much every other pet store) charges outrageous prices. The normal ball pythons at the pet smart here are being sold for $110. I just bought a proven breeder from a local breeder for $40. I know when I produce normals I wont sell them more then $50.

Another reason to stay away from pet smart and other pet stores is because of their lack of knowledge. Noobs get their information from these people and end up coming here with questions......

Whether I get a ball python from a breeder or from a pet store, I am always taking the risk of get one with a bad attitude... that part isn't the problem.

And please don't smack your ball python with a rat... that is so uncool. Your impatience may just pee him off one day.

[distaff]

I will pay a premium for quality. PetSmart type stores have the premium, but give you few reasons to expect the quality.

There is a breeder on line with a normal I want. He is charging $100. Hardly a deal. However, I've watched his videos, seen his husbandry practices and the care he takes, agree with his philosophy, corresponded with him multiple times, etc. To me, all that makes the price worth it. If she is still available when I am set up and ready for her, I'll gladly pay that.

I have NO such relationship with any pet store