Show in 6 days for first BP - what are my priorities?

[zina10]

Be prepared to be caught up in the moment.

Its hard not to fall in love with something at a Expo, and in the heat of the moment you will most likely disregard at least some of your formerly set priorities.

A vendor telling you the snake eats frozen/thawed or is a sweetheart is also not a guarantee that it will. They are there to sell. They will tell you what you want to hear. The reputable well known breeders will tell you the truth, but I can tell you now, most have no time to "tame" hatchlings or convert them to frozen / thawed. I only have 13 hatchlings right now, and converting them not only to frozen/thawed but also rats is WORK. And takes a LOT of patience and time.

All my snakes that I purchased were mailed to me by very reputable breeders. All arrived healthy and thriving. NONE ate frozen / thawed before they came to me. All switched either immediately or after a couple of feedings. They were far easier to switch, then the hatchlings I bred. That is because they were already established snakes with a few meals in them. Plus I gave them plenty of time and privacy to acclimate correctly.

So to find a reputable breeder, that just so happens to have a white BP that has already been switched to F/T and has been handled enough to be calm and "tame". You said it yourself, that is a tall order. If you "shop" online, you have a bigger chance to find this. Because you cast a larger net. And you won't be caught up in the heat of the moment. If you go to an Expo, you WILL come home with a snake, LOL.

Perhaps you as a family will have to sit down and discuss the possibilities that you will have to MAKE your snake into your dream snake. Set the most important priorities. Which should be health (fed a bunch of times, good weight, reputable breeder) and then ...morph if that is important to you. If the snake eats live...well, you can switch it. If there is no way, no how that this is ever an option, perhaps a BP is not for you. Sure, most can be switched to F/T , but sometimes it needs a bit of time and patience. Starving a young one to accomplish that goal is not advisable. Even if you have been told the snake has eaten F/t before, doesn't mean it will right away at your house.

Temperament. Make sure everyone is on the same page that the calm/sweet temperament is something that happens with time and patience. Over handling doesn't speed this up. And if there is a setback (defensiveness or a feeding mistake) it is just that. A setback. They are live animals and they can have a pissy day here and there. You learn to read their body language and when to leave them in peace.

You can absolutely find your dream snake. Do not settle (to much). Just be prepared for the possibility that some things may need to be worked on or given time.