question bout to buy a snake

[devinluttrell]

i just called up my petsmart and they said they had a 5 month old to a year ball python for sell.
Should I get it?

I was reading online and somebody said it was better to get them young. Is this good enough?

[Sama]

If possible you really want to get one from a breeder, not a pet store. Some stores are actually pretty good and know what they are talking about, but generally speaking they have no clue. Where are you located, maybe we can find a breeder near you?

[devinluttrell]

I live in louisiana

[Sama]

I would try www.exoticsbynature.com or www.baileyreptiles.com

[Valentine Pirate]

Great comment on the local breeders! Just to add in on the age part: Some people prefer to get them a little older, some prefer hatchlings, and some people get adult snakes. An acquaintance of mine adopted a 12 y/o female because he was looking for an easy going pet. She's an absolute doll, but they know next to nothing about where she's from or what her history is like, and that's a downside for some people. Hatchlings give you the option of starting with a smaller snake that grows up into adult size, so you can get used to handling, though the trade off is that you'll be more likely to have a nippy snake for a while (none of mine were, but when tiny, they're at the size where they'd be snakable prey, hence the nippy/defensive behavior that can happen). I like sub adults, but with morphs they're a little more expensive so I end up getting hatchlings most of the time to grow up.

Just a thought on it. I don't think there's any "best" option for everybody, just depends on what you're looking for.

[SylverTears]

I usually get my snakes young and raise them up and tame them. I get mine from BHBreptiles (I highly recommend them) and a local vendor in Vermont called Funks Feeders & Reptiles. Expos can be a good option, don't know of any in your area. I got my first snake from a petstore (being a noobie) but I think breeders are known for quality animals.

[TheSnakeGuy]

I would ask many questions and request to see the feeding charts. Every store keeps them. Most of the Ball Pythons that PetsMart gets are only a couple months old. If it's been there that long it has likely outgrown it's cage and should be adopted out instead of sold. I can't think of a reason why a BP would be there for that long. Ask if it's been sold/returned before. If it's a healthy/eating animal then go for it. Might be half price on christmas eve.

[alexr]

are there any other breeders in LA?