size of ball python

[Vypyrz]

I don't know how this myth keeps getting perpetuated.

Petco. I don't know if Petco gives out this particular piece of advice, but looking at the poor, tiny, hungry ball pythons they usually sell in-store, I'm guessing they've also all been told it and bought into it.

The way it was explained to me is this is a common tactic used by some of the salespeople at certain "Brand X" Pet Stores, who will tell a customer anything they think the customer wants to hear in order to make a sale, whether it's a twisted truth, half truth, or flat out lie. The way they get away with it is there is usually a small information placard somewhere around the display with general info about the animal. The salespeople will keep the customers engaged any way they can to keep their attention away from that placard. If a customer comes back and complains, all the salespeople have to do is deny remembering the conversation and point out the fact that there is a publicly displayed information placard and it's not their fault if the customer failed to notice or read it.