WC Gravids?

[mechnut450]

I really neve runder stood the taking of wild caught animales anymore since ther are so many that now captive breed. PLus I think that if someone wants ot breed any type of snake you should spend the time it takes to raise the animal for the 2-3 years before breeding to get a better understanding of the snake species your interested in. I can only see if taking them out of the wild was a result of them being sold or killed off due to development in the said area but outside thatI they should be left ot roam their little coldblooded heart happy. I have not knowqingly purchased any wild caught animals in my life. I have rescued trutles eggs as a kid ( stoppeed a raccoon from making a meal out of 2 differnt nest in one month ) and hatched them to be released later. I know allpets started at one time as a wild critter. but with so many people tryingo their luck at breeding snakes and everythign now a days I see no need for it.. I would still keep an eye out for he next possible morph but I would not buy the ( graivd animals sicne this is reducign the wild populations even more with the removel of the femal and offsrping ( and future offspring )

[Lateralus_Love]

I really neve runder stood the taking of wild caught animales anymore since ther are so many that now captive breed.

The thing is, for the amount of demand the Ball Python industry is carrying, we don't captively breed enough of them to answer the populace demand. This has all been covered in a previous thread from a week or so ago. Plus, importing helps regulate the Ball Python populations in Africa. If we didn't import them for pets, they'd still be caught and sold for their skins or meat.

That said, I both agree and disagree with importing gravids. I think it's fine, as long as they are being sold to people who can and will spend the time with them after they lay to rehab them, as Bruce did. I hate to think about the truth of the matter, the fact that so many of them are most likely sold off to pet shops (like Bruce said) and then bought by inexperienced people who don't know crap about Balls.

It's more cost efficient to buy a gravid and hatch out the babies yourself (but I only think this is fine as long as you care for her afterward). But you're most likely only going to get normals. The lucky turd that gets a nice new morph, they bought the wrong gravid, she was sposed to go to me!

But I digress. We import to answer the demand on the Ball Python industry, as well to bring in new blood so we lessen the inbreeding mishaps, and also for all those smexy morphs that every single one of us drools over.

I personally wouldn't buy a WC gravid, at least not right now, both because I don't know how I would deal with her, and because I'm too inexperienced to take care of eggs. Maybs a year or two down the road when I know what I'm doing and when I can afford the headache

[hondo1967]

dont think theres a need to import them anymore, theres so many on the market they can leave the snakes be in the wild.

[Shrap]

The thing is, for the amount of demand the Ball Python industry is carrying, we don't captively breed enough of them to answer the populace demand.

I have to ask, do you actually breed? Are you out in the market place trying to sell your offspring?

There are 15 or so different shows one can attend within a 3 hour drive of my house almost every month. There are 3 different shows here in Indiana, 3 or 4 in Ohio, 3 or 4 in Michigan, 2 or 3 in Illinois, a couple in Kentucky and one in eastern Missouri.

You know the one common theme among all these shows? Tables upon tables of Ball Pythons that people can not sell. And this is supposed to be the slow season when most people have little to nothing left from the previous year. Just this past Sunday at the Indy herp show there were roughly 50 vendors. 15-20 of those didnt even have Ball Pythons, but between the rest of those vendors there were roughly 500 Balls to choose from.

We dont need to stop importing, but we certainly need to cut back the numbers. There are more being bred now in the US than ever before.

[Freakie_frog]

The thing is, for the amount of demand the Ball Python industry is carrying, we don't captively breed enough of them to answer the populace demand.

And yet I know of larger breeders that freeze normal males because they don't want to deal with them. Its not that we "can't or don't" produce enough is that we don't have to try because the imports supplement. If all we had to rely on was CBB and you couldn't get imports I have no doubts the demand would be answered.

This has all been covered in a previous thread from a week or so ago. Plus, importing helps regulate the Ball Python populations in Africa. If we didn't import them for pets, they'd still be caught and sold for their skins or meat.

So die here or die there I guess it all depends on who's pocket the nickel lands in then is the only difference.

That said, I both agree and disagree with importing gravids. I think it's fine, as long as they are being sold to people who can and will spend the time with them after they lay to rehab them, as Bruce did. I hate to think about the truth of the matter, the fact that so many of them are most likely sold off to pet shops (like Bruce said) and then bought by inexperienced people who don't know crap about Balls.

It's more cost efficient to buy a gravid and hatch out the babies yourself (but I only think this is fine as long as you care for her afterward). But you're most likely only going to get normals. The lucky turd that gets a nice new morph, they bought the wrong gravid, she was sposed to go to me!

If people want cost efficient use florescent lights. If you want to hatch Ball Python roll up your sleeves and get bit a little. ITS WORK!!!

But I digress. We import to answer the demand on the Ball Python industry, as well to bring in new blood so we lessen the inbreeding mishaps, and also for all those smexy morphs that every single one of us drools over.

I agree but I thought that anything weird was sold to the highest bidder by Noah not imported and sold at rock bottom prices.

The thing is that the reason of new blood, or relieve the population stress in Africa have been around for years and to be honest those animals have been doing just fine regulating their number with out the US pet trade for eons.

I think they be just fine.

Also with importing come the risk of importing new disease and other problems unforeseen genetic problems.

We have worked hard to weed out the junk genetics that cause problems to offer pet owners an animal they can enjoy for many years. You start throwing in new genes and now we start the process all over again.

Just my two cents

[simplechamp]

Do you think any people buying these WC gravids view it as a kind of "lottery ticket"?

Like they buy up a few of them on the chance of hitting the jackpot and finding some cool new genes?

[joepythons]

What are everyone's thoughts on flippers/wholesalers/whatever selling wild caught gravid girls? Is this really necessary? Leave these snakes in the wild. Just my opinion!

Well said Jamie .I wonder what will happen when there are none left in the wild? I am sure the rodents would love it and have a field day spreading diseases from being over populated.

[Exotic Ectotherms]

I was told that Petsmart and Petco sell captive hatched bp's. Can anyone verify this? If that is the case then a lot of the demand for wild caught, gravid females is to feed the demand for hatchlings created by these large chain petstores.

If my first statement is not true, then I rescind my point.

[janeothejungle]

For me, I have no greater disdain than for those that bring in WC Gravids. I personally think pregnant females should just naturally be completely off limits, but that's just me.


~Kat

[nixer]

I was told that Petsmart and Petco sell captive hatched bp's. Can anyone verify this? If that is the case then a lot of the demand for wild caught, gravid females is to feed the demand for hatchlings created by these large chain petstores.

If my first statement is not true, then I rescind my point.

yes they do

why is it that in this whole thread i only see one person refering to facts and not just opinon flinging