Picked Up Another GTP

[Buck_99]

I bought this one from Kimberly Burge at Southern Chondros. His sire is Biak x Sorong, and his mother is Sorong. I got to see both parents in person, as well as holdbacks from the same pair's previous clutch. The mother is huge and a gorgeous Carolina blue (hormonal).

So, introducing Captain 20 (all photos provided by Kimberly Burge):

As a hatchling:


Pics taken back in July and August:




Pics taken in January:




Sweet disposition, easy to handle, and came with lots of informative paperwork with the snake's history. And the addition continues...

[jdmls88]

great snake glad its easy to handle I know a few nasty gtp that would gladly try and take a finger

[scoobyark]

Very nice!

[Buck_99]

If he hadn't been easy to handle, I wouldn't have bought him.

I've got one that is less than enthusiastic about being handled (a Biak, of course), but since acquiring her I have selected my others based on temperament. When I show people how easily they handle they're always amazed. With that one exception, my greens give me less grief than some of my ball pythons. Captive bred mainland types seem to be better adjusted, and even though the price goes up, I think it's wise to wait until they are at least a year old before buying them. It gives them a chance to mature and feel more secure, and me a chance to get a glimpse into what their adult personalities will be.

So many people out there are picking chondros for their appearance, looking for unusual and striking colors and patterns. In my opinion, though, there is no such thing as an ugly chondro, so I'll always pick them based first on temperament, then on appearance.

[Karma]

What a BEAUTY!!! Freakin awesome that he's tolerant of being handled. I want.

[karbogast]

Awesome pick up! That is a sweet looking chondro and sounds like Kim provided you with a lot of info and support to go along with it as well. I hope you post some update pics so we can see how his color develops as he matures. Congrats, and good luck with your new GTP!

[icygirl]

He is a truly beautiful snake. Thanks for sharing his pictures. And very lucky of you to snag a snake that breathtaking with a good temperament to boot! Congratulations!

[ZeekisAwesome]

I was just wonder, how much does a green tree python cost on average for a regular one, because I know morphs in all snakes can be tremendously expensive.

[Charlie Smith]

Beautiful and tame, awesome.

[Buck_99]

Thanks all for your kind words.

I was just wonder, how much does a green tree python cost on average for a regular one, because I know morphs in all snakes can be tremendously expensive.

I apologize in advance, but I can't bring myself to answer a simple question like this in just one sentence. It's just not in my nature.

Prices seem to range between $300 and $1000 for typical GTP's, depending on size. Neonates can't be safely sexed, so their price goes up after a year of age when they've been sexed. On average, sexed CBB GTP's seem to be going for between $500 and $800 for normal individuals. I haven't seen any CBB chondro listed for under $500 (mind you, I don't shop KS), but you can find Bushmaster farm-bred neonates for that $300 price.

Of course, "normal" is not really a word I'd use to describe any of them, because you never know exactly what you're going to get.

For young chondros that have a well documented lineage that suggests they are morphs or will otherwise be exceptional, stand-out individuals, prices seem to start at $1200 and go up from there, usually topping out at $3000 to $5000. Occasionally you'll see one for $10K+, but I wonder if they actually get sold at those prices. Trooper Walsh had an albino for sale at the Chantilly show in October for $100K, which of course means he didn't want to sell it.

To me they're all incredible. Yes, the one I just acquired is beautiful and clearly the result of a careful pairing by the breeder, but it's not a morph. It is just an offspring from a pairing of two naturally occurring types (though the pairing itself could not have occured in the wild due to physical geographical barriers). You can find many similarly amazing chondros for under a grand. By contrast, if you want something that only a select few individuals will have anything like, especially where a rare genetic trait is known to be present, expect to pay $3000+.

Disclaimer: I haven't been shopping these very long and my first two GTP's practically landed in my lap, so you other folks out there, please feel free to tweak my numbers. I don't want to mislead anyone.