The (Drama FREE) Desert Thread. A different Perspective.

[Dave Green]

Too funny, this is good stuff...now what was this thread about?

[smd58]

I'm going to have to disagree to the statement of "10 yrs isn't long enough"
for viable clutches, I think 10yrs is plenty long, or am I missing something?

i agree,

[purplemuffin]

I also agree on the ten year thing, sure it might not be long compared to nature--but this is a captive environment, we know who is breeding to what, we control the temps, we try to create the perfect set up for them to breed. We know how to tell if they are ovulating, all that stuff.. Yeah we struggled getting bps to breed when we first started--but these ARE still ball pythons, so unless it really is a morph with specific sensitivities/problems the breeding should really be the same. Plus, I am seeing a LOT of people breeding these guys, and I know a lot of the girls are getting gravid, it's just when it comes time for the eggs that it is not mentioned anymore. Which I understand, if the clutch did fail, good lord how depressing! That is an expensive and sad batch of duds with how excited you'd be just to have a female become gravid!

With how many times I know people have been breeding them, you'd think you'd hear more by now, unless everyone is having horrific luck for some reason.


Again, I'd love for someone to prove me wrong. Of course if they are a problem/infertile animal I could probably actually afford a female one day just playing!

[wolfy-hound]

10 years...

So year 1 the original desert.. a year to raise him...maybe two to viable breeding..
year 3 to breed and get eggs... any females? Maybe no females... breed next year...
year 4 to breed and get some females.. raise those two-three years to size to breed them...
year 6-7 to breed first females... get no good clutchs?
That's maybe 7 years to the first efforts..(possibly, I'm not on the inside of the desert projects)

So ten years is not that long when you might need to take 2-3 years to raise a stubborn feeder to size. Add in bad odds, bad clutches, missed seasons...

Ten years is about right to start saying "Where's the female deserts on clutchs of viable eggs?" It's not time to write off the entire morph, in my opinion.

[Thesnakepitt]

There were SEVERAL adult animals (females) from the original males. Many females are 5 yrs are older. We have already had several slug out at 2-3 yrs of age. These were raised up by different people then Stan and Pete. Heck it didn't take 10 yrs to prove out many recessive morphs. I hope they prove out and or it's an easy fix (like temp).

[seang89]

10 years...

So year 1 the original desert.. a year to raise him...maybe two to viable breeding..
year 3 to breed and get eggs... any females? Maybe no females... breed next year...
year 4 to breed and get some females.. raise those two-three years to size to breed them...
year 6-7 to breed first females... get no good clutchs?
That's maybe 7 years to the first efforts..(possibly, I'm not on the inside of the desert projects)

So ten years is not that long when you might need to take 2-3 years to raise a stubborn feeder to size. Add in bad odds, bad clutches, missed seasons...

Ten years is about right to start saying "Where's the female deserts on clutchs of viable eggs?" It's not time to write off the entire morph, in my opinion.

Although thats fairly acurate at what would be going on. But the thing you missed, is these breeders dont work in 1's. Especially when it comes to making new morphs. I imagine the first desert was paired with multiple females, the very first year he was ready to breed.

So theres 3 years between your 7th year and the 10 year mark we are at right?
Anything produced before that 7th year, should be more then good to go, male or female. Assuming people hold some males and females back, They should have been able to hit a super or even get some clutches from a desert female. There are quite a few deserts out there... Its not like we are lacking in that deparment, its the info that follows.

[West Coast Jungle]

My question is if they have "been around" for 10 years how come no one was marketing them until just a few years ago?

Because unlike let's say a pastel, they have not been in many collections and they haven't been bred like other morphs for the last 10 years thats why.

Show me a 10 year old pic of a desert Bet you cant find one

You will find a lot of other 10 year old morph pics because people have been working and proving albinos, pieds, pastels, spiders, etc... for a while but 10 years of desert projects doesn't seem realistic. Don't think you would have seen a desert 10 years ago in Daytona, I didn't see one 4, 5 and 6 years ago let alone 10!

[wolfy-hound]

NERD's "desert ghost" is a seperate morph, right?

[Big Gunns]

My question is if they have "been around" for 10 years how come no one was marketing them until just a few years ago?

Because unlike let's say a pastel, they have not been in many collections and they haven't been bred like other morphs for the last 10 years thats why.

Show me a 10 year old pic of a desert Bet you cant find one

You will find a lot of other 10 year old morph pics because people have been working and proving albinos, pieds, pastels, spiders, etc... for a while but 10 years of desert projects doesn't seem realistic. Don't think you would have seen a desert 10 years ago in Daytona, I didn't see one 4, 5 and 6 years ago let alone 10!

Big Gunns knows a morph that was first produced 3 years ago. This is the first year a couple females are big enough to breed. That's 3 years and it's recessive. That's at least a one year difference...but probably more like 2 in years to prove out a morph and get females to produce. 10 years in an eternity in this business if you're trying to make money.

By the way Raul. It's BG's understanding that you're in the Desert project right? We'll talk in Cali.

[seang89]

My question is if they have "been around" for 10 years how come no one was marketing them until just a few years ago?

Because unlike let's say a pastel, they have not been in many collections and they haven't been bred like other morphs for the last 10 years thats why.

Show me a 10 year old pic of a desert Bet you cant find one

You will find a lot of other 10 year old morph pics because people have been working and proving albinos, pieds, pastels, spiders, etc... for a while but 10 years of desert projects doesn't seem realistic. Don't think you would have seen a desert 10 years ago in Daytona, I didn't see one 4, 5 and 6 years ago let alone 10!

You are implying stan and pete's animals aren't as old as they say they are? that this didnt start in 2001?

You would not have seen a desert in daytona 10 years ago. That was the year they were imported.

So why do you think they have to be at shows to exist? They dont hit the market until all of the big ball players have got to their pickin's if you know what I mean.