Terms of Sale

I accept several forms of payment including Apple Cash, Venmo, PayPal, or US Postal Service Money Order/bank checks made out to “Southern Chondros”. My preferred method of payment for international customers is an international bank transfer. I will place a chondro on hold for up to a week while waiting for a mailed payment or a deposit to arrive or post to my account unless other arrangements are agreed upon. I will not sell a snake on hold for you to someone else while I am waiting for a payment to arrive/post.

Payment must be received in full, including shipping costs, before animals can be picked up or shipped. Checks must clear before payments are considered received.  Deposits and payments in full are non-refundable unless I am unable to provide a healthy chondro as promised.

Payment plans are sometimes available; please contact me for more information. At a minimum, I require a 25%, non-refundable deposit to hold an animal and then 25% due every 30 days thereafter with the final payment due on day 90.  If any payment is missed or any other terms of this agreement are violated, I may choose to terminate the payment plan and any deposits and all subsequent payments are non-refundable.

Shipping costs vary depending on destination. I can pre-book a shipment to generate shipping costs and those are also due before a booking is finalized. In some cases, I am willing to travel to meet for pickup but travel fees may apply.

The health and well-being of my chondros is my utmost priority when setting the shipping policy.  Shipping is at my discretion and I will only ship when temperatures are 38°F and above and below 90°F at origin and destination cities.

I only ship domestically via FedEx Priority Overnight.  My preferred shipping days are Tuesday/Wednesday but Monday/Thursday are possibilities depending on the time of year.  My firm policy is to drop off the snakes at my main FedEx hub in Raleigh, N.C., and for pick up on your end to occur at the main FedEx staffed hub closest to you.  When shipping via FedEx I offer a full live arrival guarantee when you receive shipment from the nearest accepting hub to you and animals are picked up within two hours of the hub opening on the day of pickup.  My live arrival and 24-hour health guarantees are void if you insist on a receiving address other than the staffed FedEx hub nearest you.  Please note:  The contract I signed with FedEx prohibits me from shipping to home addresses.

Animals paid for in full can be picked up in person at my home in North Carolina.

2022/2023: I am not currently setup to ship internationally.  The number of chondros I expect to have available each year will determine if I will renew my personal United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) export license. When I am shipping internationally, I require at least two snakes in a shipment with a minimum value of $2,500. Fees you are responsible for include a $279 USFWS export inspection, $50 health inspection certificate fee, $450 estimated international destination shipping costs, and importation fees/taxes. Costs may vary if we choose to use a broker to organize the shipment and if more than one customer is included in the shipment. Timetable from start to finish for an international order can vary greatly, but expect four to eight months.

In years I am not personally shipping internationally, I may be able to make arrangements to work with another U.S. breeder organizing a bigger group international shipment. I keep a running list each year of people interested in receiving a snake internationally and am willing to wait to be included in a larger shipment for their area of the world.

If the international shipping arrangements are organized by another breeder or broker, I can only guarantee live arrival to that breeder or broker.

From 2023 onward, I plan on DNA sexing my hatchings. As of late 2022, DNA sexing wait time is estimated at 3-4 months because the service is so new. At this time, unless otherwise notes, none of my currently available snakes will be DNA sexed.   I do not manually sex baby green tree pythons that are less than 100 grams, which is usually around a year of age, due to the possibility of damaging their fragile spines.  Spinal kinks can occur when trying to “pop” baby chondros.

I have a good track record of correctly manually sexing appropriately sized chondros, but mistakes do happen and sex is not guaranteed unless via DNA. DNA sexing is highly accurate and if you need to feel certain about the sex of your snake, this is the service to use.

All sales of animals are final.  I must be made aware of any health issues within 24 hours of shipment arrival.  I cannot warranty any animal beyond the 24-hour period but I will do my best to help you with any husbandry or health issues that may arise.  As stated above, my live arrival and 24-hour health guarantees are void if you insist on a receiving at an address other than the staffed FedEx hub nearest you or the box is not picked up within two hours of your FedEx hub opening.  I guarantee, at time of shipment, that animals are eating well and that they are healthy.  All babies will have taken at least 10 meals and have a solid feeding response.  They should continue to do well for you but once you take possession of the animal/s, you are responsible for its health and well-being.  Veterinary health certificates are available upon request.  Charges will vary depending on the level of testing you desire.  Some animals will require a period of adjustment before they will eat.

I recommend any new addition to your collection be quarantined for a minimum of 90 days.  It is always wise to have your own exotic vet available.

I care about every single animal that I sell and I want them to do well for you.  Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about your animals.

By purchasing from Southern Chondros it is presumed that you possess the skills required to keep chondros in an appropriate enclosure and healthy state.  You are, therefore, assumed to possess adequate knowledge of caging requirements such as, but not limited to: size, humidity, temperature, perch diameter, etc.  Naturally, I will gladly offer any assistance requested, but ultimate responsibility must be yours as the housing conditions will be completely under your control.

Likewise, although I only sell chondros that have a healthy feeding response and readily eat for me (unless specifically stated otherwise), a change in environment, setting, etc. can be enough to disrupt a chondro’s feeding habits.  It is assumed that you possess the skills to be able to get a non-feeding chondro back to readily feeding.  I will always gladly offer any suggestions and tips should the need arise.  By purchasing from me, you will always get all the follow-up support you require.  I want your animal to thrive for you!