As with most types of pets, there are many different ways to acquire your ball python. Some of those sources are highly reputable and completely reliable.
Some, sadly, are much less so.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure that you can see and handle the snake you intend to buy. You can then check out the conditions in which the supplier keeps their animals. Any reluctance on the part of your pet supplier to do this should raise suspicions in your mind.
Remember, as well, that unscrupulous agents do not usually dress or speak in a suspicious way. They don’t wear dark glasses and dirty trench coats. They are often very normal people. You won’t always be able to tell a shady supplier from their appearance.
That is why the evidence of your own senses is best. A good supplier will be knowledgeable about their stock. They will keep the animals in clean, appropriate conditions. They will be happy for potential customers to see their stock and handle it.
Another point to bear in mind is that cheapest does not always equate to best value for the money. After all, if your inexpensive snake then has all kinds of health issues, vet bills will soon pile up and you’ll end up paying more than you would have for a healthy snake. Plus, if your cheap snake does have health problems and lives only a short while, you’ll probably want to buy snake pet, meaning you have to pay the heftier price anyway.
Once again, the best advice is to go and see. The price might be low because the breeder is not concerned with making a ton of money, but rather with finding their snakes the best homes. The price might be low because the snakes are basically off a production line, similar to a puppy mill, where health and safety are not important to the breeder. The only way to know is to check the conditions out for yourself.
How Much Cost Buying A Snake
A number of factors will determine the price of your python. These include the age of the python, its color and patterns, and the rarity of the variety.
For example, the rare Blue- and Black-Eyed Lucy varieties could set you back several thousand dollars. Similarly, because female coral glow ball pythons are much rarer than males, they will be more expensive.
General Figures
The price of a normal, mature python from a chain pet store ball python is typically between $45 and $80, while a baby python fetches between $50 and $200.
Breeders will usually charge between $50 and $200 for their animals.
Specific Morphs
There are many different types of ball python, so here are listed the typical prices a buyer might expect to pay for some of the varieties. Any figures outside of this range ought to at least raise an eyebrow and prompt a question as to why the cost is as it is.
22 Most expensive Pythons In The World
- Albino Ball Python $140 to $450
- Axanthic Ball Python $200 to $850
- Ball Python Morphs $230 to $500
- Banana Ball Python $175 to $650
- Bumblebee Ball Python $100 to $250
- Butter Ball Python $150 to $375
- Candino Ball Python $320 to $550
- Chocolate Ball Python $125 to $230
- Cinnamon Ball Python $90 to $250
- Coral Glow Ball Python $320 to $570
- GHI Ball Python $2,800 to $4,000
- Ghost Ball Python $75 to $150
- Ivory Ball Python $175 to $375
- Killer Clown Ball Python $1,500 to $2,000
- Leopard Ball Python $85 to $300
- Lesser Ball Python $90 to $160
- Leucistic Ball Python $320 to $450
- Mojave Ball Python $75 to $150
- Mystic Ball Python $170 to $350
- Pastel Ball Python $120 to $250
- Pewter Ball Python $125 to $550
- Phantom Ball Python $120 to $220
Where to buy snake ?
Suppliers
Now that you know what you expect to pay for your new pet, we will look at the various places from which you can purchase it.
Private Breeders
The best place to begin your search is with a private breeder. You will be able to visit (although that might involve a fairly long drive, depending on where your nearest is located). You will also be going to somebody who loves their animals, because they are not breeding commercially, only when the opportunity arises. They are likely to be extremely informed about their animals and much more concerned about the homes their snakes will going to than the money they will make. Expect to be asked lots of questions.
Lots of questions is a good sign.
Even if you don’t decide to purchase from a private breeder, visiting one will help you be more informed about purchasing a snake and knowing what conditions they should be living in.
Commercial Breeders
These people are breeding for business. They are concerned with the money to be made, but this doesn’t mean that they do not take good care of their animals. The key is to check reputations, look for reviews, and ask to speak with other customers.
In dealing with commercial breeders, make sure that the snake you see and handle is the one you take away. Most commercial breeders are completely reputable, but take care that you are not caught by one of the few who are not.
Online Sellers
This is the source that should raise the most questions. If your supplier is online, it is likely to be very difficult to see their animals in person, although many online sellers do provide photos of the snakes they have in stock.
To be cautious, there are a number of questions you can ask regarding the pets:
- Where are you based, and can a friend or I visit? Even if a visit doesn’t happen, a willingness from the supplier to allow a visit is a good sign. After all, what would they have to lose if they are a reputable supplier?
- Do you have a list of customers I can contact for a reference? Expect at least six to be offered. An unscrupulous business owner could have arranged for a friend to be one such reference.
- How will you transport the snake to me?
- Where does your supply of snakes come from? This is a good question to pair with a request for a visit. If the seller extremely against visits, they may be lying about their methods.
- Do I have a cooling off period during which you will collect the snake if I am worried about its health?
- How long do the eggs incubate? This is a good question to ask because it is not something everyone will know off the top of their head. An informed, interested supplier should have an immediate answer because they are involved in the breeding process. Someone running a mill will probably need to check before answering. For reference, the answer you receive should be between 50 and 60 days.
Not being able to see and handle the snake you are buying is a drawback to this type of seller. However, good questions and your own instincts can provide you with enough information to decide if a seller is reputable.
You can also check reviews of the supplier, both on their own website and elsewhere on the internet. If you’re finding quite a few bad reviews, it’s probably not wise to buy from them. Also be on the lookout for false reviews.
This is why you should check other places for reviews, in addition to the supplier’s site. It is possible for suppliers to stud their own site with fake glowing reviews in the hopes that you will not look any farther into it. If all the reviews on the site are positive, but you find a ton of negative reviews on other sites, the supplier is probably faking their reviews and should be avoided.
Chain Stores
Is a great way where to buy a snake, at a chain pet store ball python, you can see and handle the python you want take home before you make the purchase and also you can buy pet snake online .When you arrive, check to see if the animals are all generally in defensive, coiled positions. If they are, that is a bad sign, since it indicates that the snakes are stressed. Now, some may be coiled into a ball to sleep, which is perfectly normal, but at least one or two snakes should be uncoiled and relaxed.
The advantages of a chain store are that it is easy to find lots of online reviews of their services and they will need to be meeting at least minimum standards of care. But, of course, it is a chain store, not a specialist pet supplier, so the knowledge of the staff is likely to be general at best.
Local Independent Pet Stores
As long as it is a well-respected place, then an independent pet store ball python is a good bet. It is still worth asking about the supply chain, and you should definitely ask to handle the snake before you buy it. Being able to visit means that you will get a good idea about the way the animals—and not just your potential purchase—are kept.
You might have to pay a little more than from an online or chain store source, but this should be mitigated by knowing that a local store lives on its reputation. If that gets damaged, then the store is soon likely to be out of business, so it should be doing its best to care for its animals and please its customers.
The only downside of a local independent pet store is that, like a chain store, it is a general outlet, rather than one specializing in snakes.
Specialty Pet Suppliers
By this, we mean independent specialty reptile shops. You are likely to pay a premium for buying from a place like this, but the plus is that everything you need, including expert advice and back-up information, is there under one roof.
As with all types of suppliers, remember the three Rs—references, reviews, and reputation—but a reptile store is a safe place from which to buy your ball python.
Friends and Neighbors
Clearly, as they are friends and neighbours, you know and trust them. The downside of getting your python from this source is that you will need to be quite lucky to be buying at a time when they have some for sale.
The key messages from this Article are:
– It is always best to see and handle your potential new pet.
– Prices will vary based on a few factors. Just remember that cheapest is not always the best, but neither is most expensive.
– Check all suppliers’ reputations and reviews—and ask for references.