I think the main reason imports fail is the poor collecting and holding conditions they endure. The first Black python ( Boelens ) that was brought to the US was back in the early 70's by Hank Molt. Hank brought the animal in by hand and it thrived with no special care. I saw that animal sitting at his shop forever before the Houston zoo bought it. It lived for years. I believe this was because of the great condition it arrived in.



In the late 80's early 90's Boelens appeared again in the trade here. A friend on mine moved to Indonesia got a job at a Skin Factory. Boelens and Bloods were two species that were used and he would buy snakes take them to an exporter he was also working with and have them shipped to wholesalers here. I was told the trappers collecting the Blacks would catch the snakes put them in burlap sacks and because the nights were at times very cold bury them in the ground to keep them from freezing. I remember unpacking some of these animals. Most were skinny and dehydrated combined with the stress levels and it's no wonder they didn't do well.





It figures as the snakes became valuable more effort was taken to make sure they stayed in good shape some better conditioned animals started to come in but it's still a tough deal to collect and ship them (holding time alone )and they still go thru a lot this probably weakens the animals immune system to the point to where many can't recover and it eventually catch's up with them. Plus I think a lot of the guys that end up with them do a good job of killing them .



I think they have been bred here four or five times. Frank Memmo ,San Diego Zoo , Paul Miles. If the animals are in good shape and cycled right like with anything else they go. Getting copulation isn't tough I've seen half dead ones breeding a week after they came out of the bag.The correct cycle seems to be the key to sucess along with the animal being in top shape.



Ernie Eison

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