What to AVOID:



The circled animal is very thin. You can see grooves running along each side and its backbone is protroding. Compare it with the healthier animals around it, and you'll get an idea of what you should be looking for.

I also recommend that your first snake be a CBB baby. Don't buy a CH pet store baby, which is more likely to have health problems. If you can avoid it, don't buy from a pet store at all, as they seldom sterilize cages in between batches of animals.