Has desert female breeding got anywhere?

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Originally Posted by JLC

Really? Does a ball python HAVE to breed and reproduce in order to have value? Or does every loved pet ball python (including my own, as I am no breeder) have no more value than a paper weight?

Interesting...

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Only needs to be able to breed to justify the $1000 price tag. I'll still buy a female desert for the right price.

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Originally Posted by Dragoon

Only needs to be able to breed to justify the $1000 price tag. I'll still buy a female desert for the right price.

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:confuzd: I spent $1000 for my doberman...and another couple hundred to get her spayed so she couldn't/wouldn't breed.

That's not to say that I don't understand MOST people's reluctance to spend a grand on a snake just because it's pretty. But my point was to question the statement that the animals have NO value for no other reason than that they can't breed.

I just find the whole discussion very...eye opening.

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Originally Posted by JLC

I just find the whole discussion very...eye opening.

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At the risk of taking this thread in a very strange direction, my snakes help me deal with my PTSD, and allow me to relax when things get stressful for me and I want to go off the deep end.

I can't put a price tag or value on how much that is worth to me.

Ok, weird rant off, back to your regular programing ;)

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Originally Posted by JLC

I just find the whole discussion very...eye opening.

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Indeed :weirdface. However I wouldn't think badly of some of the people who probably surprised you in a negative way lol, a lot of people these days are more interested in the business aspect of ball pythons. They want to INVEST in ball pythons and ball python morphs. Of course a morph that can't produce would be useless to them.

I don't think deserts themselves should be worth 1k because they're not that cool looking. I would have gotten a bumblebee for $800 (that's how much they were when I joined) and I had no intention of breeding lol. I think bee's are freakn HOT. Even to this day, if you see a sweet bee, you gotta have it :gj:!! It's a beautiful snake even if it's just a pet.

I think people will freak out, and prices will drop....hopefully, the male prices will stabilize once people come to their senses. This makes Desert a more rare and precious morph than any of the others, because only males will breed. This means the number of breedable deserts will always be low. Regardless of the combination, 1/4 of the clutch will be sold as 'pet only' animals. Combinations with multiple recessives may take longer to produce. I don't think that having 1/4 of the clutch sell for the price of normals (which is what I see EVENTUALLY happening) is too much of a price to pay to work with this gene.

However, I do sincerely hope that people WILL stop trying to breed the females, soon. They not only slug out, they're heavily prone to egg binding, and they are dying in droves due to these attempts. I think the females should be sold with a non-breeding agreement, the way female pet-quality purebred dogs are. The females should be discouraged from going into a breeding cycle, as it could be a risk to their lives.

Just thought I would let you all know...John Woolards Desert died trying to pass the last two eggs...2008 female at 2000g. :tears:
Travis

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Originally Posted by Lair of Dragons

Just thought I would let you all know...John Woolards Desert died trying to pass the last two eggs...2008 female at 2000g. :tears:
Travis

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That's just heartbreaking :tears: Were any of the eggs fertile?

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Originally Posted by bad-one

That's just heartbreaking :tears: Were any of the eggs fertile?

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No. :(

Very sad news, indeed.

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Originally Posted by bad-one

That's just heartbreaking :tears: Were any of the eggs fertile?

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No...none...he cut them in the pictures...they were yellow...he has a Tiger female bred from the same Desert male that is due any day...he had them at cooler temps for a long time thinking it would solve the problem..same thinking I HAD...
I just can't grasp the fact that Mother Nature would make such a nice looking morph that is not venomous and that the males can breed and reproduce and the females throw slugs and some end up dying for the attempt.
Travis

That really is sad news. I agree with Donna's earlier post. Maybe it's time we stop trying to breed these Desert girls, and just enjoy them as pets.