why are GTP's so expensive???

[Brandon Osborne]

Expensive? I thought of the Ball market myself when I read that. Just a few years ago there were ball pythons being sold for $75k. I think $500-600 is a good price for a true CBB chondro. Price can be reflected by appearance, lineage, locale, age, etc.

If you knew all the work it takes to get hatchlings going you would also understand why breeders ask the prices they do. I've lost entire clutches just because babies flat out refused to eat anything I offered.....and I don't beleive in force feeding baby chondros. They are too fragile. When most people think of baby pythons, they imagine something like a burm or a ball.....something with mass. Baby chondros hatch from eggs the size of a gumball. They are TINY, on average 10-12 grams.

Here is a pair I have going right now. Prices will probably be in the $2000-4000 range depending on color as hatchling, but none will be sold until they are around a year old....which by this time they are feeding on adult mice. The Sire is Calico Kid from Greg Maxwell's calico line, and the Dam is a HY Sedgewick Zoo animal I produced in 2004. The potential for this pairing is exceptional.

I have another pairing with a semi-HY Biak and a Biak X Highland. Those will be priced around $450-600.

Not that a healthy cheap import can't be found, but it is recommended by most to get CBB from a dedicated breeder as your first animal. At least you know the breeder is there to help solve any problems that may come up. Just be sure to do your homework and get to know the breeder you are buying from. I've been keeping chondros since 1995, and I'll be the first to say I've lost a lot of animals, and most have been imports. Feeding issues seem to be one of the biggest problems for new keepers.....with the exception of Biaks. There are lots of tricks to getting them to strike at food. Some baby chondros can be snappy, but in my experience, most are shy and very reserved. This is what causes the feeding issues. I like mean, snappy babies.

Ask yourself again, what is expensive?

Brandon