should I?

[Chappy4o]

so, for the holidays petsmart is doing a deal on pretty much all their reptiles and they have 50% off on BP's. so i went to the store and checked out what they have and saw they have a pinstripe for $60 but it looks kinda thin to me and im curious if i should risk getting it.

EDIT: full disclosure, i did not talk to anyone about it so i do not know age or anything. def. looks to young to have been sexed yet for sure

[Crowfingers]

It does look underweight, and knowing *most petsmarts' it is probably A) a young snake that has either never started feeding correctly, B) has been fed pinky mice once a week or less and is in starvation mode, C) has parasites that are taking his nutrition. There is also a good chance that there are mites or an underlying RI issue or other health issue from improper husbandry. (They are usually at 40% humidity or less and in the low 70's -80's with no heated hot spot in the display cages).

Not all petsmarts are the same, but there is a thread that was just posted a few days ago that shows the kind of treatment most chain stores give their reptiles. Supporting a local breeder may also get you a healthy well established snake as well, and will not support chains that make money off of suffering animals.

The choice is ultimately up to you and how you feel on the risks involved. Keep in mind that *if* the snake is not up to par health-wise, that $60 discount snake could end up costing $200-$500 in vet bills if you have to treat illness.

Also consider if you are ready and able to quarantine a new snake for several months - complete QT means all new tongs, bowls, substrate, separate rooms, extreme care of hand washing and clothes changing after every interaction, etc

[Stewart_Reptiles]

You can get a well started Pinstripe from a reputable breeder for $50 M / $75 F year round at shows.

[Godzilla78]

I would not buy a reptile from a large corporate chain with poor reputation in reptile care. There are far too many alternative sources to buy a ball python from.

Heck, I obtained 2 of my beauties on cragislist! Just make sure to check the animal carefully for signs of disease. A lot of people buy ball pythons and quickly get tired of the novelty and try to rehome them in classified ads. If you want to get a good deal, you can check out your local classifieds. If there are any smaller, more specialized reptile shops nearby, you could check them out also. There are petsmarts and petcos all over the place around here, but there is an Aquarium and Imports store that only carries fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals. Privately owned, and I always check out their reptiles. They have reticulated pythons and a lot of cool animals that you cannot find at PetCorporateMart.

If you do not want to pay for shipping, you could wait until a reptile show comes nearby and buy from a breeder directly.

[Chappy4o]

It does look underweight, and knowing *most petsmarts' it is probably A) a young snake that has either never started feeding correctly, B) has been fed pinky mice once a week or less and is in starvation mode, C) has parasites that are taking his nutrition. There is also a good chance that there are mites or an underlying RI issue or other health issue from improper husbandry. (They are usually at 40% humidity or less and in the low 70's -80's with no heated hot spot in the display cages).

Not all petsmarts are the same, but there is a thread that was just posted a few days ago that shows the kind of treatment most chain stores give their reptiles. Supporting a local breeder may also get you a healthy well established snake as well, and will not support chains that make money off of suffering animals.

The choice is ultimately up to you and how you feel on the risks involved. Keep in mind that *if* the snake is not up to par health-wise, that $60 discount snake could end up costing $200-$500 in vet bills if you have to treat illness.

Also consider if you are ready and able to quarantine a new snake for several months - complete QT means all new tongs, bowls, substrate, separate rooms, extreme care of hand washing and clothes changing after every interaction, etc

Thanks, that's what I was afraid of, this PetSmart seems to be clean, husbandry is a little lacking, does have a small heat lamp (red light) in the corner where the snake is staying. The crappy zoo med dial humidity gauge says 40% at the far end of the enclosure

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[Chappy4o]

You can get a well started Pinstripe from a reputable breeder for $50 M / $75 F year round at shows.

Unfortunately there are never shows here in NM because of permit issues

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[Chappy4o]

so i ran back over there and took another look and handled the snake. dont think im going to get it, as much as i really really really really want to get it and be the champion of the little noodle and get it healthy i just dont think im prepared for the possible vet bills . . . . idk . . . i have the first setup that fred came home to that i could get running again (been using to keep rats that fred didnt bother with at first) and i have another room for quarantine purposes . . . im just not sure. it is a beautiful pinstripe none the less. . . . . i hate this

[SDA]

Buying from petco and petsmart perpetuates their selling reptiles which they should not be doing. Not buying is the only way to put an end to their poor practices.

[Chappy4o]

Buying from petco and petsmart perpetuates their selling reptiles which they should not be doing. Not buying is the only way to put an end to their poor practices.

yeah i agree . . . but its so damn hard to see it like that

[Aerries]

I’m not going to get started on this lol but just check out my thread on what I found at Petco that will explain everything.


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