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Info on high end colubrids
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by sceniccityreptiles on April 10, 2007
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The expense of keeping up a lab or building dedicated to snakes is quite high. I have just moved and am in the process of setting up another building at my new place. My passion is in southeastern pit vipers, and as we all know…there just isn’t any money in producing them. In the past I have breed boas and pythons to sell and help off set the cost, however, this go around I want my lab focused completely on the needs of my pits and its very difficult to maintain a proper temp for the pits and boas in the same building. I am getting completely out of boas effective immediately. Now, the information I need is on a replacement project to yield better income. I need some information about a high end colubrid. I am looking for a snake that sells as easy as a boa. I know Albino Eastern Hogs price at $1500, but you never see them sell. Seems pointless to me to hold a price artificially high and just keep the animal. I need something legal to breed and sell in GA. I know there are types of corns you can double clutch and get 40 to 50 babies a year and sell at $100 each, but they are not legal to produce or sell in my state. And I need something that will flourish at the same temp and humidity requirements as my pit vipers. I know there are some morphs on the pits that show up on the net at extraordinary prices and my hope is to produce some of those down the road, however, the start up cost is so high and the market is so limited, I don’t ever see producing high end pits as a cash making venture for me. As always, any information is greatly appreciated.
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RE: Info on high end colubrids
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by Rob_Carmichael on April 10, 2007
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It always saddens me when I hear of people talking about reptiles in terms of "investments" and "yields"....there's just something about it that rubs me in the wrong way. I guess that's just part of the hobby that I can't stand. To me, what's far more important, is breeding a herp that YOU are interested in and that you are passionate about working with. Most folks just don't have what it takes to do it the right way over the long haul. We live in a society that commands immediate rewards and gratification w/out putting in the time to do it right (and I AM NOT SAYING THE ORIGINAL POST IS IN THIS CATEGORY - that's just a general statement of current trends). Having passion for a specific herp or groups of herps is far more important than any financial rewards that a high end animal might bring. I am just as happy when I successfully breed a smooth green snake (that has zero commercial value) as I am when I am breeding my eastern indigos, black headed pythons and some of my rare crotalines....in fact, I get far more rewards when working with the native herpetofauna of my region than anything else.
Just my piddly .02 that's worth probably less than that.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
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RE: Info on high end colubrids
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by sceniccityreptiles on April 10, 2007
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I should have known someone would come off with something imprudent like this to say. I love ALL snakes, I loved the boas I have been breeding and selling, its just that they require a different temp then my main focus group, so I am looking for another means to finance the project. What you said would only apply if I planned to breed cats, which I dislike only for the profit. I am a snake lover, from Dekay snakes to anacondas. I wish I could keep them all, but its just not realistic. There is nothing immoral or insensitive about wanting to breed a species that has a high yield return. They will get the same care and consideration as my cottonmouths.
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RE: Info on high end colubrids
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by MikeB on April 10, 2007
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I think Rob specifically said he was NOT referring to your post, but to trends in general . . . and I agree. Breeding specifically for profit, unless one is a Bob Clark who contributes a great deal by carefully originating new morphs, contributes to the oversupply of some species (balls, corns) and, in some ways, to the problem of big snakes being dumped in the Everglades, etc. Fact is, this is a limited hobby . . . there are just not that many people who want snakes as pets, and aside from some of the venomous species, indigos, gray-banded kings and a few much-in-demand specimens, the market seems to be glutted and harmfully competitive. Just look at the classifieds here on this and other popular sites: breeders constantly bumping their offerings to the top in hopes of unloading another bumper crop of the season's hatchlings. Truth is, most herpers have no interest in breeding, nor should they. I'd say that if there is no real and compelling reason to launch a breeding program, don't.
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RE: Info on high end colubrids
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by Rob_Carmichael on April 10, 2007
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Chuck, I wasn't trying to bash you in the least; I thought I made it clear that my comments were just general comments rather than being directed at you. You just said something that stuck a thorn in my hide and any time I hear of herps being referred to as investments and yields, it just gets the worst of me and I apologize that you took offense to my comments. I know you take excellent care of your animals and have heard good things about you so in no way was I trying to criticize you, your collection, your breeding projects or your ethics. It's too bad that we can't just enjoy keeping our herps in completely "au naturale" vivariums and enjoy them for what they are w/out having to worry about the "yield" that they produce; that's all I was trying to get at. And, if we want to breed herps, it should be done for the joy in better understanding that species' natural history rather than putting a dollar sign on each hatchling that emerges (that's only my opinion...if someone wants to breed for the money, even if I disagree, that's their prerogative). I'm guilty of not fully enjoying my herps but am slowly coming around. I have cut back my breeding programs drastically so that I can enjoy more time observing them in their natural habitat...field herping is where it's at for me and getting involved with many herp conservation projects. A large percentage of any funds I make as a result of selling c.b. offspring go directly to various herp conservation efforts (maybe that's just to appease my guilty conscious of the perception of commercializing herps). BTW: that's an amazing horridus.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
www.thegrassisrattling.com
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RE: Info on high end colubrids
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by SwampY on April 10, 2007
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He||, I wish I could find a way to make money off of cottonmouths. I'd do it. LOL
Until someone starts paying good money for stinky snake s*** though, I'm outta luck :-)
Chad
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