How are whitelips?

Never seen these b4.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...hitelip003.jpg

They are amazing looking.

A few questions.

Are they expensive?

What is there real name? (example: ball, carpet, emerald, blood)

How big do they get?

Good for handling?

They had a few at Nerd for i think $175, im memory serves correctly. Ive heard that they have a tendency to have an attitude, but im sure there have to be specimens that are sweet as puppy dogs!


I WILL have a white-lipped python one day.
One of the most gorgeous snakes I have ever laid eyes on.

they're very high strung as a rule, even the ones that aren't snappy will be quite active. and they're a medium size snake about 2 m.

White lips, from all i've seen, are easily summed up in one word. "Testy"


Ofcourse, they can be tamed down with VERY frequent handling, but thats up to you...being chomped on by a snake of any size generally isnt a fun experience.


They have also been prone to cannibalism, so keep it one per cage (which should be with every snake, in my opinion and many others.) Very, VERY good feeding responses usually with these guys.


Not to mention, high humidity is a must with these.

All in all, a nice snake to add to any collection...but i'd only recommend it to an experienced keeper.



*EDIT!!* heres a caresheet for you http://www.reptileguru.com/care-whit...%20python.aspx


Hope that helps! :D

White lips are the best! Right now I have 8 of them but I won't be keeping all of them....they are very aggressive snakes and do not recommend them for beginners.....

I can not even count how many times I have been bitten....And believe it or not, one of the females I am keeping bit me and one of her teeth was ripped out and inside my knuckle....that bite hurt!

They keep you on your toes though and are very fun snakes to work with if you dont mind getting bit! lol

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...3/IMG_9137.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...3/IMG_9088.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...3/IMG_9020.jpg

By the way, the top picture is a black phase....the other 2 are gold phases....

Blacks tend to get a bit bigger than golds.....

i just got one! i love her

Yeah I was looking at those along with several other snakes in an attempt to make up my mind as to which will be next but could not find any locally to go look at in person so I think I will hold off for now. But they really are awesome looking animals. Not sure if I am quite ready for a possibly aggressive animal yet I have a RTB that is the spawn of Satan and is quite annoying.

Just because they are so nasty makes me want one, a year or so ago when I was looking to find a breeder online I definately had troubles finding people. Anyone have any in mind?

I held one at my local petstore before and it was very well tempered.

I think white-lipped pythons are the most fascinating and beautiful pythons out there. they can be fiesty. I have been handling a 1.1 pair lately and I think I am going to get them. The southern phase is called Leiopython hoserae, the northern phase is called Leiopython albertsii, and a recently recognized sub species of Leopython bennettorum which are not available in the pet trade.

Whitelipped are definatly in my top 3 favs. GTPs, Olives, Whites. Sense I got into snakes I've wanted an olive and WL. I'm not sure I'll ever pick one up with my current room fiasco and my chrondoholic addiction.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavidG

Whitelipped are definatly in my top 3 favs. GTPs, Olives, Whites. Sense I got into snakes I've wanted an olive and WL. .

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yep,

Liasis are definitly my favorite pythons. started with balls, but now I have a need for Liasis. They are the reason I got into snakes.

I had a gold phase (Northern) white lipped for about 6 months before I just got tired of getting bit. Every time I needed to change his water, or get him out to clean his tub it was a constant battle with a forever striking snake. I love the look of these snakes, but I like being able to handle my snakes without looking like a pin cushion.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j2...Pets/Zane3.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Repfanaticlady28

I had a gold phase (Northern) white lipped for about 6 months before I just got tired of getting bit. Every time I needed to change his water, or get him out to clean his tub it was a constant battle with a forever striking snake. I love the look of these snakes, but I like being able to handle my snakes without looking like a pin cushion.

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I have to agree, they are certainly beautiful snakes but they like to bite. Ive dealt with many boids and these have to be towards the top for readiness to bite.

A lot of people talk about getting bit by these things... I'm wondering if you were to get one as a hatchling and handle it frequently if it would be tame. I know you can't actually train snakes, but if it just gets used to being handled at a very young age it may not bite... Anybody know anything about taming these beasts?

there are a lot of "tame" wlp's out there. what it comes down to really is they are just nervous.

HEY!!! For all of you out there keeping white lips, are they captive breed or WC? I'm wondering if like Bloods, if you get a captive bred baby rawther than a wild caught specimen they are nicer.

Are the real bitey ones captive breed or wild caught or does it not matter? I'm getting a pair of captive breed ones, I want to know what to expect and if I should order a pair of heavy duty gloves....

Order gloves. I have a friend with a tame one except trying to get it out. He swears the baby bites harder than his year old mullican (sp) scrub which is almost 5 feet.

so far so good with my youngster....quick and curious though

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattielumpkin

The southern phase is called Leiopython hoserae, the northern phase is called Leiopython albertsii, and a recently recognized sub species of Leopython bennettorum which are not available in the pet trade.

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just for the record, these are just names that a guy named ray hoser in australia made up... they hold no water as he has not done any taxonomic work, he just names them after himself and family/friends.
Leiopython albertisii is the accepted name of both the northern and southern phases... until someone does some real work within this taxon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin Vestrand

just for the record, these are just names that a guy named ray hoser in australia made up... they hold no water as he has not done any taxonomic work, he just names them after himself and family/friends.
Leiopython albertisii is the accepted name of both the northern and southern phases... until someone does some real work within this taxon.

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This isn't the first time I've seen someone run with this info.

If you tell a lie long enough.................you know the rest.

For anyone interested in Hoser's taxonomic "work" here's some entertaining reading:

http://www.leiopython.de/en/hosers_taxonomy.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin Vestrand

just for the record, these are just names that a guy named ray hoser in australia made up... they hold no water as he has not done any taxonomic work, he just names them after himself and family/friends.
Leiopython albertisii is the accepted name of both the northern and southern phases... until someone does some real work within this taxon.

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Just for the record, regardless if the guy who is credited with these new taxonomic classifications is full of crap, his papers are "valid". not by many in the community, but he submitted his "work" and it has been documented and accepted.

just saying.

well, it's hard to do mtDNA analysis without an electron microscope or ever having seen the subspecies!

just sayin'...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin Vestrand

well, it's hard to do mtDNA analysis without an electron microscope or ever having seen the subspecies!

just sayin'...

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;)


I thought Schleip had re-described the "work" that Hoser had done this year.

Must be embarrassing to have to have your work "cleaned" up........

A loophole or poor wording in the ICZN doesn't validate a scammer - it just means a scammer used a poorly worded code to his advantage.

I have an aspidites melanocephalus with a nice scar on his head and darn if he doesn't have huge hemipenes. I think I'll reclassify him as aspidites melanocephalus skiploderii hunglikeahorsei.........as he's obviously different from every other melanocephalus I've heard about.

Following the Hoserae lead, I don't need DNA evidence, scale counts or experience with the genus. Heck, I'm ahead of the curve - I've actually seen the animal I'm submitting on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Colin Vestrand

well, it's hard to do mtDNA analysis without an electron microscope or ever having seen the subspecies!

just sayin'...

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never said anything he did was good.

just sayin...

Howdy Skiploader ...
Mmm, you say if you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes true.
I agree.
My alleged lie???
I assume that's that Leiopython hoserae from New Guinea is a separate species from L. albertisi...
Guess what ... the lie is actually true...
Try a mtDNA difference of about 10 per cent or five million years for those with trouble understanding what it all means.
It's the same as for the Chondros, Scrubbies and Death adders, all of which I've published papers about resolving their taxonomy, starting with the Adders in 1998.
Anyway, I think the lies come from the other side.
Lies like venomoid snakes regenerate venom.
In Australia we call that "the bullhooey factor",
which brings me to the recent end 2008 Schleip paper on
Leiopython, where in my humblest of opinions the bullhooey meter has run into overdrive.
Skiploader, I give you full rights to disagree and say I am all wrong.
But I must say, I'd prefer evidence instead of name calling on forums I don't frequent.
Anyway
in accordance with the ICZN's 1999 rules (the current code),
Recommendation 8A. which reads:
"Wide dissemination. Authors have a responsibility to ensure that new
scientific names, nomenclatural acts, and information likely to affect
nomenclature are made widely known.",
I hereby advise of the recent publication of a paper in Issue 2 of
"Australasian Journal of Herpetology", in 2009 which deals at length with Leiopython and Schleip's recent foray into the realms of taxonomy.
In summary we don't agree that that the snake referred to as the northern Leiopython consists of several species as contended (without evidence) by Schleip.
The online issue of the journal can be accessed via the gateway at:
http://www.herp.net
or directly at:
http://www.smuggled.com/AJHI4.pdf
The paper also sorts out the taxonomy of Chondropython, finding two species, neither incidentally named by myself, and two subspecies, including one named for the first time.
It also sorts out the Scrub pythons as well, tidying up the work of Harvey et al, with no new taxa named, but the resurrection of old names and the sorting out of those south of Torres Strait.
Other taxonomic papers on skinks and elapids are also at the same site
gateway and recently published in issues 1 and 3.
Also and for the record, the claim has been made here and elsewhere that I have not looked at DNA of New Guinea pythons. This is not the case. In fact I have looked at no fewer than three independent sets of data on the relevant taxa and all evidence is consistent (as expected) - and that is that northern Leiopython are just one, not several species.
This is also confirmed by morphological, ecological and geological data!
Schleip and no others have produced contrary evidence and I recommend that those with a serious interest in these snakes check the fine print of the Schleip paper and not the misleading preamble (abstract).
If anyone can produce either mtDNA or nuclear data/evidence to support the split of the northern Leiopython into several species - at the species level, then make this widely known as I have yet to see this!
This is NOT in Schleip's paper of 2008.
If and when such evidence is forthcoming (and verifiable), I shall be the first to ditch my long cherished views on these snakes.
In the interim and in accordance with the ICZN's rules (ICZN 1999), it is important to maintain stability of nomenclature and that is why at this stage I throw the spanner in the works of Schleip's poorly written paper, before Schleips work causes unneccessary confusion.
Yours faithfully
Raymond Hoser.