General breeding questions.

[condescomputers]

Before I say anything I think its only proper to say that I have absolutely no experience with pythons or boas, other thane when I volunteered at a pet shop and took care of them there. ( I did have a 16 ft Burmese at one point, but I only had her for about a year.)

So its been about 20 years since I've bred anything. I do not plan on breeding for at least another year. I did corn snakes back in the day. Since it has been so long I am looking for an easy intro to breeding again. I was thinking of doing KSBs to start with. They are live birth, and are cheap. If I am successful with KSB, then I would move on to what I really want to breed which is Blood Pythons.

I would like some input from those who have bred on how I should ease myself back into breeding. I figured since boas are live birth, that this would be a decent start. I am assuming that since boas are live birth that they are a bit easier than the egg laying species. I could be wrong though. I only have experience with corns. I could go back into breeding corns as an intro to breeding, but I have absolutely no interest in corns/rat snakes/kings.

So please, any advice or criticism is welcome.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by condescomputers

Before I say anything I think its only proper to say that I have absolutely no experience with pythons or boas, other thane when I volunteered at a pet shop and took care of them there. ( I did have a 16 ft Burmese at one point, but I only had her for about a year.)

So its been about 20 years since I've bred anything. I do not plan on breeding for at least another year. I did corn snakes back in the day. Since it has been so long I am looking for an easy intro to breeding again. I was thinking of doing KSBs to start with. They are live birth, and are cheap. If I am successful with KSB, then I would move on to what I really want to breed which is Blood Pythons.

I would like some input from those who have bred on how I should ease myself back into breeding. I figured since boas are live birth, that this would be a decent start. I am assuming that since boas are live birth that they are a bit easier than the egg laying species. I could be wrong though. I only have experience with corns. I could go back into breeding corns as an intro to breeding, but I have absolutely no interest in corns/rat snakes/kings.

So please, any advice or criticism is welcome.

Buy some blood pythons. Attempt to breed them.

Blood pythons aren't super tricky except for getting momma off the eggs.

Since you've been out of it for 20 years the husbandry and how to breed species has come a long way. You'll find lots of info and already captive bred animals to purchase and breed. I personally recommend buying babies or yearlings and then raising them the rest of the way to adulthood. I found buying adults usually didn't work out so well for me.

[condescomputers]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Buy some blood pythons. Attempt to breed them.

Blood pythons aren't super tricky except for getting momma off the eggs.

Since you've been out of it for 20 years the husbandry and how to breed species has come a long way. You'll find lots of info and already captive bred animals to purchase and breed. I personally recommend buying babies or yearlings and then raising them the rest of the way to adulthood. I found buying adults usually didn't work out so well for me.

Thank you for the advice. I will follow it. I already have a T- Albino Male. I guess I'll buy a T- Albino Female, and raise them. Another side question.

Can you keep a female and male blood python together in a cage that is large enough? In the past the answer was mostly no for all species. (especially king snakes) Is that still the case?

I have seen burmese pythons house together when not breeding, but thats it. Then again I have been out of it for a long time. So things may have changed.

[Andy_G]

When it comes to the species you have mentioned, separate unless breeding.

[craigafrechette]

I still don't get the point of breeding a "trial species".

[condescomputers]

I am not going to do that.. I am going to follow everyones advice and just breen Blood Pythons. I was thinking a Trial species cause I didn't want to try breeding something when my last experience with it was 20 years ago. But I guess everyone is right I might as well start with the Blood Pythons. My idea was to try an breed something really easy to get in the swing of breeding. But you guys are correct. Its better to just breed what I want from the start.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

I still don't get the point of breeding a "trial species".

I don't agree with it either however I can see where some people would want to take steps leading up to it. Plenty of difficult to breed species out there that I can see frustrating new breeders/keepers. Especially those with finicky babies. Scarlet kings come to mind. I wouldn't recommend someone start with them to breed until they have dealt with other real small baby snakes.