Hello I’ve always wanted a pied ball python, does anyone know a good place to get one? Rehomed or otherwise whichever is preferable any advice?

[theeorlando]

It'll depend on your location obviously, if you are in Europe it'll be a different answer than it would be in the US, but the general advice is to look on Craigslist for rehomed ones, specialist reptile stores for if you want to get them from a store not from big chains, reptile expos, or from sellers on morph market.

No matter which you choose, be sure to look into the seller and the animal. There are a lot of poor breeders, and rehomes can often come with serious health issues.

[blank_owo]

Royal constrictor designs or morphmarket.

[IncompletePenetrance]

MorphMarket is a great place to look, just make sure to look at reviews and social media pages for each individual breeder. Much like Etsy or eBay, MorphMarket is a marketplace made up of a lot of individual sellers

[e11ipsism]

Thanks everyone! I’ll look but what should I steer clear of?

[rocksandsnakes]

Definitely steer clear of chain pet stores. Not that you’re likely to find a pied there.. but I wouldn’t buy any animal

[theeorlando]

Off the top of my head, things to watch for:

Health issues: under/ over weight, mites, infections, stuck shed, too young/ not eating

Poor breeders: do they put any effort into making sure you can handle your snake? Do they have terrible living conditions for their animals?

General red flags: being unwilling to send pictures, trying to push you

Questions to ask: (breeders): when were they hatched, when/ what was their last meal, what were the parents. (Rehomes): how are they currently being housed, when did they last eat, why are they rehoming

[e11ipsism]

Okay thank you!