getting breeder info from a business?

[April Homich]

What do you think about asking a company for info from/about breeders who wholesaled animals to them that you ending up buying? Is it not an appropriate thing to do?

Here's my general situation, since maybe my question isn't worded very well. I bought a snake - I really wasn't planning on it, but this little baby caught my eye at Tinley and I got a really good deal on him. I already have a female and was thinking about raising him up and breeding him in the future. After I bought him I showed him to a few other people who told me that they believe that he's a hybrid, which I guess would explain the different look he has. The people working the table where I bought him didn't know his history, so when I got home I tried contacting the company three times to get the history on the snake. If there's any chance he's a hybrid, I can't breed him. They flat out denied that someone would even think of doing that and would not make any effort to get any kind of information for me. I didn't even need to know who bred them, I just wanted them to talk to the breeder themselves. They also have clutchmates for sale as pure specimens also but they have the common name wrong and it actually suggests a hybrid. They said that that was the name the breeder gave the babies.

So was I wrong in asking for that information? Or was it just asking too much when I got a really good deal? Either way, the snake is really nice and eats well and if anything, I will give it to my brother and his family for a pet.

[Southern Wolf]

I dont think you are asking too much. What was the common name the breeder gave the snake... chances are that would tell us alot.... and if the seller was a wholesaler....then he may not know which breeder sold him the snake. Just my take on things.

Either way... .I dont think you were asking too much.

[hhmoore]

I don't think there is a problem with buyers asking questions of sellers....but many people that buy/sell don't want to give the buyers info on who they bought from (it sort of eliminates the need for that seller if the buyers can just contact the breeder/wholesaler to make their purchases). In cases where there are specific questions about an animal, unless the record keeping is poor enough not to allow it, I think it is just good business for the seller to relay the questions/answers.
*In some cases, though, people sell to wholesalers because they don't want to deal with the questions & other "hassles" associated with selling to the public...not much you can do in that situation.

[April Homich]

Yes, they wholesaled them. I just wanted them to ask and relay the info to me; I didn't ask for the breeder's info myself.

He was labeled as a "Borneo black blood python" which isn't possible, since black bloods are only from Sumatra. They are using only the scientific name for black bloods next to it though. They claim that that is the common name used in the pet trade. ? I've never heard it used before myself. It's a misleading name, but they did say that is what the breeder sold them as. I thought that they just messed up the labeling, but some people did think he looked like the result of a cross with a Borneo short tail. The head scales look pure Sumatran, but I just can't be sure. They can be hard to tell apart sometimes. He's so pretty, too, but I just can't breed him unless I am sure what he is. It also worries me a bit that if they are crosses, they are being sold as pure and people may be buying them to breed them. They still have some from the same breeder available.

[Bill & Amy]

Just another good reason to not buy from flippers.

Do you have any pics that maybe someone with experience with bloods might help you indentify it?

[Jasin]

I saw them advertising these a while back(can't remember who??), and thought they must be hybrids, so I e-mailed the people asking questions and for more pics, and never heard back. Who was the seller?? I think you have every right to know the answers to your questions, especialy when trying to breed local specific animals. And if you want nice P. CURTIS, it is important to know for sure!! Any pics??

[April Homich]

Kara from NERD saw it in person and believed it's a cross. I did send pictures to people also. Dave Barker was nice enough to get back to me and said that it looks like a cross but there's no way to really tell. The scales match P. curtus.

I don't want to turn this into a 'bad guy' kind of post, so I'm a bit hesitant to put the seller's name here. It's a big company and I was aware that it was either WC, captive hatched, or wholesale. In this case, I would have actually been happier if it were WC because I would know what it was... :rolleyes_

[Casey Hulse]

Hi April. This large company sells a lot of imports. It is poss. that they said it was CBB, when it was actually an import, thus no breeder info?? Can you ask them to have the breeder contact you, or perhaps they could forward an email from them to verify the genetics? I see they have "het" ball pythons on their website. It seems like breeder info. would Have to be available if requested.

[April Homich]

Hi Casey! It was nice meeting you at the show! I have pretty much given up on trying to get the info, as they wouldn't contact the breeder for me. Would a company that big keep track of where they get their animals from? I'm still happy I got the snake, but he's just going to be a pet and not be bred.

[Casey Hulse]

[QUOTE]Would a company that big keep track of where they get their animals from? [/QUOTE
I would sure think so.
Very nice meeting you also!

[Casey Hulse]

Maybe if you post a picture on some forums, the info. you need will develop??

Would a company that big keep track of where they get their animals from?
I'll try again