My First Ball Python!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[waddada]

Here's my first ball python!!!! I have owned many other reptiles and fostered a few BPs but this is the first of my own. Against my better judgment i got her from Petco. I was planning on going through a breeder but Petco was having a half off sale so she was just $75(shes a pastel) plus they said shes a good eater. They said shes a girl but im going to get her sexed at the vet as i plan on breeding in the future. Also I was wondering if she really is a pastel and if so what would be a good morph to breed with. I just got her Sat. and was able to get her to eat a frozen fuzzy today. Ill post more pics once shes settled in.[IMG][/IMG]

[Daybreaker]

Congrats! She sure is a pastel, but unfortunately she is very browned out already and I wouldn't personally breed her. Also a fuzzy mouse is too small for her: I would recommend starting out with a mouse hopper (you'll see much better growth that way as fuzzy mice for BPs is like us eating lettuce).

[sharkrocket]

Sweet! She looks beautiful. I love the blushing on the saddles and head! I don't know if it's your intention to breed, but if you are...go for it! Breeding isn't all about having a pastel with OMG NO BROWN...it's about having fun and seeing the babies your lovely reptilian friend can produce. My two cents anyways.

Welcome to ball pythons! And enjoy your pastel lady!

[waddada]

Thanks for the info, im still considering breeding her(or him) when she gets bigger. So if i where to breed her with a spider, pinstripe, or another pastel would the babies have alot of brown since she does?? Sorry for being such a noob haha

[Chkadii]

It's my understanding that some of her offspring could be "cleaner" looking than others, but that they would all tend towards the browner side of the spectrum. If she were mixed with, say, a spider, her offspring *could* be bumble bees (it's a genetic lottery), but they probably wouldn't be as nice looking as DrDoolittle's bee (check out her pictures, that snake is gorgeous!). Just keep in mind that they wouldn't sell as high as a bright, clean bee- but breeding shouldn't be about profits anyway . If you want to give breeding a shot, go for it and sell/give the offspring to friends as awesome pets or keep them for yourself. If you're interested in breeding as a long term hobby or maybe even a business, save up for the individual snakes that blow your socks off, rather than the least expensive example of the morph (not that I'm suggesting you would do that! Just general advice)

Also, if feasible, shop at shows and expos. Pet store chains have crazy markups! The one near me (a smaller chain) had a hatchling male pastel for some $225 😏. Shows are great for finding very nice individuals for reasonable prices.

Best of luck! She's cute!

[Kaorte]

I think the colors in the picture are also off making it look browner than it actually is.

If it is a female you have 3 or 4 years before you start breeding. Who knows how many snakes you might have by then

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