BP's from Craigslist

[mechnut450]

I have only aquired normal bps off craigslist then it when I know I got he extra resources for the vet checkup and such ( summer time) I post on the local one that I take them in and I have some that are ready to be adopted out. I won't ever consider offering a morph on there. I also be very carefull on who you deal with. I only bought th reptile cages off people ( then they were the 40 gal reptile ones) then I only offer a max of 20 bucks specailly if I was going for the snake. ( can never have enough large rodent tanks since I replace the tops with a plywood and rat wire) I like it more when I am paid to take the snake,cage and all. I got a nice bp that was later adopted out and was paid 50 bucks to take the snake,cage .. But seroisly pay attention to wht they post, ask questions, and tell them you want it look at the snake befoer you hand over any money cause if it got mites( not the biggest problem but it is one) or other signs of not being healthy walk away cause you may pay more in the long run for their carelessness .. There is a reason they getting rid of it..

[Elise.m]

I check craigslist every now and then and try to find some snakes. Mostly they're just normals, and some people who are small time breeders put ads up.

I found an adult female het pied for $350 on there a month ago. He said she was proven. I emailed him a few times, and the last e-mail I sent was asking about her health, and if I could see any of the pieds that she produced. I didn't get any emails back after that. Wasn't a big surprise, who would sell a "Proven het pied female" for $350?!

Just like everyone else said, if you are interested in getting a snake off CL, be sure to ask as many questions as you can think of.

[steveboos]

Just as long as you ask a lot of questions and try to learn when they fed the snake, all the information about its housing, any health issues, etc. Asking questions is your best bet when adopting pets off of craigslist.

[catawhat75]

Probably the worst place to get a snake...

Go with a reputable breeder and/or an experienced hobbyist.

The chance of experienced hobbyists selling on there is unlikely. And it is against their TOS for breeders to use the site to move snakes.

Bruce

I disagree Bruce. The ones I have rehomed on Craigslist have all been for under $40, they are given a care sheet, are asked to have equipment beforehand, are given a link to this site as well as following up with them after to see how the snakes are settled in.

I have also gotten 2 wonderful, very healthy girls from people who took great care of their animals but due to circumstances had to rehome them.

Is it the best place to find an animal, no it's not. But it isn't 100% bad either.

[ChrisS]

I bought one of my balls off of CL and he has been a great feeder and is very healthy. But, I would recomend asking if you can check out the snake. I had another snake I was looking at and it looked terrible. I felt bad for the snake but didn't want to loose the money that the guy was asking for it, just for the snake to die on me. Hope this helps

[qui_65]

Yeah first post I'm new to this site and to ball pythons really, I got mine off of craigslist a couple months ago and he's was in great health when I got him and he's been great since. As long as you make sure you get pictures and ask lots of questions I think it can be a good call.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I disagree Bruce. The ones I have rehomed on Craigslist have all been for under $40, they are given a care sheet, are asked to have equipment beforehand, are given a link to this site as well as following up with them after to see how the snakes are settled in.

I have also gotten 2 wonderful, very healthy girls from people who took great care of their animals but due to circumstances had to rehome them.

Is it the best place to find an animal, no it's not. But it isn't 100% bad either.

This is all relative. Are there good people selling on there, I do not doubt that. But as a rule, when considering the options of where one CAN get a BP, Craigslist will always stand hands down as one of the WORST places to get a snake.

Lots of sick snakes, lots of improper husbandry, and lots of horror stories.

Bruce

[joepythons]

Just curious how much people have used Craigslist to buy/sell BP's. I was looking around today and have seen people selling setups + BP for anywhere from $15-50. Seems like a decent way to add to a collection. Any thoughts?

To be honest its a good way to pick up someones sick mistreated impulse buy .Or you could always pickup a new morph like a ball boa hybrid .

[jimbus]

I don't know that I have ever seen a mistreated/unhealthy snake...so when people say the snake "doesn't look good", I'm assuming that they are just thin, scarred, etc? And just out of curiosity...as far as looking good aesthetically/visually for normal balls, is it just personal preference or are there certain patterns, colors, and contrasts considered to be premium for non morphs? if so, what makes one normal ball a 10 vs. a 2?

[joepythons]

I don't know that I have ever seen a mistreated/unhealthy snake...so when people say the snake "doesn't look good", I'm assuming that they are just thin, scarred, etc? And just out of curiosity...as far as looking good aesthetically/visually for normal balls, is it just personal preference or are there certain patterns, colors, and contrasts considered to be premium for non morphs? if so, what makes one normal ball a 10 vs. a 2?

I have seen some craigslist ads that the snake is only getting fed once a month because "they cant afford" to feed it more .Or a mom is getting rid of her sons snake that was left 3 months ago when the son moved out and has not been fed during this time because she was afraid of it.In my eyes these examples are of mistreated reptiles and it makes me sick.So i stopped reading the stuff on craigslist