Inquiry on ELITEXOTICS

I really try not to fly off the handle, and keep "bashing" (on my end anyways) to a minimum. Ken made some vaild points, but I never said this was a scam, I said exactly what everyone else is saying., just another case of an inexperienced, misinformed, seller of live reptiles, unintentionally misrepresenting his animals to the general public, and if he's got a surplus of pinkies - feed 'em to his Cornsnakes. These are 7+ month old Ball pythons. They should be taking large adult mice at least. The unsexed thing...I can live with. Maybe some people aren't "comfortable" in popping/probing their animals - but if you ask me, that's like not being "comfortable" handling pepperoni while working at a pizza joint. Maybe that's a little harsh...so let me rephrase...if I hatched out six 66% (I mean 50%) het Albino's, and wasn't comfortable with sexing, I would find someone in the hobby to do it for me. It'd be worth my while in doing so.

Realvenum had a good question. Who did you purchase the male 100% from. I'd also like to know who the 50% female came from, if you don't mind sharing that info. I, for one, am not calling you a scam artist, nor did I say anything about you intentionally misrepresenting your animals, but when I see ads like that it makes me wonder just how many people really have no freakin' clue about the "basics" of general reptile care, husbandry, or propagation. So in short, I'm not saying this guy is a bad guy, I just think if you're in the biz to SELL to the public you'd better have your ducks in a row. Don't tarnish what others have worked so hard to make shine. Yes, we can educate each other (newbies, etc) and I actually enjoy nothing more than to see newcomers to the hobby that are fascinated as I with the animals they keep, I love asking questions, I love answering them, but RULE #1 in this hobby is "research the animal, before you buy it" and sadly, since everyone and their mother sells reptiles via the internet anymore, RULE #2 should read, "research the animal BEFORE you sell it"

When I first saw the ad (the original one) a few things came to my mind.
1. He didn't understand the genetics fully, which is forgivable.
2. He had a litter of 6 and no albinos. My gut says the female is normal, even further rendering the babies 50%
3. On the sexing issue my first thought was they were all males and to help sell them he offered them as unsexed. I'm not saying this was the fact, just what came to mind considering the significant price difference between the sexes.

It is unfortunate that many are so eager to get in on the ball market do so prior to gaining any knowledge about the gentics they are dealing with. I still see questions on forums asking what they will get when they breed their het albino to a normal, and even some answers suggesting there is the possibility of getting an albino or two.
My opinion is such people have no buisness answering questions let alone selling snakes until they learn what they're dealing with. If the seller is willing to learn about the topic, and he apparently is then I won't hold this issue against him.

Many are uncomfortable sexing snakes. I was myself fo rseveral years. I had a friend probe all my hatchlings for a long time until I finally had him teach me to do it. It is a skill that's basically required, but when dealing with snakes where the sex is of more importance one should really get them sexed one way or another. Few people who are into snakes don't know someone that can sex them.

Feeding the pinkies is unjustified, even out of convenience. I understand that you feed what you have but if you have pinks, you can have weanlings.
Many people start their balls on rat pinks and that's great. I don't have a rat colony going yet, I just raise mice. I feed mice because that's what I have. My balls start on weaned mice out of the egg however, pinks are not considered.
Other than the sexing issue, I never thought this fellow was actually trying to scam anyone. Really, what kind of scammer would pass off 50% hets as 66%. I saw it as an error and nothing more. The idea that they were actually all males was just something that occured to me as a possibility considering the circumstances, but I didn't automatically think it was a scam.
Regardless, I wouldn't have considered purchasing that group based largely on that possibility. Just another reason to get them sexed.

As for the second ad, I found that humorous as well, for the same reason Al did. Apparently their [bleep] sensor isn't active on the classifieds. I was amazed to actually see the URL to Fauna in the ad.
I do give him credit for going with 50% after getting the story on the genetics. If he gets them sexed and can back up that the male is het, I'd say he'll sell the females quickly, and at a better price to boot. Males are worth about $5 more than normals, to me anyway.

They clearly state in bold letters, YEARLING balls, and right under that say they were born 7/03. My quick calculations say that is far from a yearling animal, if it is now only 10/03. I am sorry, I just do not buy the story, do not trust the seller, I would not be surprised if the story changes again!