50% Het for Pied Male

[Mustangcsa]

Hello everyone,

First off I wanna say that this is my first post on this forum. But I have been looking here for a couple months now ever since I got my Ball Python. This forum/website has helped me out incredibly and I have learned a lot. But the reason I am writing this thread is because I recently got a offer for a 50% poss het for pied for $200. I saw the ad at www.reptileforums.com in the classifieds section and it's from http://www.australianaddiction.com. I have talked with the guy and am really interested in the snake. He is 450 grams and was hatched in 04. He said that it is an excellent eater. Here is a picture of the snake http://www.australianaddiction.com/ball_PHpiedmale1.jpg

Now my question is, the snake has the het pied markers. Now I know that there is controversy over whether the markers are real or not, but seeing as how this snake is a poss 50% het with the marker doesn't that increase the chances of it being a het? I'm am really interested in this snake and very inclined to get it but I just wondered what all you guys think? Good deal? Worth taking a chance? I know ultimately it has to be up to me but I was just wondering what you guys think. I would really love to hatch a pied someday. So thanks again for all the help I've gotten off this site and I would really like to know what you guys think about this.

- Adam

[BornboreD]

You could probably find a 100% het pied male for almost that cheap, I'd think. Plus, if it's just a possible het you run the chance of paying double for a normal male. I'd say save your money, you could get a pair of normals for the same amount almost. Raise em up, breed em, sell the offspring, buy het pieds.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Possible het males are just not worth the time and risk. If you want a normal, buy a normal. If you want a het (male that is), but a 100% het. Imagine your frusteration to find out 5 years down the road when you go to prove all those 25% het females that he was just a normal? Cool if you want to produce normals (which are still awesome), but why pay extra to do it?

[Mustangcsa]

Yeah I understand that, and that's one of the reasons I posted to see what you guys think. But I have never seen a 100% het for that cheap. I can't afford a REALLY expensive snake, but a few hundred is fine. Do any of you guys know of anyone that would sell a 100% het male for a few hundred in the states? If not what would an average/good price be, so I'll know if I find one and be able to save up the money for it. I'm not in a huge hurry to get one I just figured that if this was worth it then I should jump on the chance. But I guess the marker traits aren't really that accurate cause after I posted this I was looking at my normal female and her belly looks like some of the ones I've seen that are supposed to have them. So I guess I'll have to think it over a little harder, cause that would suck to find out years later that he was just a normal like you said Jeff. I only paid $40 for my female so I don't really wanna spend $200 for a normal male. Well thanks to both of you for your replies and if anyone else wants to add anything go ahead. Thanks again.

-Adam

[MarcB]

The Het-Pied marker phenom is simply another marketing strategy and alot of bull sheeze!

One would think the big name breeders would of picked up on that many moons ago...Pete Kahl produced some 200 pieds in 04 and a truck load of Hets from hets with markers and hets without!

You will be able to pick up a 100% Het male next summer in your price range and work towards producing your very own Pied!

[RandyRemington]

I would start by checking the seller out on the BOI at faunaclassifieds (I'm in a hurry and didn't check so not a reflection on this particular seller just generally a good idea). Basically are trying to make sure it's really a 50% het and not a ch that happens to have something like the mark.

The marks could be a little farther apart, they seem to be down on the outside belly scales a little but still within the range. Check and see if your female isn't different regarding the thickness and placement of the mark (probably closer together, maybe on the edges of the middle belly scale rather than outside all three belly scales as you like to see in the marker).

The other posters are right about the idea of possible het males being much less attractive now that known het males are more reasonable. Back when het pied males where thousands of dollars the possible hets where the only way for more people.

I guess the only thing that might push you in favor of this one is if you have breedable sized females and think you can get this guy up another couple hundred grams in the next month and breed him yet this winter. It's a long shot but if everything checks out and you get lucky you could produce some markered daughters out of him in 05 and be well ahead of the game for your $200 gamble. You would have to pay much more to get a breeder sized 100% het pied I would think but of course that or waiting for a baby 100% het next year is the safest bet and if you don’t have big girls ready to go now the smartest.

[nita]

Well, I've been looking for various het males and non of the morphs are $200 that I could find, except albino's with some of the smaller breeders. We are getting a het pied male from Corey Woods for $450.00 CAD. A lot of the places I was looking in the US were higher than that, mind you when buying a het I'm also going to make sure it is coming from a reliable breeder so I know it is going to be a het!

[Mustangcsa]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I acctually found a couple 100% Hets for $400 shipped so I think I will look into that a little more and get some money together. Yeah my female is just barely a yearling so she is definately not ready to breed so I don't mind getting a young guy. They can just grow up together :) So thanks again every one for all the replies.

-Adam

[mykee]

Even with a 100% het male and a normal female, you're in this project for close to 5 years before you see any real results. If you can handle the wait, good luck to you.

[Mustangcsa]

Yeah I figured 5 years atleast after my female gets big enough. I definately have the patience. Good things come to those who wait, right :)

-Adam

[nita]

When breeding to a normal you have to wait and breed the babies back to the male again to try and prove out your possible hets. If your female is a hatchling you are probably looking at 2 - 3 yrs for her to be able to breed and another 2 - 3 yrs for her female offspring to be able to be bred back to the original male. From those babies you might get pieds, if luck and odds are on your side!! LOL, that is my plan too only I will have poss het babies this year if all goes right, breeding loan with a friend.

[Bartman]

I’m personally not buying any hets until I can get a pair of hets right away. I have no patience :p and cant wait 5 odd years to get results. Id rather just get a set of hets and get something after the first clutch.

I also think that 50% hets are a waste of money. You're going to have to wait about 5 or so years to prove it out, and if it wasn’t a morph, you just wasted a ton of time for nothing. My $0.02