Quote Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny
I was thinking of getting my first ball from a local petstore. I can ask if the snakes are captive bred.

If you really insist I get one from a breeder, then I will. I just hate the waiting and wondering if the snake is ok, traveling so far. (I'm a worry wart about my animal friends.)
It's typical of large chains such as Petco to house several snakes together in the same enclosure. There are a lot of stories on this forum that talk about their visit to petco and seeing mites all over the snakes, they're very underweight, etc. etc.

The way I look at it, is if you want quality then it's in your best interest to pay a little extra.

What area are you in? I'm sure there will be some reptile shows that may be local to you, or even breeders for that matter, that can help you out to avoid shipping costs. if you get a normal, you'll probably end up paying more in shipping costs than the snake itself, but that's all in the name of quality and satisfaction.