# Buying snakes a learning lesson...



## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

ck, no it wasn't a wc ball pythons, but could've been. thats why decided to make a thread for opinions here on p-fury.
so anyways, it all started a week or two back when i was interested in getting a JCP or Taiwan Beauty Snake (TBS). so i went to the upcoming expo last week here in NOVA in manasas. i went their and saw many great deals including a wild gravid ball python for only $75 (thats why i created a thread about getting one next time). i was tempted to buy it, but i knew what i really came for was the TBS when i saw it. he was selling them for $20 which i thought was really cheap seeing that others had them for around $50. i picked one out that had nice yellows on it, but it had some crap on its head. i then picked out another that was fairly nice, but really skinny. so i bought it instantly.
i took this guy home and he was really friendly, more than my boa. seemed a little weird at first so i originally created this thread to seek help if my heating was the problem. this thread was about questions about an emperor scorpion (that i also bought) and the TBS. i thought the TBS was sick because the first day i fed it the day i got it, it just approached a live pinkie and decided to swallow it helplessly, not even striking at first and trying to constrict it like all my other snakes would've done. i tried feeding again yesterday to beef it up because the thing was really skinny, but this time i tried a f/t pinkie. it didn't eat it so i put i back in its tank to try again today. i came home from school to see it lying dead halfway on its back. i think it died of some kind of intestine problem because its mid-body area is pretty dark and black, while the other parts are still white. 
anyways, i kind of regret getting it because who knew it really would've died? i was just excited that day to see a nice calm TBS at a really cheap price. i can't get any refunds either because i have no contact with the dealer. he also told me that his friend produced 100 this year before and only 3 of them were females, so i ended up with a male.\
hope all this info helps. i will try and answer any other questions or comments given.


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

i would say for now feed your snake live food and try to switch to frozen after its first shed. your snake sounds like it could use a little meat on its bones.


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

I don't see anything about any thermometers in any of your set-ups? How do you monitor your temps? As for your snake not wanting to eat ... what I did with my new snakes is to feed them and then waited till they urinated and defecated before even considering offering them another food item (usually they would do this within 3-4 days and I would still give them a couple more days before feeding again).


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

Red Eyes said:


> I don't see anything about any thermometers in any of your set-ups? How do you monitor your temps? As for your snake not wanting to eat ... what I did with my new snakes is to feed them and then waited till they urinated and defecated before even considering offering them another food item (usually they would do this within 3-4 days and I would still give them a couple more days before feeding again).


i forgot to mention, my snake did defecate already. i dont have separate thermos for each tank. my room temp is about 72. it hits about 50 at night though. so i am more concerned with the night heating.


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

omg, i knew something was wrong with the beauty.

RIP

i didnt even have him for a week. never buying from that dealer at the expo again.


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

Sorry for your loss man-


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

sorry about your loss ... i take it there was no guaruntee?


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

yeah, no guarantee.

i got it at an expo.


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

i would still call him if you have the number see what he says ... my first ball python had an eye infection which i was orginally told was just an eye cap ... the guy took it back ... mind you i was a store but he told me there are no exchanges. 
it never hurts to try


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

SO I gather from this you purchased a snake at an expo. Was it one of the wild caught Ball pythons you were asking about before?

There is a serious learning issue here...when dealing with any type of REPUTABLE individual you will recieve a guarantee of some kind.

I would really like some other details before I add any other comments here.....


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## black_piranha (Jan 12, 2006)

dark FrOsT said:


> i would still call him if you have the number see what he says ... my first ball python had an eye infection which i was orginally told was just an eye cap ... the guy took it back ... mind you i was a store but he told me there are no exchanges.
> it never hurts to try


i really wish that i could call him, but he had no card or anything also.


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## dark FrOsT (Sep 23, 2006)

sorry man


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

This is a bummer scenario played out at every herp show, from countless wholesalers, and even some pet stores.....

This is one of the reasons that animal species are not just spontaneous purchases....(not saying this was, but this is a great time to go overall of this again).

When it comes to purchasing animals from an unknown source, it is always caveat emptor...(let the buyer beware)...if you do not have experience dealing with problems then always opt not to jump at the "deal of the century"....and import animals are special needs animals...they need time taken to acclimate them, treatment for external and internal parasite loads, and well designed easy to clean enclosures that offer hide boxes, and sterility while you work the "bugs" out so to speak.

I strongly advise all of you if you live in areas with herpetological societies, to join and become active members...within the ranks of your comemebers you will ogften find people with not only experience, but a willingness and a desire to share their experience and help out.....

I also wantto re-emphasize the point of quarantine.....not just within the realm of wild caught animals.....but also with captive animals new to your collection.....while it seems extreme, I can personally attest that learning that lesson the hard way IS NOT the way you want to learn it!

The last thing I want to say here today is that sometimes we lose animals out of no-where, completely unexpectedly, and necropsy results come back inconclusive...leaving you no idea as to the causitive agent involved with its untimely demise. These are perhaps the most bothersome of losses as you have no recourse to understand what went wrong....


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