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BPnet Veteran
The Future of the Ball Python
I have a question for you history buffs and those of you that can look into the future…
I have been fascinated with ball pythons for years… I am a school teacher and have had many bps in my class over the years and have also bred and hatched them with my students (4th grade)… My students come from high risk and very low income families… to make a long story short…. They will never forget my class… it wasn’t until a few years ago that I have become educated on bp morphs.. we don’t see them in the pet stores at all… and unless you’re in the bp community ie forums, expos, etc.. you never will… i am sure glad I came across this forum when I did…
My question is this… what is the history behind the corn snake morph… I have had many morph corn snake throughout the years and frequently see them in pet stores for fairly inexpensive prices… have they always been fairly low in price.. or were they as popular and at high demand as the bps we see today… do you think the bp craze will ever diminish and end up like the corn morphs in pet stores… will we ever see a mojo or lesser at petsmart…
thank you all in advance for your replies and also thank you all so much for the knowledge you post on this forum… even though I don’t post much… I can’t tell you how much it has helped me with my bp craze…
-Marc
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BPnet Veteran
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
More than likely the ball python morphs will stay up to its usual price range, so no mojos or lessers at your local PetSmart. But corn snake morphs are inexpensive because they were one of the first snakes to be cared for in captivity, so they have been a pet snake for awhile. Maybe also the corn snake morphs aren't that interesting compared to ball python morphs.
Guitars, Reptiles, & Fishing!
1.3.1 Crested Geckos
1.0.0 Nu Ana x Moro Leachianus Gecko
1.0.0 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0.0 Normal Ball Python
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon
& Lots of terrified-snake relatives!
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BPnet Veteran
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
Well I really don't think it is an "interest" factor. I know many people that are crazy about corns... and wouldn't even think about trading my morphs for theirs...
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BPnet Veteran
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
i think in the next two years, u might see more and more co doms inside stores like petsmart.... but mainly pastel or spider. corn snakes can double clutch in a year and they lay way more eggs, this is why u see more cornsnake morphs at places like petsmart. although i wish a few of my bps would lay 30+ eggs a clutch, i dont see even the largest female bp laying over 18, but the average id say is 8
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Registered User
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
 Originally Posted by guambomb832
More than likely the ball python morphs will stay up to its usual price range, so no mojos or lessers at your local PetSmart. But corn snake morphs are inexpensive because they were one of the first snakes to be cared for in captivity, so they have been a pet snake for awhile. Maybe also the corn snake morphs aren't that interesting compared to ball python morphs.
I have seen and own corns with lot better color and pattern than BPs. I love them for their color.
I have two Ball Pythons, which we love very much for their disposition and attitudes. It’s like comparing a Lab to a terrier.
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BPnet Veteran
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
I a normal hatchling is between 15 and 30 dollars and it cost 80 at a pet store me personally I wouldn't wanna see a market value 200 or 300 dollar snake in a pet store. The would be at price recessive market prices an if those make it (other then albino) the price could only get worse...
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Registered User
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
Corn snakes cost less also because they can lay many more eggs than ball pythons. Ball pythons on average lay 7 eggs. with a few slugs thrown in if luck is bad that year. So thats why they cost more.
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Re: The Future of the Ball Python
It's simple supply and demand--ball pythons are slow breeders, as has already been said. They only clutch once a year, they lay an average of 6 eggs (though huge females can lay double that or a bit more), and females take 2 or 3 years to reach proper breeding weight. Females sometimes fail to lay, or lay infertile eggs, even when paired with good males.
Corn snakes are somewhat more reliable, and can lay two very large clutches per year if managed correctly. Because of that, the earliest corn snake morphs have come down in price to the point where they cost the same amount of money as a normal corn snake on the pet market. Don't make the mistake of assuming that all corn snake morphs are that low, however--there are still corn snake morphs worth hundreds of dollars out there, and people are breeding new morph combos every year.
The lowest price for a ball python morph is still $30 higher than the pet market price for a normal, and $60 to $70 higher than the wholesale/show price. Interestingly, I noticed this year that the price appears to have bottomed out. Pastels were selling for 75-90 for males, and 150 to 200 for females last year...this year, they still are.
This may represent a lower threshold for ball python morphs, because pastels are unlikely to become as common as normals, at least not for a very long time.
Pastels do not fare well in pet stores--it's been tried. The general public does not understand why they are special enough to earn a higher price tag. They're just looking for a docile pet snake, and normal ball pythons can be very attractive. Albinos may do better, but the price of albinos is not sinking nearly as rapidly, because they are a recessive gene rather than a co-dominant gene.
I DO see a day when morphs such as mojave, spider, and lesser platinum are available in pet stores. But that day may be 10 years down the road, or more. For now, there is a thriving market among reptile breeders. Interest in reptile keeping is always expanding, and it appears to be enough to keep this internal market going. It helps that ball pythons are relatively inexpensive to keep. Even normals can pay for their own feed for a year, if they're bred.
The traits that are keeping ball morphs out of pet stores are the same ones that make them such good investments for breeders. Considering how MANY base morphs have been discovered, and how painstaking and long the process is of combining them, I don't see an end in sight. Which is good for me, because this is what I've chosen to make a career of. ^_^
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BPnet Veteran
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
I got a stunning pastel at a petstore, but that's not exactly common. He was $159, and they have another one now, but that one isn't half has nice as mine.
More expensive morphs, the pet store would be taking a big risk buying from a breeder- what if they don't sell? Such an expensive animal will sit at the pet store for months or years. Eventually the store owner is losing money even if he gets his price... after a year of feeding, etc.
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BPnet Veteran
Re: The Future of the Ball Python
But you also have to look at what pet stores may get them... I dont know if you would call small pet store mom and pop stores but in reallity its more likely that you will see the small un franchised petstores in your local area carrying morphs of some sort.. but I agree it is unlikely to happen soon unless it is a store that is big on or that specailizes in reptiles... I have seen that where they have morphs but petco and petsmart... we are at least 15 years from that... hell they have problems wit mites and i doubt a good breeder would sellin less then 50 dollars no matter how many they buy at a time to the 10 each they pay for normals... there loss will be greater...
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