Ball paython shipment question

[limey]

We only have petco in this little landlocked town of mine, here in backwoods Alaska. Apparently no snake breeders or anything of the sort.

There are 2 royals in petco, neither of which look in great shape. The reptile guy said that of the 10 balls they receive by shipment every month or so, around 8 of them die getting here...?!?!

I actually find this kind of disgusting, but perhaps this indicates they are wild caught... I dunno, I did not ask.

However, I would feel more comfortable going with a reputable breeder to get my first ball baby and am now wondering if getting her shipped here is a bad idea if they often die on the planes (as the reptile keeper claimed?)

In your experience, would shipping a baby ball to Alaska be a BAD idea???? What are my options?

Thanks in advance...

[Snakefood]

I have no clue as to shipping to Alaska, but here in Canada, we can only ship during certain parts of the year when conditions are optimal, and then, when done properly, most do survive the trip quite well

[infernalis]

With a properly insulated shipping container and hot packs, you should be able to receive a living BP at the North Pole.

[snake man12]

Yeah if the breeder knows were it's going he could make the suitable arrangements

[marvelfreak]

With a properly insulated shipping container and hot packs, you should be able to receive a living BP at the North Pole.
So true. The most important thing would be how long it would take to get there? If it would take more than a couple days it wouldn't be worth the risk.

[snake man12]

You could also make sure the breeder is in a good range of alaska

[infernalis]

I shipped a group of snakes to a School Teacher in North Territory Alaska from N.Y. State, the package was there the next morning, just as Fed ex priority promised.

[limey]

Some great answers there, thanks.

So I guess things might be looking up for me if I want to order a captive bred then...

I'll do a google search of breeders in the Washington State area and see if anything pops up.

Any specific breeders on the upper west coast that any one would recommend?

[alessia55]

Yup, your best bet is to find something in the states closest to you, and make sure the box is insulated properly, and have it shipped overnight. I personally don't know any breeders on the west coast, but keep us posted once you've chosen something :yes:

(PS: please post photos of your area some time... I'm very curious to see what it looks like where you live :D)

[Robyn@SYR]

You should expect success every time.

Not every address in Alaska is guaranteed the next day, as there are certainly more outlying areas, but if you are in a town in the southern coast of the state, or Fairbanks, most of that is 10:30am arrival. You can look up your Guaranteed Arrival time by zip code through our ShipYourReptiles Get Help section:

Ship Your Reptiles - Shipping & Tracking Questions (http://www.shipyourreptiles.com/en/get_help/get_help_shipping_tracking/#question-42)

As long as your zip code falls within the Overnight delivery area, you should expect a live arrival.

The pet store employee was either pulling your leg on the 8/10 stat (not funny) or they are using the world's worst supplier (which is actually possible, but not something I understand).

We see Alaska shipments booked through the SYR site all the time, both coming and going. Weather can be a bit trickier at times, but you should still expect safe and healthy arrival.

Add a ball python to your collection from one of the best breeders in the country, make your pick. Any reputable and experienced breeder should be able to ship you an animal safely and responsibly. Best of luck!