Top 5 Places to Buy A Ball Python(+2 to AVOID)
Ball pythons are sold in most pet stores that sell reptiles. The problem with finding ball pythons for sale is that you don’t know whether they’re from a reliable or ethical source.
Unfortunately, the most well-known place to buy a ball python is a chain pet store. The bad thing about them is that their ethics and suppliers aren’t clear
Luckily for us, we now have many ways of buying a ball python directly from a ball python breeder. The good thing about buying a ball python online is that we can research their social media presence. This makes it easy to understand their ethical beliefs and making sure they align with yours.
Today we’ll go over the many places you can purchase a ball python.
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1. Reptile conventions and Reptile shows
The best place I’ve purchased a ball python that’s low cost and high quality is a reptile convention.
Reptile conventions are where reptile vendors and hobbyists set up booths to sell and showcase their collections. Not only do they sell ball pythons, but they have every legal reptile you can think of. As an added bonus they also sell reptile supplies and food.
These reptile conventions have become more popular over the years as reptiles become more common in a family home.
The Reptile Super Show in Southern California offers 100,000 square feet of booths showcasing animals. Some booths even sell out of their animals by the end. of that weekend.
The convention hosts reptile breeders who showcase their best reptiles they are ready to sell including ball pythons.
What they offer
Ball python breeders all over the nation participate in these reptile shows so it’s a great place to get a wide selection of ball python morphs to choose from.
The reason these shows have the best ball pythons to choose from is that the breeders take their animals very seriously.
The companies that rent out spaces in reptile shows are serious breeders. They are usually those who have built a business around what they love.
Another benefit to buying a ball python from a reptile show is that you can see the animal for yourself instead of trusting pictures and descriptions online.
They have ball pythons available displayed right there at the booths for you so you can see how healthy they are and if they are well taken care of.
It also gives you the chance to meet the breeders and see how you like them as a person. This will give you an idea if you align with your ethics and values.
Meeting the ball python breeders face-to-face gives you the chance to observe the company first-hand instead of trusting a chain pet store whose supplier is unknown.
If you ask nicely you might even get to hold it before you buy. You also avoid paying shipping costs since you can take your ball python home that same day.
2. Small local pet shops
The best place to buy a ball python is a mom-and-pop pet shop. Just like the reptile shows you can see the ball pythons first hand to make sure that they’re healthy. It’s also a way to see if they’re being kept in a good environment.
These smaller pet shops might charge you more than a chain pet store, but at least you know that it’s coming from a reliable source.
The downside to buying from a local pet store is that they won’t have a big selection of ball pythons.
Unless the small pet shop is breeding the ball pythons themselves they might not even know the ball python morph.
If you’re having trouble identifying ball python morphs, you can always send a photo to a Facebook group that can assist you.
Another issue you may encounter if you purchase a ball python from a small, local pet shop is that not all pet stores sell reptiles. Adversely not all reptile stores sell ball pythons.
Even so, purchasing a ball python from a local pet shop will bring you one step closer to finding a ball python supplier.
3. Directly from a ball python breeder
Aside from a reptile convention or a small pet shop, the best place to get a ball python is directly from a ball python breeder.
They usually have a presence online whether it’s their own website, a social media platform, or an online marketplace for snakes.
Ball python breeder’s website
Ball python breeder’s websites are great places to start looking for a ball python for sale. They list most of their best animals on the website and they usually have a wide variety to choose from.
Most reptile breeders that have their own website have built their business from the ground up and have reviews listed online or on Morph Market.
If not, check their other social media accounts to see if they have any negative feedback or suspicious reviews.
The downside to buying a ball python directly from a breeder’s website is that they almost always charge for shipping and shipping costs a pretty penny for live reptiles.
Shipping a ball python across the nation isn’t easy. There are many regulations to follow to package them safely and according to courier specs.
As of now, the only company that ships snakes is FedEx who only offers overnight shipping for live reptiles. Just the shipping cost alone is expensive. Add the materials to ship a snake and shipping can cost upwards of $65. All of which usually comes out of your pocket.
However, if you are looking for a specific ball python morph, ball python breeder websites are worth it because most of morphs aren’t available in small pet stores.
4. Morph market
Another alternative to getting a ball python directly from a breeder’s website is to go on Morph Market.
Morph Market is an online store that’s like eBay for reptiles. They allow sellers to post reptiles they have for sale in an organized way so you can contact the seller easily.
Through Morph Market you can filter available snakes by gender, morph, price, and more. Individual breeders can list their snakes for sale on the website for people to browse through.
Although you can’t purchase the ball python from the Morph Market website, you can work out a deal with the seller by messaging them directly.
Luckily, Morph Market has a review system that shows you how reliable they are. Their review system is based on a negative-neutral-positive system where buyers can rate the sellers and leave a comment if they like.
My experience with Morph Market has been nothing except positive. All of the sellers I’ve worked with that have positive reviews have them for good reason, plus they’re easy to work with.
People that sell On Morph Market have to pay a fee in order to create listings so most of them are serious about selling reptiles, especially the sellers with multiple ratings.
5. A Reptile zoo
Reptile zoos are not that common, but they do exist.
The reptile zoo in California is an excellent example. The good thing about them is that they exhibit animals for educational purposes as well as sell them.
Their reptile selection is limited, and their ball python selection is even more limited, but you can see how they treat their reptiles throughout the zoo.
They even have a window into their female reticulated python room where you can see eggs incubating.
Buying a ball python from here is a cool story to tell, but they don’t have the best selection. Their prices are about the same compared to the other sources in this post.
Where to buy ball pythons(with caution)
There are a couple of places worth mentioning when figuring out where to buy ball pythons for sale.
Chain pet stores
As you may or may not know, chain pet stores have a reputation with animal owners alike. Although it’s convenient for people to go to and buy supplies especially on a whim, we’ve recently discovered that their suppliers aren’t always ethical.
Chain pet stores are great to buy supplies for any pet species, but getting an animal, especially a ball python, from there could be risky.
Most chain pet stores don’t disclose where they get their reptiles from so their source can sometimes be unreliable when it comes to the health and safety of animals.
They’re also not reptile professionals. Instead, they are a broad-spectrum pet supplier.
This means that the reptiles they sell aren’t always as described. For example, ball pythons that the chain pet stores sell aren’t labeled with their actual morph. Instead, they’re just labeled as a “fancy” ball python which means it’s not a normal morph.
Before I knew about how bad buying a pet from chain pet stores is, I got my first corn snake form one.
I love my corn snake, Peaches, and I’ve had him since he was a baby, but I never got to know if he is actually a “he” or a “she” since it wasn’t labeled at the store.
I also had to spend time researching what type of corn snake he was. It turns out he’s an amelanistic Motley corn snake, but I would have never known if I didn’t research it myself.
If you’re looking for a ball python at a chain pet store you’ll get the same result where they won’t know the gender of that ball python and they won’t even know the exact morph.
The only benefit to buying a reptile from a chain pet store is that it’s convenient because you know where they are and they’re almost always in major cities.
Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good for me. Considering all it has to offer, just know that you absolutely can get your ball python from these stores, but do so with caution.
From an acquaintance/friend of a friend
Situations come up for people where they have to get rid of a ball python. The opportunity may come to you where you can take him in as a pet.
Although it seems great, you don’t know how well that ball python was treated and whether it’s in good condition.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always end up well because of the unknown health or housing situation that the ball python was in.
Given that information, it’s not always a bad thing to get a reptile from an acquaintance. Just make sure that you do so with caution. Also beware that the snake might not be in the best of health.
They might have underlying issues that you’re not aware of especially if they were a first-time ball python owner.
Places to AVOID buying ball pythons
There are multiple resources sell ball pythons, but doesn’t mean that you should take advantage of all of them.
Places like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist are a little bit too sketchy for a place to buy ball pythons and in my opinion, you should avoid them.
Facebook/ Facebook marketplace
Not only is it against guidelines to sell animals through Facebook but it’s also frowned upon in the reptile community.
Even though it’s a great place to communicate, it’s not quite meant for pet trade or pet sales.
It’s always best to stay on the safer side and opt for a pet shop or a ball python breeder’s website.
Craigslist
Craigslist is a great resource for you to find people who are trying to get rid of ball pythons, but it has the same risk as if you were to get a ball python from an acquaintance or Facebook.
Ball pythons on Craigslist aren’t always in the best condition. There are plenty of scammers that advertise false information to get more money from you.
Pet sales are not allowed on Craigslist but they are usually disguised as pets for adoption with an adoption fee.
I must mention that Craigslist is not the safest place to do a transaction especially when it comes to pets. Besides, no on wants to meet up with strangers.
Conclusion
Believe it or not, ball pythons are available through many channels including online and in-person.
From my experience, I believe that getting a ball python online is the best option to find a ball python for sale.
Online, you have ball python breeders and ball python enthusiasts who are willing and ready to give you a ball python. You also get the convenience of having it shipped to your home.
Local pet stores are another good option for you to get a ball python, too. You just have to make sure that they are resourcing from an ethical breeder.
Get to know your local pet store’s owner and get an idea of their values and personalities in person to build that trust.
Ultimately, it’s up to you where you want to get your ball python for. You might be looking for a top-notch morph or just a young ball python to raise. Either way, there are options for you no matter what you’re looking for.
