Ball pythons are a gateway pet into the reptile world. They are easy to keep and get you wanting more. It was how I got my start as a breeder and that same fact holds true for many reptile breeders. The ball python breeding business has changed so much since when I got started. Some of the changes have made a better reptile breeding community but some have also made it worse for all reptile lovers, reptile fairs, and for people trying to become reptile breeders. This post is on what I have seen in my time working with reptiles and talking with all kinds of reptile breeders who have been working with reptiles much longer then I have.
Lets start at the beginning for me…
In 2003 I was 16 years old and I had saved up money to get an albino ball python, which at that time was much more expensive then they are now. My parents went with me since I was not 18 and I was worried no one would sell me a snake since I was a minor. It was the first time Tallahassee had a reptile show in town and the turn out wasn’t too bad. I remember seeing tegus, monitors, skinks, pythons of everykind, and a large man who looked like Santa Claus named Jackie who will pop back up in the story later. I talked to every person who had an albino ball python. My mom is a haggler and she taught me all the tricks of the trade so I was making sure I got the best price for my albino ball but one of the breeders threw a wrench into my original plans. I do not actually remember the breeder but he convinced me I needed a pair of mojave ball pythons instead. He told me if I bred them together I could get an all white snake called a Luecy. I was familiar with them since I had purchased “The Complete Ball Python” by Kevin McCurley
I took the bait and purchased the Mojave pair instead of the albino. Since they were co-dom mutation I also purchased a few normal females. They were all close to breeding size when I purchased them so I didn’t have to wait long. In 2004 I had 4 females lay eggs, had a total 21 eggs laid and 18 hatch but the big news was from my mojave female. She produced had 7 eggs and 5 hatch but of that 5 I had 3 super mojaves. Those three luecys helped me get my start. I sold two of the mojaves to purchase spiders, albinos, cinnamons, pastels, fires and much , much more. 2005 my male Luecy was able to breed and that helped me grow even more. 2006 I was paying for my college, my now exwife’s college, and paid off both of our cars. I was going to many shows and teamed up with a large lizard breeder named Toby and that guy Jackie who focused on colubrids. We worked together to draw people to our table and our site.
It was in 2008 I noticed there were a lot more ball python breeders, but most of them just had a few snakes. To me it was a waste of money to pay for a table when you only had 8 snakes in total to sell but hey, that is what they want to do and I won’t stop them. It was in 2009 that the Lacey act started taking affect so I sold off all of my Burmese pythons and even selling some of my ball pythons out of fear for a Florida Fish and Wildlife guy told me every python would be illegal in the state of Florida.
In 2009 I was graduating College and getting tired of going to reptile fairs. The number of Ball python breeder was outrageous. I saw more people who were there only to profit and they talked about how they were professional breeders with only a few color morphs. I didn’t consider myself a real breeder with 52 snakes and I had most of the known color morphs at the time.
There is a growing trend of these people who see ball pythons as an investment and even though they claim the focus is on the snake but they get rid of everything when they don’t make money fast. I loved each of those 52 snakes and still remember their names today. These people are hurting the potential for some breeders as prices have dropped and so has the quality of the ball python. I wanted to educate each person I sold to and provided care sheets and made sure if they were younger the parents were properly educated as well on the care of the snake. I loved every snake and was more worried about something happening to the snake and it dying. Each person I sold to still email me to this day. Quality and care should be every breeder’s focus and many of the breeders I meet do follow that idea. The big time breeders are this way as well. I have met people from all over who have hundred of snakes and can tell you about each snake they have.
There were so many breeders who used the “you can be a breeder too” as a sales pitch has ruined the the field. People started breeding as an investment and now there are so many ball python breeders you can get a discount on a table at some reptile shows if you have something other then ball pythons. This isn’t an investment, this is about care and learning daily. I read something new each day on pythons. This is such an amazing time to be a herper. The internet provides you millions of ways to learn about the reptiles you want to keep and on many other reptiles. I love all the changes in the reptile breeding industry that have been coming about. New animals available, new caging, and new color morphs in many reptiles. So problem 1. Breeding as an investment and 2. the number of people trying to become breeders
It has been so sad to watch what has been happening to these beautiful pythons. Other then these people trying to breed snakes to become rich I have found that many people get into breeding without being properly educated. People who couldn’t tell you how to properly incubate the eggs are trying to sell snakes as an investment. I see websites that say investment quality ball pythons. Breeding and keeping snakes is not an investment. You are caring for a live animal that needs attention and love like you would a person. If you breed snakes as an investment and your focus is how much money you can make I hope every snake you have bites you daily. I have actually met people who bred ball pythons and told me they didn’t make enough money so they sold them off because it was a waste of time. Craigslist is part of the problem. I see people trading wonderful and rare animals to breed ball pythons. I asked why the change and I keep hearing that they couldn’t sell the babies or it was too hard to keep them. Uneducated keepers pokes her ugly head up again. For the love of all things reptile, learn about what you are buying before you make a purchase. You are hurting the animals and causing issues for the few rescues who keep reptiles. This is a responsibility for consumers and a bigger one for the breeders. If you own and/or breed snakes take the time to educate as many people as you can and don’t exaggerate. Breed and keep for the love of the animals. Problem 3. Uneducated keepers and consumers
Reptile fairs are no longer the great events they once were. When I first started going to to buy or sell the show was a blast. If you purchased a full weekend ticket and didn’t buy anything you still had a blast. There was such a variety and you could learn so much. Now it is mostly low variety ball python breeders and those who work with other reptiles make very little at fairs. So now these people who are what I call low level breeders are hurting other breeders. So the craze over taking ball pythons is also causing Problem 4. Lower quality venues of sales
The consumers are also hurting from what has been happening. Many people go to shows so they can hand pick their pet, talk to the breeders, and actually learn but too many times the breeders aren’t doing their job. The smaller breeders are inbreeding because they can’t afford to buy new snakes and want to keep increasing stock and this is lowering the level of quality of the snakes. There are so many ball pythons I see having health issues but the breeders keeps pushing them and breeding them because it is so rare and sells for so much that the money overtakes the quality of the snake. I feel so bad for many of the snakes I see. The customers are getting snakes that are what I started with. When I got started every ball python I saw could take down a rat pup easy and now I see breeders saying the snake could take down a pup but the rat pup is twice as big as the snake. Breeders are also hurting the consumer by not listing prices and acting like they are above the person trying to make a purchase. By not listing prices breeders are trying to get different prices based on how the measure the customer. Customers want to spend as little as they can, the breeder needs to be able to talk with many customers, and also handle transactions. If your table is full of people trying to get a price you can’t handle transactions fast enough and customers will go to other booths. If you are too busy people will try and steal you animals. Every breeder will get something stolen while at a fair. It is as common as the cold. Shady people are everywhere so be prepared. If you list price the educated people can make a purchase and you can still take the time to talk with those people who have no idea what the difference is between your different snakes. Breeders don’t need to be shady on price. List a price and either be able to haggle or stick to it. Now as for the breeders with an attitude, you need to get off your high horse and work with the consumers. This is with every reptile. Talk to the customers, teach them, and educate them. Consumers look to breeders for guidance and to help them make sure they can keep the animal healthy and happy. The more people know about their pet the better. Again I want to say I no longer work with ball pythons yet I still keep in contact with past customers because I want each and every baby I produced to have a long and happy life. The majority of breeders will talk with you and help make sure you have everything you need but there are those who make an angry tiger seem like a better conversation. Yes shows keep you busy but you need to be able to multitask. If you treat people with respect you will sell more and if you take the time and show care towards the customer they will not only buy from you then but will most likely return to you for more purchases. As a herper you need to care about everything you own and sell and as someone who wants to sell baby snakes you need to think about your business. Can’t pay for feeding and care for your current stock unless you sell the offspring. So problem 5. Is lacking Quality of animals and low quality breeders.
Now the last problem I have seen is quality of the consumer. There are great customers out there that make me so happy that they are reptile people but there is a growing number of customers who do not know what they are doing. So don’t get offended if you own reptiles and feel I am talking about you. The majority of reptile people are awesome owners and I hope continue to buy reptiles but I am only pointing out a growing group that are doing these wonderful creatures wrong. The customers I am talking about are not properly educated about what they are buying and trying to do with the animals they are buying. People buying large animals that they have no reason buying and pretend they know and are ready yet a year later I see them trying to sell on Craigslist because they can’t handle it so they want to get ball pythons. They can even be arrogant about what they know and what they know is usually wrong. I have heard some of the dumbest things said from people at reptile fairs. They walk in and act all cocky and then try to out smart the breeders. Those people usually over pay for reptiles and are the people on Craigslist trying to desperately sell off baby snakes. They also tell everyone how they are some big time snake breeder. I have heard a young woman tell me she had over 10 years of breeding experience with snakes but she was only 16 years old. I laughed so hard because she was so arrogant and treated me like I knew nothing. Yet when someone brought out an adult Chinese water monitor she said it was a deadly komodo and said I was crazy for picking it up. The monitor breeder laughed so hard and we talked for over 2 hours about people like her. Again this isn’t most of the people who own and buy reptiles but I am seeing a larger number of people why are cocky and under educated about reptiles. The people I am talking about also are the ones I see buying boas, larger pythons, and other snakes trying to become breeders because they were told it was a great source of income. Again they later sell awesome reptiles on Craigslist for an inflated price or for trade of ball python morphs. We all see it and if see this and think it is lame, funny, or just sad then you are not one of these people. You are a true reptile fan, caregiver and breeder. Problem 6. The growing group of low quality consumers. Last time I say this. This isn’t everyone it is just a growing group that is starting to walk into reptile fairs and pet stores.
These problems I saw starting in ball pythons but it is growing into other areas. More and more people are working with bearded dragons. leopard geckos, and crested geckos. These are easy animals to keep so more people see them as an easy investment. Wrong view but it is happening. I actually see more people getting out of beardies and into ball pythons for money and the people I see working with geckos are over pricing what they have but they are producing quality geckos. I don’t see that many of the gecko breeders at fairs either. Usually when I see gecko breeders at fairs they cover 2 tables with a large variety to choose from but the increasing number of people working with geckos is growing very fast and it will cause issues for others. Boas, Blood pythons and other large snakes are getting hurt as well. People are buying these snakes trying to breed or even just keep them and their larger size, eating habits, caging needs, and sometime temperament is leading people to sell or trade off these snakes for easier to care for reptiles. NEVER BUY A REPTILE YOU CAN’T HANDLE!!!! We all need to help teach others about what they are getting into. If you won a retic and know how to care for it make sure you tell people how much work it is. Don’t act like it is easy. People think they can handle anything and then they release these snakes, stop caring for these snakes and hurt the animals. This is why there are issues in the everglades, why we have the Lacey Act and why owning reptiles all together is being looked down upon. When people learn I keep snakes all I hear about is how bad they are, how they should be banned to own by every state, and then ask me questions about babies being killed.
In every group we see theses problems as more morphs are being produced, breeders are not properly selling their reptiles, and consumers are not getting the information they need.
These issues are more prominent in the ball python area but is something all true reptile breeders and owners need to try and keep from growing.
Now something I see as both good and bad is the growing number of morphs. The color variations is so beautiful and awesome but at the same time some of these morphs look the exact same as some other morphs yet breeders jack up the price because it’s different somehow. The World of Ball Pythons page shows more ball python morphs then I would ever imagine seeing. I have looked at them all and half of them look like something else that I feel the number should be cut down to 1/3 of what they have listed. I laughed my ass off at a guy who explained how he cross bred 4 different milk, corn and king snakes to produce what he did and the guy said I see there is a regular king snake, looks just like that goes for only $15 not $200. Breeder got pissed and I just laughed but what we can learn from this is that customers see only what they see and others fall for the trick of an investment. Breeders are so desperate to put their spin on something to make a profit that soon all ball pythons will be priced like colubrids are. What is scary is once those flat line then they will move on to something else. Breeders are so focused on sales and new morphs that hybrid mixing has become part of the game. Breed a ball to a blood then back to a ball until you can tell there is no blood left except for a new pattern or color and sell it as pure and make a killing for a while. Ask people why they don’t like hybrids and number one reason is they fear people will not be honest about genetics and people already lie about the genetics of their animals. I have seen so many breeders argue with and sometimes get very angry when someone calls them out that their jungle carpet isn’t pure. It is sad but the fact is that there are honest people and there are non honest people. Do your research and stay ahead of the people who are out to screw you over. Don’t let breeders convince you to invest into a snake. Buy a reptile because you love the reptile and want to keep it and make sure it is happy and keep it healthy.
So if you a reptile lover, please take the time to learn as much as you can before each purchase. Again many of you do but we all need to help educate people. My wife and I are always trying to educate people and give them places where they can look up to find more information.
Breeders are the front line of defense. Do not sell as an investment for a return of financial gain. Sell the animals as higher end exotic pets. If someone has questions about breeding then talk to them. If you are busy be friendly, give them your email and tell them to feel free to come back in a minute to talk or email you any questions. Be there for your customers and take the attitude else where. There is no room for egos in the reptile field. Help customers not just sell them a reptile. Remember you are selling a living, breathing, and thinking creature. When the animals you raised get sold, make sure they are going to a home where they will live a long and happy life.
This isn’t all breeders. Many breeders are taking care of their customers and doing so much for the name of the field but there are still those who are doing damage and we all need to make sure we do what we can to grow the field and keep more laws from forming that could keep us from owning the simplest of reptiles. It will be a sad day when a Sand Boa is illegal to own because of a group or morons. That is how it works. The small group of people who act like idiots are the ones that cause us all to get punished.
I am a marketing professional who also raises many snakes. I don’t consider myself a full breeder as it isn’t my source of income. I breed my reptiles as a hobby. Website is down and I don’t sell at fairs. I don’t plan on going big time, just want to breed for fun. I did the math and I actually loose money each year keeping my reptiles but I don’t care. I want to keep them, raise them and breed them when I feel the females are healthy enough to do so, plus who am I to keep my male reptiles from getting them some lol. I use my marketing skills to reach out and inform people. I have gotten so annoyed with the breeders who are hurting the industry and I get so mad at the customers who are making things rough for breeders, other owners, and the animals they purchase so I am voicing it. People may get mad or insulted but hey I am just trying to protect as many reptiles as I can. Some may read my posts and say I know nothing and I am no one to voice an opinion and I don’t care what they think. I have 2 business degrees and a biology degree and I use all three.
I know I’m not the only one who wants to keep the ball python field from becoming like colubrids and keep it from happening in other areas as well. For those of you who read this and are great owners and breeders just keep in mind I WANS’T TALKING ABOUT YOU!!
For those of you who are awesome herpers I hope to meet you one day and shake your hand and talk about reptiles with you in person.
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