Breeding - Egg layers vs Livebearers

This is directed toward anyone experienced in breeding either or both.

Any advantages/disadvantages to breeding the two different types of snakes? I want to eventually become involved in breeding, and trying to decide which type I would like to focus on, if not both. I am also considering sticking with the smaller snakes as opposed to the giants.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

This is directed toward anyone experienced in breeding either or both.

Any advantages/disadvantages to breeding the two different types of snakes? I want to eventually become involved in breeding, and trying to decide which type I would like to focus on, if not both. I am also considering sticking with the smaller snakes as opposed to the giants.

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Well the first thing everyone will tell you is breed what you like.By this i mean if you like piedball ball pythons and can not buy one buy a pair of 100% hets and produce your own.This is exactly what i am doing with 100% het albinos :D .If you like albino boas buy a pair of hets and make your own.If you choose something your really not interested in breeding they will become a burden instead of the true love for the animal.The really only differance is eggs need incubators live bearers need larger enclosures(most).I hope this helps and let us know what and when you decide to have.

I really wish BPs had live births; I hated incubating, had a bad experience this year; though I plan on retrying w/ my snakes this year; I wish I could just avoid it!

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I really wish BPs had live births; I hated incubating, had a bad experience this year; though I plan on retrying w/ my snakes this year; I wish I could just avoid it!

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Like they say you get the bad with the good.Jen since you are such a nice person here is a wish for a very very great ball python breeding season for you :gj: .

Just out of curiosity, what kind of snake have live births.

(I'm still new to all this .... :oops: )

Boas, Anacondas (technically a boa too), garter snakes, asian water snakes, are a few among the live bearers.

Thanks :) Good to know!

Also all pit vipers except for the Bushmaster are live-bearers.

It takes skill to keep an incubator "perfect" for the 60 days required to hatch ball python eggs ... sure live bearers are cool, but pair em up and wait is about as simple as it gets! ... Master the art of hatching eggs in an incubator and the world is yours. :sweeet:

-adam

Other live bearers include:

most vipers
All "true" sea snakes (Laticauda, or the sea kraits lay eggs)
file snakes (Acrochordidae)
asian pipe snakes (Cylindrophiidae)
asian vine snakes

These are just a few off the top of my head, but there are plenty of others. There are almost always exceptions to the rule though. Vipers that lay eggs (bushmaster), terrestrial elapids that give live birth (tiger snakes). This is one reason I love snakes so much, they are just so diverse, and so well adapted to where they live. :D

-Evan