A new beginning

[Bonecrusher82]

Well my blood python has found a new home with a close friend of mine who is a collector. So I rescued a young male ball python from petco. I will post some pics in a few days as he has just eaten. From what Petco said he wouldnt eat, was very aggresive, and is very under weight. Yet again he hasnt even hissed at me let alone bite, and just took a live white mouse and downed it with a quickness. I dont know what Petco is doing wrong this is the third snake I've taken in from them that was in rough shape.

[Will0W783]

You know, I've seen a lot of that. People saying snakes are very aggressive and won't eat, and it was just that they didn't warm the food up enough or weren't approaching the snake properly. I had a kingsnake like that for a while- no one at the pet store could get him to eat and he bit the heck out of everyone. He ate like a champ for me, would eat every day if I let him, and was never really aggressive. Nipped a few times, but more like he was tasting me to see if I was food..lol.
How much did you have to pay from Petco to "rescue" it? They tend to be a huge rip-off when it comes to reptiles. They cram too many into one tank, never have the right temps/humidity for each species...really not a good place to get herps from IMHO.

[Bonecrusher82]

He was $50, and seems very happy in his new home

[Nafun]

Ouch.

A ridiculously inflated price for a snake they were slowly killing.

[Bonecrusher82]

Eh if all it takes is $50 to save an animals life then so be it. At least thats how I see it

[Will0W783]

Well that's good, but unfortunately buying from them only allows them to continue getting and selling sick animals. I would report them to Animal Control and see if there's anything that can be done. I used to want to try to save everything, but you can't and giving crappy places business only perpetuates the cycle.

[shaunyboy]

Well that's good, but unfortunately buying from them only allows them to continue getting and selling sick animals. I would report them to Animal Control and see if there's anything that can be done. I used to want to try to save everything, but you can't and giving crappy places business only perpetuates the cycle.


thats what i was thinking willow,in buying them mate its a vicious circle.your intentions are honourable but in buying it that allows petco to go out and buy a replacement for him.then they go about treating the new snake with the same lack of proper husbandry.lets be honest mate places like that can get new snakes in quicker than folk can buy them.so no matter how many you buy they will just top their stock back up and it starts all over again.i'd try contacting animal protection agencys and the like to see if you can get the shop to start conforming to the specific retiles needs.i wish you all the best in this and hope you find official thats willing to help.
cheers shaun

[Bonecrusher82]

Well they may continue to do dumb stuff but not to this one at least. And a former Petco employee whom is also a close friend of mine has alrerady started the paperwork with the local AG's office to start an animal cruelty investigation