Anyone interested in a python?

[rattler]

heres the storry, about 2 years ago or so i had a virus run through my snake collection, the only ones that survived where the 3 that happened to still be at my parents house. well im getting back into snakes and such again and figured i would offer one up for trade on here before i do so elsewhere(it has been okayed by the Mods as long as it stays as a trade i AM NOT interested in selling the animal, if i have to chip in a lil extra thats fine but not looking to dish out much $ other than for shipping the python to you). so here are the specs:

FOR TRADE: 1 spotted python (Antaresia maculosa), IIRC it hatched out in October of 2000. i purchased it along with 2 others in January of 2001, so it is over 4 years old. here is the kicker, even though it is 4 years old it is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 feet long. they are a SMALL python species from Austrailia. also, not really a good beginers snake, they are nippy. i have to use a hook(modified coat hanger) to get it out of the cage. once out its fine and easy to hold. by using the hook to get it out of the cage i have not been bit in the last 3 years. they just think anything warm entering their cage is food. once out of the cage they realize its not feeding time. its feeding on one frozen/thawed adult mouse every other week. i have 2 of them in a 10 gallon aquarium with screen top and its plenty of room. i have a pic somewhere but will have to find it.

interested in:
most any snake other than corns and garters
i am basically just interested in captive bred snakes, no wild caught please
extreamly interested in a columbian boa constrictor or other BCI locals
blue tougued skinks
crested geckos
make me an offer

please remembered if you are interested in a trade your animal MUST be shipped up to me overnight through Fedex or UPS, i prefer fedex. this runs $35ish. i will be shipping the python by overnight Fedex. this is the absolute best way to insure the animals arrive in good condition.

 

[rattler]

i forgot to add, it is unsexed and from what i have seen in the k.com classifieds, retail for between $85 for hatchlings and $125 or so for adults. im not nessisarily looking for an equvilent priced snake, just looking for something that catches my interest.

Here is a crappy photo, the snake is actually quite irridecent. any photos you find online will give yah a better idea as to looks other than it IS NOT the Cape York variety.

 

[PlantAKiss]

I'm just curious...doesn't a snake sent through the mail get tossed all around??  Have you ever seen mail carriers handling boxes?  I know people ship fish, frogs and other live things through the mail and I always wondered about that.  Isn't it kinda rough on the critter?

 

[rattler]

ive never had a problem with it. generally the snake is fairly unhappy about the trip but settle down in no time(nippy species like pythons generally take a shot at you appon opening the bag). the key is very good packaging practices.

 

[PlantAKiss]

How in the world does one pack a snake?

 

[rattler]

lol, depends on size but for a snake between 1.5 and 7 feet depending on build here is what yah do.

Step 1: place snake in pillow case. depending on the snake this is generally the hardest part of the whole process. for animals that ike to hide some really dont care to go in one. then tie the pillow case shut. with a decent sized active snake you may want to wrap some electrical tape around the knot so they dont work it loose.

Step 2: get a styrofoam lined box or one of those styrofoam boxes they ship fish in to petstores. fill it half way up with shredded paper or packing peanuts. this time of year you get some 40 hour heat packs and place them a few inches down. in the middle of a hot summer you use cool packs.

Step 3: place the pillow case containing the snake in the middle of you container. fill up the rest of the container with more shredded paper or whatever. not enough so it takes efort to close, you dont want to crush the snake but yah want it fully supported.

Step 4: place styrofoam container in a box or seal up your styrofoam lined box.

Step 5: ship overnight through FedEx or UPS say a prayer or two that the truck doesnt miss the plane do to a wreck on the freeway(happened to me when i had some snakes shipped to me from Cali, it took an extra day. not FedEx's fault but it was a bit nerve wracking given it was freezing out)

this is how i have always shipped and for the most part had shipped tome. smaller snakes travel in a deli cup with bedding in it.

 

[PlantAKiss]

Ummm...and what does the mail service think about handling a live python?? Do they know that's what they are shipping? Are there air holes?

 

[Ozzy]

I'm interested. I don't have anything that I want to trade at the moment. I'll look into buying something and having it shipped to you. Give me a week or so.
Do you have any thing that you really want?

If you get another offer take it. I don't need another snake but this one seems pretty cool.

 

[Amateur_Expert]

I'd be interested in it. What are you looking for?

 

[rattler]

well. given that i have recently(yesterday) promiced Darla that i wont get more snakes im thinking if possible i should shy away but i have a clause in the agreement that i can get a female anery boa or sonoran boa constrictor if i can find one to pair up with the normal male BCI im picking up next week.

what i can get at the moment without a single argument from Darla is most any dart frog, crested geckos and blue toungued skinks. i can not have any critter that requires crickets as a daily food source which is why i can have cresteds and BTS's. sorry for the change but i thought no one was interested and didnt have a mod erase the post cause PAK was interested in the longistics of snake shipping

 

[mabudon]

LOL rattler said "the longistics of snake shipping"

Sorry to interrupt, but that is just plain hilarious, whether you meant it or not... carry on