Reputable BP Breeders?

[Rhetoric]

I'm thinking of getting a BP. I'm not in a hurry to get one. If I got one it probably wouldn't be for a couple more months. I've got enough supplies and tanks, I just don't want to rush anything. I would prefer to get one from a breeder and not a regular petstore. Theres someone in my area thats always posting BP's on CL, different morphs but I'm not sure what kinds of questions to ask if I were to get one from them.. I value the advice and opinions most of you have. If someone wants to point me in a starting direction it would be much appreciated! Thank you!

---

Oh, is there a better time of year to get one? I don't know much about breeding seasons or anything like that.. It seems like some people have them hatching almost year round..

---

I know I would like to get some kind of morph, I'm not sure what kind yet though. Part of the reason why I'm waiting a few months lol. I would like to see what other morphs are out there and make sure I have enough $ to get one I would really like. Just another fast Q.. I've got an empty 40 gallon, would that be able to house an adult? This summer my savy is getting its 8x4 built, so I will also have an empty 75g. Is that too large? The BP I cared for before was in a 20g, it was still under a yr when I was watching it.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Ball-pythons.net one of the best Bp sites. Some people breed year round but this is breeding season now and you'll start to see a lot more babies around Summertime. Have you decided what kind of Bp you want a normal or morph? If it's a morph what kind?

Some of the questions you should ask are similar to tegu questions.
Is it CBB an Import or what?
Male or female (or does it matter to you)?
What Bloodline for Morphs since not all are compatible for breeding purposes?
What's it feeding on Live or FT, what size and how often?

Depending on the breeder females usually cost more. Depending on how you look at it,.. yes they lay the eggs. But males you can breed a lot sooner and to more females. Females can have multi sired clutches but that's getting into a whole other area. So,.. on the other hand some are starting to charge more for males instead.

Will your BP be just a pet or do you plan on breeding? If so get a female first since they cost more (morph wise) and take longer to reach breeding size. By the time your female is ready you can buy what ever male you want (depending on the morph) cheaper ready to breed or not.

Just a few things to think about if you haven't already for now .

---

They don't require a lot of space,.. it actually stresses some out to where they stop eating. Depending on if you're getting a baby or an adult,.. 40g is too big. Start out small then work your way up or block off half of the tank.

Depending on the price range that you're willing to spend on a morph there are quite a few options out there. You can find beginner morphs like Yellow Bellies and Pastels for the same price as a normal.

But with each and everything else along with price you have to consider quality and how well the snake will hold its color into adulthood. So another thing you might want to ask when buying a morph is for Pics of the parents?

 

[Rhetoric]

Ball-pythons.net one of the best Bp sites. Some people breed year round but this is breeding season now and you'll start to see a lot more babies around Summertime. Have you decided what kind of Bp you want a normal or morph? If it's a morph what kind?

Some of the questions you should ask are similar to tegu questions.
Is it CBB an Import or what?
Male or female (or does it matter to you)?
What Bloodline for Morphs since not all are compatible for breeding purposes?
What's it feeding on Live or FT, what size and how often?

Depending on the breeder females usually cost more. Depending on how you look at it,.. yes they lay the eggs. But males you can breed a lot sooner and to more females. Females can have multi sired clutches but that's getting into a whole other area. So,.. on the other hand some are starting to charge more for males instead.

Will your BP be just a pet or do you plan on breeding? If so get a female first since they cost more (morph wise) and take longer to reach breeding size. By the time your female is ready you can buy what ever male you want (depending on the morph) cheaper ready to breed or not.

Just a few things to think about if you haven't already for now .

---

They don't require a lot of space,.. it actually stresses some out to where they stop eating. Depending on if you're getting a baby or an adult,.. 40g is too big. Start out small then work your way up or block off half of the tank.

Depending on the price range that you'll willing to spend on a morph there are quite a few options out there. You can find beginner morphs like Yellow Bellies and Pastels for the same price as a normal.

But with each and everything else along with price you have to consider quality and how well the snake will hold its color into adulthood. So another thing you might want to ask when buying a morph is for Pics of the parents?

Ok cool thank you. I'm not looking to breed anything. I'd rather leave that to the professionals lol. Male or female doesn't matter much to me for the time being. Are there big differences between personalities of the sexes? (I know the size differences)
I know the prices go up with different morphs. I'm definitely not looking to spend thousands lol but I would spend a few hundred for the right snake. Depending on the age and size it was when I got it I've got 10, 20 and 40 gallons that aren't being used. (The 10 gallon does not have a locking lid so I would have to get something for that). Is there a big difference between feeding FT and live? I wouldn't feed my possible future BP in its enclosure, it would probably be in one of the rubbermaid tubs. I would prefer not to feed live because of the risk of injury (even though they do in "the wild").. Thank you again for the prompt answer. I've got quite a bit of looking around to do before completely committing.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Like most things,.. personalities just vary,.. ones not more docile or aggressive than the other. As for FT besides safety it's a preference for some. I do FT with every thing I have,.. why risk unnecessary harm with something that can be avoided. I can stock up a lot cheaper with FT then have to deal with live.

A lot of people feed in the same bin,.. they just have a routine that they follow to let the snake know its feeding time. Like taping the bin a couple of times before opening it. Or thawing the food in the same room so that they catch the sent and are ready by the time you present it.

When you have a lot of reptiles to feed moving each one to a different bin can be time consuming.

 

[Rhetoric]

Like most things,.. personalities just vary,.. ones not more docile or aggressive than the other. As for FT besides safety it's a preference for some. I do FT with every thing I have,.. why risk unnecessary harm with something that can be avoided. I can stock up a lot cheaper with FT then have to deal with live.

A lot of people feed in the same bin,.. they just have a routine that they follow to let the snake know its feeding time. Like taping the bin a couple of times before opening it. Or thawing the food in the same room so that they catch the sent and are ready by the time you present it.

When you have a lot of reptiles to feed moving each one to a different bin can be time consuming.

Yeah, I've been doing f/t with the lizards I have. I generally stock up on them and they keep for quite a while. I figured there wasn't really a difference aggression wise between the sexes, that it varies upon the individual. Never hurts to ask though lol. Ok, maybe I would end up feeding it in the same enclosure then. From what I've read even if they do bite its not much of a bite. I'm sure my lizards can bite me harder than a bp can. I haven't been bitten by any of my guys yet though.. Thank you again, you're a really helpful person on the forum.

---

Oh also, can they be housed together if in a larger enclosure or is it better to house them separately? I would only get one to start and see how it goes from there. Just thinking about possibilities. I am researching as well, I'm not just trying to get easy answers on here lol.

 

[Toby_H]

-I’ve grown fond of FaunaClassifieds.com . The classifieds section has a wide variety of Ball Python morphs available. There is also a “good guy / bad guy” section to help potential buyers learn about sellers. The Ball Python forum is frequented by a friendly group of experienced hobbyists. Lastly the chat room also has a group of ‘regulars’ that are experienced Ball Python keepers/breeders.

________________________________________________________________________

“Breeding Season” lasts most of the year so hatchlings are almost always available.

________________________________________________________________________

Google “Ball Python Morph List” and enjoy viewing the hundreds of morphs and morph combos out there. It’s also a good idea to talk to others about the morph(s) you like to help get input on them.

________________________________________________________________________

It is commonly said that Ball Pythons are happier in small enclosures. Personally, I disagree. I think it is much more accurate to say Ball Pythons are happier in ‘cluttered’ enclosures.

Though it is fair to say they are happy in small enclosures. A 10 gal is fine for a hatchling, and getting bigger as the snake gets bigger. Though at all times the snake will be happiest with multiple hides and some degree of cover in the open spaces of the enclosures.
________________________________________________________________________

The two biggest differences in genders are size and price, very few other consistent differences will be noticed by the average keeper. Males stay a bit smaller and are a bit cheaper…
________________________________________________________________________

In my opinion, the biggest benefit of feeding frozen thawed is personal convenience.

I’ve heard about many people having problems getting their Ball Pythons to accept f/t prey, but I’ve personally had no issues doing so. I’ve only fed mine f/t from day one.
________________________________________________________________________


Housing them together is generally frowned upon, but problems when doing so are rare.

Ball Pythons are not consciously carnivorous, but there have been rare occurrences where one eats the other during a feeding mishap. They also are not territorial by nature, but are territorial during breeding. So if you choose to ‘take the risk’ and house them together I strongly suggest keeping only one gender.
________________________________________________________________________

Ball Pythons are boring pets. They tend to spend the vast majority of their time coiled in their hides and the little time they do spend ‘exploring’ is usually late at night. I suggest asking yourself what characteristics you value most in a pet snake and then consider other species as well as Ball Pythons.

 

[Rhetoric]

Thank you too Toby.
I'm not too concerned that they are more shy and more active at night. My hedgehog is a bit boring that way, hes only awake during the middle of the night...
Its fine that they should be housed alone, more of a curiosity question.. I have seen some pictures where people are housing them together.
There are a few morphs that have caught my eye. Ex, Cinnamon and Axanthic (I've seen as low as 550 shipped to a couple thousand...)
This guy is pretty neat too
http://www.rcreptiles.com/preview.php?sex=Male&id=MPEW38103&morph=Pewter%20%28Pastel/Cinnamon%20Pastel%29&imagelist=ball-pythons-for-sale-dscn0044.jpg,ball-pythons-for-sale-dscn0045.jpg,ball-pythons-for-sale-dscn0048.jpg,ball-pythons-for-sale-dscn0049.jpg

I kind of see a bit of a trend with what I like, any suggestions? I'm waiting a few months before I get anything for sure. I would like to stay around 5-600. I realize it will limit what I can get. If you can think of anything similar to these thats within that range feel free to holler!

---

can i get anything close to those for that range? if not maybe i can get my dad to go in on one for my bday

 

[Toby_H]

The link you posted above is a Pewter (Cinnamon & Pastel combo). There is also a Black Pewter (Black Pastel & Pastel combo). Either of which can be found as hatchlings for $500 +/-. You can also find Pewter Bees (Cinnamon or Black Pastel & Pastel & Spider) or Pewter Pins (Cinnamon or Black Pastel & Pastel & Pinstripe) to produce the same color with an abnormal pattern. Adding the third morph will raise the price to $1,000~1,500 though.

Recessive morphs (such as Axanthic, Albino, Clown, Genetic Stripe and others) cost more than Dominant or Co-Dominant morphs (such as Cinnamon, Pastel, Black, Pastel, Pinstripe, Spider and many others).

I would expect to pay around $800 +/- for an Axanthic Ball python, doubling that to add another Dom or Co-Dom trait (such as Pinstripe or Spider).

Personally I found the multiple morphed snakes to be the most attractive, yet they are more expensive than I am willing to spend. Thus my approach was been to start a little breeding project so that I can buy cheaper snakes and spend the time making my own morph combos.

One of several goals I have is to produce a ‘Super Black Pewter Pin” which is Super Pastel & Black Pastel & Pinstripe.

 

[Rhetoric]

The link you posted above is a Pewter (Cinnamon & Pastel combo). There is also a Black Pewter (Black Pastel & Pastel combo).

Thats another one I like. Hopefully I can get my shoulder injury squared away. That will be the main thing that will effect my budget. Breeding snakes would make sense if you were in it more for the long haul. I've seen some crazy herps with crazy prices (crazy meaning no way I could ever afford it). Thank you again for all your help. Hopefully I can find something!

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

There are quite a few morphs for 5-600 ranging from Bumble Bees and Piebalds to Caramel Albinos. With so many options and things to consider there's something for every one. Which is why people usually have more than one Bp

Check out shows around your area within a couple of months more people will have babies and be willing to give you a bargain. Know what you want as well as how much it costs before you go.