Next Step

[greenmonkey51]

I now have a chance to take a huge step in my herp career. This will likely decide what I keep for the next 10-15 years. I have 3 choices. The first is an adult pine island leachianus. which fits in with the cresteds I keep. The next is a very nice pastel male and then getting a couple more normal females and possibly a 100% het albino female. The last is to get a pair or possible trio of Boa Constrictor Amaralis. I am stuck on the fence and I need some suggestions.

[alexrls]

all of the above?

[jknudson]

Get the leachies, those are sweet! Skip the pastel unless they are what you really love, but pick up some normal females (you can never have too many of those).

[Shelby]

Well, I could tell you what I'd pick, but that doesn't help you at all. Look at them all seriously.. what one excites you the most? Imagine a clutch of eggs (or a litter) and which one do you think would be the coolest to you to raise up?

[mlededee]

so is it a pair of adult leachies that you are looking at? whatever you choose i think should be at least a pair so that you do have the definite option to breed them.

which do you like better--pythons or boas?

like jballpython said, don't get the pastel unless that is a morph that you really like. save your $ for a morph you really really like and want to reproduce. if you get a het albino female you should also get a het male to go with her, as it would be a waste to breed her to a normal male. then you could also produce albinos your first season that they breed. but again, only choose the hets if you really love and want albinos.

[greenmonkey51]

The leachie is just a single adult male. Im really having trouble though deciding between boas and balls. The pastel is only 350$ so by breeding that, in turn I could sell the babies and then start getting the morphs I really want.

[jknudson]

The pastel is only 350$ so by breeding that, in turn I could sell the babies and then start getting the morphs I really want.

I wouldn't just breed pastels to make quick bank....if you do pastels breed for quality, and make some real nice supers. I've seen way too many junky (not the good kind of junky) pastels on the market. Make some killer pastels and use the nicest of the clutches for COMBOS!

Just my two cents.

-Jason

[greenmonkey51]

I wouldn't just breed pastels to make quick bank....if you do pastels breed for quality, and make some real nice supers. I've seen way too many junky (not the good kind of junky) pastels on the market. Make some killer pastels and use the nicest of the clutches for COMBOS!

Just my two cents.

-Jason

http://www.crestedgecko.com/pastel010m.jpg

That was the one I was thinking about, even though its sold now Im keeping in touch with the seller and watching the site for more pastels he has. Thats a pretty nice pastel male for 350$, I agree about the junky pastels too, I've seen a lot that don't look very different than a normal with light coloring. The one thing that makes this tough is I see all the other people already breeding balls and I don't know if I want to get into the fray. One thing about the boas is when I was looking for sellers, I found only a few that had quality animals. I rather pick a species that only a few other people are doing and get good animals out of it.

[jknudson]

http://www.crestedgecko.com/pastel010m.jpg

That was the one I was thinking about, even though its sold now Im keeping in touch with the seller and watching the site for more pastels he has. Thats a pretty nice pastel male for 350$, I agree about the junky pastels too, I've seen a lot that don't look very different than a normal with light coloring. The one thing that makes this tough is I see all the other people already breeding balls and I don't know if I want to get into the fray. One thing about the boas is when I was looking for sellers, I found only a few that had quality animals. I rather pick a species that only a few other people are doing and get good animals out of it.

Good thought there! Garrick is a stand up guy with some killer ball pythons, I've talked to him two times at different reptile shows and purchased geckos from him, you wouldn't be going wrong with his pastel...heck at his prices I'd pick up a pair, you'd be one step closer to supers.

I commend you on the thought of choosing select animals few are working with....you could be one of the pioneers in the boa market if boas start to gain a market as large as bp's down the road. But you are right, there are only a few quality boa breeders with killer stock and again numerous hobby breeders who are popping out and selling sub par animals. Definitely a tough decision....choose what you love because if you're not enjoying projects that can take 2-5 years you won't want to care for your breed stock for that long.

-Jason

[greenmonkey51]

Right now Im seeing that Im not going to sink the money needed for ball pythons into them to get started. Something about it I don't like it. Right now Im looking into Amarali boas. I have found a couple breeders but its nothing like balls. I found this quote interesting while searching.

I have many debates with other breeders about keeping bloodlines
pure. I too get the story " these animals will never be returned to the
wild ".
But my argument is that - " these animals may be extinct from the
wild one day and the only ones left are Mutts from crossbreeding in
captivity."

Vincent Russo

For the boas Im looking at this quote means a lot, considering how many crosses I've seen looking for BCC's.