My bad, didn’t mean to come across as abrasive. I tried to edit my post but missed the 10min window.
I agree reproduction at 62 is absolutely bonkers. As for not many reproducing beyond 15yrs, I think a lot of that has to do with the morph driven trends in breeding.
A 15+yr old morph is just not up to speed with most people’s projects or breeding goals anymore. Locality/species projects are different though. They can continue to be selectively bred for traits within the locality/species but ultimately they are what they are and are free from the morph craze to an extent.
Recently saw a litter of Dumerils Boas produced from 34yr old parent animals. Bob Guerriere has Argentines producing into their 20s. Paul Harris saved Brisbane Coastal carpets from becoming non existent in the hobby by breeding his pair at 25-30yrs old.
The big reason I think is that a 10-15yr old royal python generally has lost market relevance at that age and as such aren’t bred often.
The big reason I think is that a 10-15yr old royal python generally has lost market relevance at that age and as such aren’t bred often.
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This was super interesting and something that I hadn't even thought of. I know that people typically don't adopt/breed older animals because they're older, but you'd think with a snake that lives 20-30+ years, the attitude would be a little different. Forgive a newbie question, but are there any known health risks with breeding older females? If they're healthy I mean, are they more likely to develop issues or lay bad clutches just due to age?