Ended up with 2 "mean" ball pythons

[Gocntry]

So the story is...

Last Sunday friend texts me, I'm at XXX pet store (not Pet smart / Petco ), they have 2 "Mean" snakes their looking to get rid of. So being I was just sitting around the house, I'm like give me 15 I'll be there. So I show up, say lets see them and they pull the case out with 2 TINY snakes in there. They were cohabited obviously, and they looked skinny . So I ask to get them out, They wouldn't touch them, they had the feeding tweezers out, and were going to go get the "bite gloves". (For reference when I weighed them at the house 1 was 97g the other 79g). I said I can get them if you don't mind. They said you think you can go ahead.... Of course I picked them up no problem. The lighter one was striking at anybody who got near, The darker one was pretty shy. I ask if they were feeding them due to how skinny they looked, they told me they were feeding them fuzzies, and the person who feeds them was on vacation for a week so they didn't get fed. Ugh, those poor gals (maybe guys)
So I got them both, at a big discount, and took the gals? home, and yes I understand about pet shops, but those poor snakes got to me.

they were last fed last Tuesday (fuzzie) at the shop, I fed them Sunday night after I got them home and they settled for most of the day. I gave each one a hopper I believe (10 gram mouse f/t) and they went right after them and ate no problem. Their in a split 20 gallon now, will each get their own 10 gallon next week, they are separated from the snake room, after they settle for a month I'll take them for the vet check up unless they show systoms of needing to go sooner.

I planned on 6 meals of hoppers (about 10g per feeding) then moving up another size if that is advisable, and should I stick to a 7 days feeding schedule or go 5 day till they grow a little?

Pics below, The darker one is "Bean" and was 79 grams Sunday, The lighter one is "Bitey" and was 97 grams

[Bogertophis]

"Bean" & "Bitey"? That's freaking adorable! As you figured, they were hungry and scared! Poor things...if they're warm enough & seem interested
you can feed them fuzzies every 5 days (but no sooner than that), that should be OK. Don't you love "dumb" pet stores & "enabling" friends?

I wouldn't expect them to "grow a little" on fuzzies...that will be "maintenance", while they settle in, btw. I hope you can educate this shop in the future...but if not,
encourage them to NOT sell snakes that they don't understand & aren't doing right by...otherwise, you're going to need a bigger place.

I'll bet these progress rapidly with your good care...but glad you're quarantining too. Hopefully they're healthy.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

So I got them both, at a big discount, and took the gals? home, and yes I understand about pet shops, but those poor snakes got to me.

I will be honest here, it's not gonna be popular but I am not known for trying to be.

What this store was dealing with were stressed/hungry BP that were this way because of their poor husbandry and sadly you just thought this pet store that even if they do not properly care for their animals there will always be someone that will feel sorry and buy their animals. Now they have space for more and in no time 2 new animals will replace those ones.

they have 2 "Mean" snakes their looking to get rid of.

What should have been done here was educate those owners on proper husbandry and feeding.

[Gocntry]

I will be honest here, it's not gonna be popular but I am not known for trying to be.

What this store was dealing with were stressed/hungry BP that were this way because of their poor husbandry and sadly you just thought this pet store that even if they do not properly care for their animals there will always be someone that will feel sorry and buy their animals. Now they have space for more and in no time 2 new animals will replace those ones.

What should have been done here was educate those owners on proper husbandry and feeding.

Please be Honest.... I won't get butt-hurt, I understand the welfare of my animals overrides my feelings.

Store is a franchised big box, no clue who the owner would even be, and I'm sure the employees just "follow" company policy,

I also understand as soon as the register "rang up" those 2 snakes it probably auto ordered 2 more, endless cycle, I know.

I just felt that being the employees considered them mean, they were not going to find a home and would end up with short lives ending

in the cage at the pet store, so I took them home, not rational, and went against all advice I've read about on this forum, but I allowed it to happen.

[Spoons]

I broke my rule once too of never buying from big box stores. The snake was more dead than not and took extensive vet care to get better. I figured yes, they'll probably just replace her with a new snake. But to the snake I took home, I made a difference - a world of difference, as she wouldn't have survived at the pet store - and I can at least hope that the snake they replace her with is healthy and gets bought before it gets to the severely ill point that mine was at.

It's a catch 22. Don't buy them, they die and get replaced, do buy them, they still get replaced. I still disapprove of it, but I guess I've changed my mind from being 100% firm to 95% firm with a little case by case wiggle room.

Sent from my H3223 using Tapatalk

[Bogertophis]

That's where I'm at too, what Spoons just said. ^ ^ ^ I cannot save them all, but I can feel pretty good for helping the ones I can. I've taken in a number of
snakes over the years, though rarely "store-bought". Mine have mostly been unwanted & poorly cared for "pre-owned" snakes, or w/c needing help. But it's a
labor of love, all the same.

I do agree that some pet stores have figured out this heartless angle of selling snakes to sympathetic shoppers though.
Animal lovers of any species are motivated to rescue...it's a real challenge to see creatures needing help, and then choose to walk away.

Not knowing what the OP ended up paying for these BPs, I would guess that the store still made a profit...so inflated are store prices compared to how cheaply
they acquire them. That's why they wanted to discount these & move on to "easier, more cooperative" BPs. Again, no way to know if it's deliberate manipulation,
or just their inexperience, but it wouldn't hurt to try to enlighten them, if possible, about proper care. Suggest they visit this forum...

[Gocntry]

That's where I'm at too, what Spoons just said. ^ ^ ^ I cannot save them all, but I can feel pretty good for helping the ones I can. I've taken in a number of
snakes over the years, though rarely "store-bought". Mine have mostly been unwanted & poorly cared for "pre-owned" snakes, or w/c needing help. But it's a
labor of love, all the same.

I do agree that some pet stores have figured out this heartless angle of selling snakes to sympathetic shoppers though.
Animal lovers of any species are motivated to rescue...it's a real challenge to see creatures needing help, and then choose to walk away.

Not knowing what the OP ended up paying for these BPs, I would guess that the store still made a profit...so inflated are store prices compared to how cheaply
they acquire them. That's why they wanted to discount these & move on to "easier, more cooperative" BPs. Again, no way to know if it's deliberate manipulation,
or just their inexperience, but it wouldn't hurt to try to enlighten them, if possible, about proper care. Suggest they visit this forum...

That's where i was at, I understand I can't "save them all", but i do have the financial ability to take care of these gals, correct food supply, housing, vet visits
ect.

1 of my other snakes is a CL pick-up, 2 other were adoptions from the local shelter, I seem to go for the unwanted guys, which is Ok, they need homes too.

As for the price, I believe one was a "normal" @ 59.99, the other a "fancy @ $149.99, I ended up paying $30.00 per snake.

The ones I adopt from the shelter were $20.00 adoption fee, so that price was fair to me. That's less that what shipping would be on any snake I would

purchase off Morph Market. Different circumstances I know, but that lets more funds in the bank for unforeseen needs in the future, which can happen with

any snake. Right or Wrong, that is just how I see things.