Looking to buy baby ball

[RealmIyce]

Hey does anybody live in the phx az area that might be selling CB ball pythons? perferably babies! Im looking for a good deal on one, under 30 bucks. the pet shop here sells them for 50 but I dunno if they are CB and thats a little too steep for me. Please reply or email me at AeHSrHAcH_Realm@yahoo.com thats also my yahoo messenger ID.

Aaron.

[The_Godfather]

I'm pretty sure if you did some scanning for local breeders they'd have what you're looking for.

[Ginevive]

I know of a good breeder, but he is located in Michigan. But shipping to NY was only $35.
This guy is selling captive hatched BP babies for $18 for males, I believe $25 for females. I do not think that anyone can sell actual captive born and bred BPs for less than that. I paid $55 for my CBB '03 female.
The ones at your local store are probably wild caught. I'd rather pay for the shipping and get a healthy captive bred BP.

[Eddie_Z]

And Aaron, just sumthin to think about: If $50 is too steep just to buy the snake, you might want to reconsider your purchase altogether. Unless you already have a set-up for the snake, you have to realize that getting any snake is about far more than just the purchase of the snake itself. You have to buy the tank, the heating source(s), a water bowl, hides, substrate, thermometer/hygrometer & of course food. Buying a snake can be a very large financial responsibility. I am not trying to deter you because we are always looking for new members of the herp care community, but it is something to think about.

[Ginevive]

True. and you should factor in the cost of potential vet bills. A small chunk of money should always be set aside in every pet-owners' bank account, in case a pet sickness turns up.

[elevatethis]

Check out the care sheets and compile a shopping list of supplies you will need for your setup. Altogether that can run up to a total cost of $100+ depending on how elaborate your setup will be.

Most baby balls you get at shows that sell for under 30 are usually farm raised and imported. Spend the extra money on an animal from a breeder in the US and stop supporting an industry that is cruel to the pets we love.

[gozetec02]

Even if you used a sterilite container and used cardboard boxes for hides a ball python could cost you up to $100 if you are looking not for a cheap ball python but an affordable snake maybe you should consider that many ball pythons are not doing well at the pet store because they dont get the attention that a single owner might give them. I highly recomend you do TONS of research. Not to mention feeders. You have to feed this guy every week. If you want a good ball python with minimal problems I totaly agree with Ginevive save another 30 bux and buy a captive bred ball python. Remember a ball python will be with you for up to 20 years so its best to invest in a ball python and not just run out and get one.

I got both my ball pythons for $20 and they were imports and I have not had any serious problems with them. A ball python is great beginner snake to own because of their temperment and small size.

My whole point is that it doesn't matter how much you pay. You can pay $5 or $50,000 for a ball python but if you get one that is not healthy then you would have wasted your time and your money. But you can pick out a healthy snake and have a best friend for a very long time and thats worth a million dollars.

If you are looking at a franchise petstore like Petco or Petland my opinion is that all of those snakes are imports and way overpriced imports many times they buy those snakes for cents on the dollar and sell it for $60. My advice is to go to a place that specialize in reptiles you can look in your yellow pages and find them.

And if you have any questions this website is the best. There is a HUGE knowledge base here and everyone is very helpful.

Happy Shopping.

[JLC]

I don't know of any breeders in the Phoenix area, but I can suggest that you do a search for any local herp shows/expos. I imagine they aren't uncommon in Arizona. Those are the best places to find really great deals on baby balls, and you get to choose exactly the one you want. Most often, (but not always, so be careful) the people selling them know what they are talking about. You can often find babies for $20 and sometimes even less. These are usually imported, farm-hatched babies. They have just as good a chance at adjusting to captivity as a CBB baby because they've never been "in the wild," but they have a higher risk of having internal parasites.