I caved...

[Pareeeee]

So after much deliberation, I finally decided to get a BP. This little guy is four weeks old. I got him from a breeder, he was selling off his normals for only $40! (never seen them that price ever)

He looks very healthy and is on rat fuzzies at the moment, although I don't think he'll be on them for long...I think I will be moving him up one food size very soon.

Here are a couple pics I snapped before putting him in his tub.

"Unboxing" :)

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/603846_340017079419918_1860612208_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/481947_340017139419912_931700122_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/s720x720/255256_340017156086577_239777538_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/292427_340017176086575_174576784_n.jpg

[Aaron_S]

Nobody can resist the ball python.

[Pareeeee]

Yeah...they are such cool snakes. I am going through agony waiting for a couple weeks before I can handle him...I noticed a little blue in his eyes...I think he's headed into his first shed.

Meanwhile, I'll be trying to come up with a name for him...

[Aaron_S]

You should call him Harry.

[Pareeeee]

Ha, I told my husband we should call him Fuzzy Wuzzy because Fuzzy Wuzzy isn't Fuzzy is he?

Naw I'm thinking of maybe naming him Njoka or Nyoka (which are both words for "snake" in two different African languages, Swahili and Chichewa. Appropriate since BP's are African)

[Toronto1977]

Cute little guy, congrats. My female Kenyan is called Nyoka. It's a great name :)

[alessia55]

Congrats!!!!!!!! :D

[Pareeeee]

Found two photos I noticed that I never posted. Here they are. Still haven't thought of a name yet.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/484082_10151326131939167_1389765947_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/484045_10151326137979167_335547591_n.jpg

[snake man12]

I got mine for 20 bucks. Maybe it's just Canada prices.

[Kaetlinv]

in vancouver washington normal 'baby' ball pythons go for around 50$ plus tax.... anything larger than that is anywhere from 75 - 90$ in most pet stores.

I'm sticking to the petstore i found in portland oregon..... >.< the only babies they had were morphs and the most expensive 'baby' morph was.. i believe 300$ or around there. The cheapest was the little lemon pastel i wanted so badly - 75$ the most expensive BP there was... I think - a black pastel or a calico for 1400$


America is expensive... >.>

[snake man12]

Pastel male juvi's go for like 75 bucks on the east coast.

[Kaetlinv]

I'd never seen a morph for that low, I was shocked and tried to get my mom to let me buy it, lol.

I want another python so badly >.<

[ILuvMyHognose]

How Cute. I love it!!

[Pareeeee]

I keep thinking he looks bright for a "Normal"

[snake man12]

I'd never seen a morph for that low, I was shocked and tried to get my mom to let me buy it, lol.

I want another python so badly >.<

Do you want me to pm you some sites with low prices?

[Kaetlinv]

Do you want me to pm you some sites with low prices?

unfortunately no. :( I don't know why but i'm somewhat against shipping any live animal. I'd rather bring them home myself, again, not sure why. I doubt my mom would let me get another snake as it is... i could if I wanted to, she wouldn't stop me, but I'm trying to be considerate to her. It also depends on whether the college I'm going to will accept snakes in the dorms - if they don't then i definitely will not get a third snake. if they'll allow BP's since they don't get too big, I'll talk to her about getting one from that store i saw the little pastel in. :)
the reason my mom doesn't want me getting another snake is purely because she doesn't want it stuck at the house and me away for college - i'd be within driving distance so I could easily come back to feed and handle all three - but I understand her concern and will respect it.

I'm calling the college tomorrow to see if they'll allow BP's :) I really hope they say yes! Because i'll be getting, at a minimum, 200$ next week. possibly more. :D I could easily get the set up for a new little one!

[DavethePython]

Wow not bad , we paid$135 for our young one .

[snake man12]

Well pm me if you change ur mind. We have spiders here for 125 and pinstripes for around 130.

[mykee]

That's definitely a normal, and if he's already eaten, he's going into his second shed, not his first.
Also, $40 for a normal male is $40 more than I charge for a normal male, or normal female for that matter.
With the amount of animals I have coming out of eggs this time of year, and my bin space being at a premium, I have been begging people to take my normals for nothing for the last couple of years.
As for pet stores, they will buy normals from a breeder for $25 and then mark them up at least 300% and sell them for $75 or higher.
Get rid of the middle man and go right to a breeder; you'll get exceptional deals.

[snake man12]

Rack space lol. I am surprised people don't buy normal adults at shows. You must go to expos?

[Kaetlinv]

Both my bps came from stores - however any other pythons i get are coming from a breeder i now know of pretty close to me. Technically theyre a pet store but they breed all their own snakes. :)

[bcoop1234]

Just the markup is crazy.. My local petsmart, and i know that's not much of a place to buy animals from, almost always has 3 snakes... A corn and bp and a milk.. There prices are nuts.. I cant complain, since im lucky and they have a reptile show every month about 25 minutes away from where i live. I bought my pueblan milksnake from a breeder at the show.. It was 20 bucks. Petsmart wanted 100 bucks. The breeders online have great prices but the shipping is what kills it for me.

[mykee]

That's the difference between being "in" the community and being an "outsider" to the community. As a breeder, I often wholesale my lower and mid range stuff to petstores (I just got back from dropping off eight animals to one of them half an hour ago). I figure I got about 55% of their "retail breeder" value out of them, and roughly 30% of "pet store retail" price out of them.

[Kaetlinv]

I cant wait to go to my first expo tomorrow. Seriously considering buying another bp in the next few weeks after i get paid. The expo will be a good place to scout around and plan for when i have the money. :)

[Pareeeee]

Back on topic...

I was able to measure and weigh him yesterday, 50g sounds really light for a 16inch snake...maybe my scale is off?!

[mykee]

50g is smaller than a baby straight outta the egg.
I think you've been duped.
I think the animal you have is a few days old, in fact going into his first shed, and never eaten before.
Babies that are a month old as the breeder said this one is, would have eaten 3-4 meals by now and be at LEAST 80g.
I should have called this earlier; that shiny look that he has in the first few pics indicates that he is going into his first shed (and never eaten).
People who lie SUCK.

[Pareeeee]

He is not a few days old, I've had him for 3 weeks now.

He is definitely at least 3wks.

Something must be wrong with him... :(

He definitely had a mouse bulge in his middle when I bought him too... :/

PS: Has not pooped yet. Had 1 shed since I've had him.

[mykee]

Has not pooped = has not eaten. He is three weeks old then.
No big deal, get him eating on live mice and he'll be fine.
You were lied to though.

[Pareeeee]

ok...I will. What size mice do you recommend for a snake that size?

that sucks that the guy was dishonest...

[mykee]

Live hopper mice.
Good luck.