I'm convinced the universe is mocking me, or I'm just torturing myself

[Snagrio]

Those poor little snakes getting poked, prodded & teased. Not something I'd do, but otherwise this brings back fond memories of hatching out my Taiwan Beauty rat snakes- & yes, they're all BIG hatchlings! I like their diamond patterns, & personally I prefer the gold color to the "blue" beauty rat snakes, but they're all awesome. Taiwans have the black face masks too & plenty of sass! I find the hatchlings do grow out of it to be fairly normal rat snakes though- at least mine weren't "terrorists"? Thanks for sharing- it's a great video! Any idea how much they're asking for them?

Agreed with the handling, but compared to other breeder videos where they roughly handle newborns and practically fling them across the table it's not nearly as bad.

As for price, I have no clue. I've checked their site more than once over the course of a year and it's always been this message. Going by what I've seen on MM though, they don't go for cheap. Current examples on there are half a grand or more. https://www.snakediscovery.com/available-reptiles/

Not even any real directions as to where to go to get on a waiting list beyond a simple email link. Quite odd.

[Bogertophis]

Agreed with the handling, but compared to other breeder videos where they roughly handle newborns and practically fling them across the table it's not nearly as bad.

As for price, I have no clue. I've checked their site more than once over the course of a year and it's always been this message. Going by what I've seen on MM though, they don't go for cheap. Current examples on there are half a grand or more. https://www.snakediscovery.com/available-reptiles/

Not even any real directions as to where to go to get on a waiting list beyond a simple email link. Quite odd.

Sadly, I'm sure there's worse handling of hatchling snakes- but I like my snakes to feel safe with me & be good pets, & I believe it starts on day one, their impression of the world (& of moi).

Gee, prices sound a bit insane for these- but it does come down to "supply & demand" with rarer species. And it's like they don't even want to sell them at all? But they're NOT hard to breed- so just be patient, you'll get there.

[Snagrio]

Sadly, I'm sure there's worse handling of hatchling snakes- but I like my snakes to feel safe with me & be good pets, & I believe it starts on day one, their impression of the world (& of moi).

Gee, prices sound a bit insane for these- but it does come down to "supply & demand" with rarer species. And it's like they don't even want to sell them at all? But they're NOT hard to breed- so just be patient, you'll get there.

Their demand must've skyrocketed then. I looked through older MM listings going back to around 2018 and prices were in the $400, $300, even mid $200 range and most if not all of them appeared to be captive bred.

I looked on Fauna Classifieds and it seems to be a similar story, though I see listings even a year ago that were cheaper in similar ranges as above, but recent posts from this very month seem to be $450 minimum. Strange...

[Bogertophis]

Their demand must've skyrocketed then. I looked through older MM listings going back to around 2018 and prices were in the $400, $300, even mid $200 range and most if not all of them appeared to be captive bred.

I looked on Fauna Classifieds and it seems to be a similar story, though I see listings even a year ago that were cheaper in similar ranges as above, but recent posts from this very month seem to be $450 minimum. Strange...

I think current high prices might also have to do with people being out of work due to covid- wanting to work from home now, or being forced to do so? Also, various shortages making costs rise.

And "just because" -some do take advantage when things aren't plentiful. Just remember they're easy to raise. I think MM prices tend to be high- because they have the advantage of being a widely known & reputable platform to advertise from (& it's also easy to find things on).

[Snagrio]

Another VBBRS in the thumbnail so I had to. Don't think I'd ever be able to afford a super large fancy enclosure like that though.


While on the subject, I think I have something of a timeline planned out. I should be starting a new job very soon as a dog walker/pet sitter (I've got one more interview left and they've been liking me so far), and I'm thinking maybe sometime next spring/early summer would be ideal, as by then I'll be in a healthy position financially and current more important issues like my current BP's permanent housing will be squared away. Plus I'd imagine there will be plenty of new babies to choose from around that time of year as well (unless that's later in the year, idk how their breeding cycles work).

[Spicey]

Don't think I'd ever be able to afford a super large fancy enclosure like that though.

Well if you were bringing in $240K a year just from Patreon, you probably could. I'm not dissing Emily and Ed, though; I think it's great that they have been able to realize their dreams. They are good people.

[TofuTofuTofu]

I like Snake Discovery and watch their channel. There have been a few things they do that I don't love.... Like, they had a video where they got their tegu surrendered from a person in Florida--this was waaay before the "ban" went through in February--and they said they were taking the tegu because they were banned in Florida? This was completely untrue and they hadn't bothered to research it... Like, clearly this person just made that up and told them to come "rescue" their tegu because Florida banned it (maybe taking advantage of SD even?). Even when the ban went through a few months later, any owner could keep their existing tegus, so, saying they had to get rid of the tegu just didn't make any sense. There were a bunch of comments about Florida banning stuff (and like... yeah... Florida does ban stuff), but this particular thing was just dramatized to a point that really bothered me. I really don't like that kind of misinformation. People trust things that channel says, and I just found that irresponsible I guess?

Also the whole "it is a necessary evil" of them to keep their rats in too small of a rack... Like, guys, no evil is "necessary." Would have softened the blow a bit if they had said they planned to expand it in the future, but they didn't. Also, enrichment only works for like one day lol. Having the rodents needing to eat from the top of the cage doesn't make them feel enriched every time; maybe for just the first time. I know you can't explain all that in a video, but it kind of misleads people and simplifies something that is a complex issue.

I don't think they're bad people though. The Snake Discovery channel was so helpful to me when I was first learning about snakes last year, and doing tons of research. I like how they're setting up their new zoo and giving all their snakes UVB and all that... It's really cool that they were able to build a zoo and they seem to be housing everything really well! But yeah sometimes I see Emily like poking at hatchlings just to make them angry and it's clearly being done just for the video, with total disregard that this baby snake is confused and stressed. Like I said, I don't hate Snake Discovery. I still watch stuff they put out. But sometimes there are things that don't make sense to me lol. Nobody is perfect, I guess. But they could be... more perfect than they are.

Anyway, more on topic, Blue Beauties were one of the first snakes that really caught my eye when I started researching. I think initially I was worried they'd be moody, so I kind of ruled them out early on. But I'm pretty sure that was just me not knowing much about snake behavior. It's good to have future snake goals though; I think not being able to get one right away will help you stay focused and determine if you still do want one in the future! That's how it worked out with me and my snake, and I feel like I made the right choice doing that.

[TofuTofuTofu]

Not even any real directions as to where to go to get on a waiting list beyond a simple email link. Quite odd.

I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that they basically only offer the animals to Patreon supporters--or rather, the Patreon supporters always purchase them all till they are out of stock. The demand is so high that the supporters with early access buy all of them first. So I'm not sure you can get them from just their website anymore?

[Snagrio]

I like Snake Discovery and watch their channel. There have been a few things they do that I don't love.... Like, they had a video where they got their tegu surrendered from a person in Florida--this was waaay before the "ban" went through in February--and they said they were taking the tegu because they were banned in Florida? This was completely untrue and they hadn't bothered to research it... Like, clearly this person just made that up and told them to come "rescue" their tegu because Florida banned it (maybe taking advantage of SD even?). Even when the ban went through a few months later, any owner could keep their existing tegus, so, saying they had to get rid of the tegu just didn't make any sense. There were a bunch of comments about Florida banning stuff (and like... yeah... Florida does ban stuff), but this particular thing was just dramatized to a point that really bothered me. I really don't like that kind of misinformation. People trust things that channel says, and I just found that irresponsible I guess?

Also the whole "it is a necessary evil" of them to keep their rats in too small of a rack... Like, guys, no evil is "necessary." Would have softened the blow a bit if they had said they planned to expand it in the future, but they didn't. Also, enrichment only works for like one day lol. Having the rodents needing to eat from the top of the cage doesn't make them feel enriched every time; maybe for just the first time. I know you can't explain all that in a video, but it kind of misleads people and simplifies something that is a complex issue.

I don't think they're bad people though. The Snake Discovery channel was so helpful to me when I was first learning about snakes last year, and doing tons of research. I like how they're setting up their new zoo and giving all their snakes UVB and all that... It's really cool that they were able to build a zoo and they seem to be housing everything really well! But yeah sometimes I see Emily like poking at hatchlings just to make them angry and it's clearly being done just for the video, with total disregard that this baby snake is confused and stressed. Like I said, I don't hate Snake Discovery. I still watch stuff they put out. But sometimes there are things that don't make sense to me lol. Nobody is perfect, I guess. But they could be... more perfect than they are.

Anyway, more on topic, Blue Beauties were one of the first snakes that really caught my eye when I started researching. I think initially I was worried they'd be moody, so I kind of ruled them out early on. But I'm pretty sure that was just me not knowing much about snake behavior. It's good to have future snake goals though; I think not being able to get one right away will help you stay focused and determine if you still do want one in the future! That's how it worked out with me and my snake, and I feel like I made the right choice doing that.

Snake Discovery in general is pretty much a "lesser evil" as a whole when it comes to YT reptile channels at large, at least in terms of larger scale breeders. It's like, yeah they've kept a lot of their animals in racks for the longest time, but they've make at least some kind of effort to make the most of what they have to work with compared to the endless videos and channels I've seen where you'll find dozens upon dozens of snakes in completely bare tubs, never to see the light of day except for when the content creator needs to pull one out to mug at the camera with. Not to excuse the areas where SD could improve of course but one could do far worse for typical reptile YT watching. I'd be lying however if I said I wasn't a little jealous of these types of mega channels where tons of people basically just, give them stuff. In a recent video there was a mention of how they have an entire room filled with just fanmail for example. Not to mention, as was brought up, Patreon. But it is what it is.

To bring this back to topic anyway, I am glad in hindsight I've not been in a financial position to get anything more after my BP. It's given me time to ace care on what I have now before taking on further responsibility, and even when I have money coming in again I'll want to give things time so I can adjust and gauge my lifestyle in terms of how I handle my current "pet load" while balancing work (it's not a super taxing job time-wise but still) before I add on to it.

I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that they basically only offer the animals to Patreon supporters--or rather, the Patreon supporters always purchase them all till they are out of stock. The demand is so high that the supporters with early access buy all of them first. So I'm not sure you can get them from just their website anymore?

Yeesh. Figured there was some sort of extra catch. Won't even bother at that point then since I'm sure the waiting list regardless of species is absurd.

[Snagrio]

Forgot to add to last night's post, but the size and potential moodiness is actually part of what's drawn me to VBBRSes. While he's been an absolute darling, the total placidity of my BP has left me wanting more of a challenge in both size and temperament, and a blue beauty feels to me like a good step in both directions while also not feeling too daunting (despite their length, they're rather spindly even by colubrid standards, but still not too delicate-looking either). The size is also doubly important because I'd like another snake for refusal duties, and by my calculations a full grown blue beauty should be able to handle the small rats my BP eats, though I will most certainly be starting with a baby but that's the eventual idea.

That and it'd be nice to have a snake that doesn't mind showing itself, well, ever beyond just sticking the tip of their head out of their lair like a puppy begging for treats.