Linda, Great Post. I think the most intruiging thing about these Boas is the whole reproductive process. Many breeders to hold their knowledge back, and I can understand why. I would like to get to this in a second, but just to finish off your Ultrasound topic, here is my suggestion, and hopefully you can do this with the probe you have.

Ultrasounds: We have tried 5 machines. We have had great success with the 5 mhz or 7.5 mhz probe. However, the linear probes were very difficult to get accurate information, and you can’t get them wet. The Best probe is the RECTAL probe. It is very easy to use in water and slide along size the female. I will post examples of this on the new site as well. We use a VETSONIC machine. I found some great new machines in FL that were new for around 6G. However, I went with the Vet Sonic I bought from Alex who got it from a Vetsonic Representative. Used machines are cheaper then the new ones, and a good USED machine can be better then a new machine. Three years ago we purchased Completely new Software for the Vetsonic machine and software for the Rectal Probe. This allows us to type in the information and STORE it forever. It was also easier to view the snakes. I can look at a female and see where she was last month, last year, and 3 years ago. We can store all the information on the machine, but I also manually store it and save it in our records. I also do this for the Ball Pythons. I have found the Ultrasound is much more effective in Ball Breeding then Boa breeding. I believe a female Boa will Ovulate in a year regardless of the fact that I am ultrasounding her and putting males in the cage. Where the ultrasound really come in handy is determining if the Babies are good, or if there are slugs. However, You can have a female go the whole pregnancy carrying a good litter, and still have something go wrong. Last year I had 2 Perfect litters that were resulting in FULLY formed DEAD babies. One of those was a Motley litter. I was looking at 17 dead PERFECTLY formed Motleys. They were 4 days late, and that was hard to take. It also happened in another Hypo X T positive breeding. All the babies were perfect and came out dead, so I guess the Ultrasound didn’t help there. LOL Anyway, GO to your Vet and have him look at the VENT all the way to 12 inches up. If you are seeing Masses in there, then she is Gravid. If you don’t see anything then she isn’t gravid. Like Sean mentioned, the follicles start right after the Gall Bladder, and the Gall is very easy to find. It is about 1 foot to 18 inches down from the heart. Also a 10 mm egg can look pretty big on the ultrasound screen, but inside that Boa are TINY eggs. Soooo, just go to that vent area and go up about a foot and that should work.


To the information of Breeders keeping secrets. I realize that many want to keep the hard earned lessons to themselves and not share them. Especially medical and breeding information that can allow competitors to get further along in the process. Regardless of what we say, this is a COMPETETIVE area. I have held back on posting information in the Past, but I have also been accused by other breeders for giving out too much information and to stop doing that. I remember Jeff Ronne talking on his web site about how it was frustrating for him to get asked by people all the time for information about their animals when they purchased them from other people. At the time, I thought it was strange but I completely understand. Sometimes the Breeders are more expensive, and get passed up to get cheaper animals. That is PERFECTLY fine, and I have done the same myself. However, it is frustrating to get questions about other peoples snakes. People ask me a lot of questions and I try to answer them, but I do give my customers a LOT more information then I give a person who chose to buy his Boas elsewhere. That is just business. I do think that with the whole Herp Business has been changed by the Internet, and this is a great thing. There is a ton of information out there that is good and bad. I was just speaking to Tracy Barker about this last week, and I have learned a lot. Breeders can give all the information they want out there. We can walk you through everything step by step, however, people will always try something different and end up not doing what we say. Also, what works in my area and neck of the woods may not work for you. There are some areas that can be applied to EVERYONE on Boa Breeding that are VITAL to having successful breeding. However, everyone really has to learn for themselves. I think as more people post what they learn, others can greatly benefit from their advice. However, real understanding HAS to come from experience. New people can breed Boas with information out there, but they will have to tweek it a little to fit their environment.

I think this Boa Forum is one of the Best sources of Information out there. I know many breeders would contribute more if it were a little different. I don’t know how this can change though. I know for one that If I post something that is very valuable to ME, I often get emails of thanks for the post. This forum can also be a little “CLICKY”. You see when one person posts, that you get a ton of Nice replies, but someone could also post the exact same thing a few days later, with NO replies. Some People are reluctant post replies to my posts it will be viewed by others are “Butt kissing”. I know there are a lot of breeders that would post more information if we could somehow get over that. If Pete Kahl posts something valuable, it would be great to reply. However, if he posted more often and people posted their thoughts below, it would come across as BUTT kissing to others. I think this is pretty sad. Of course you feel more comfortable posting replys to people you know. There are a lot of friends in here. I do this too. However, I know that better information can come about in a more friendly environment. I post when I can, and I have received emails by a few people that think I’m coming across as a KNOW IT ALL. I really hope I don’t come across that way. I feel I have a very good understanding of Boas, however, I learn new things EVERYDAY. Just last week, I learned a valuable peace of Feeding information from Gus Renfro. I’ll try it this year. I can also learn from just a new person who has also been keeping Boas for a short while. Everyone can ad and we all can learn a lot more. No matter HOW much you know, there is always somebody out there who KNOWS more. That is LIFE!!!!! I love discussions out there that talk about Reproductive matter with Boas, and it is great to hear others experiences so we can apply it or incorporate it into our collections. So, if you have some observations that you feel is valuable PLEASE post it.

Where I think you learn the MOST is from Mistakes and mishaps. I think that sometimes it is hard for a breeder to talk about something like a DISEASE because it would APPEAR as if he didn’t have a clean collection. IT isn’t my fault or anyone elses that the Boas end up with a Cancerous tumor, or IBD for heaven sake. However, if we talk about it, then it could be implied that there are “PROBLEMS IN THE CAMP”. Other breeder could toss that information and hold it against a person, so there is a Sort of HUSH HUSH attitude out there. I think if a breeder has never experienced a Sickness, Death, mites, or most diseases, then that person really isn’t experienced. IF you have a Large Collection PROBLEMS WILL OCCUR. These are LIVE animals. I know of some Breeders that when an animal dies or acts funny it is just wiped out and thrown away. I think that is irresponsible. I think it should be Necrospied and try to find out what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again. I know it is hard to do this with every animal, but to make an attempt to Learn from the death is what really will help us and others understand and Learn MORE. People have the attitude of “Can’t be hurt by what they don’t know” and they justify the death as something of a different nature to feel better. IF the animal was dissected and the cause of death is determined, breeders would REALLY learn a ton more. I think that no matter HOW clean you keep your animals, some problems WILL occur, and this is just a given. I really don’t think that any breeder could be successful year after year breeding boas if he didn’t practice good husbandry, so I wish that this idea of not talking about certain issues would go away and we could openly discuss issues to help us better understand what is going on. I know when a breeder has a death, it is easier to throw it away, because you can’t be hurt by what you don’t know, but I think the Boas deserve better, and the customers do too.

I would love to see the environment change, so we can all learn a lot more, but I really understand why it doesn’t. I am guilty of being competitive, however, I think that the business would be a lot healthier if we all had success. Yes success brings down prices, and that can be a negative, however, success is addictive, and those who have it will keep buying and buying, and the more success you have the better the business is going to be in the long haul. That is why I think Ball Pythons have passed up the Boas. They are EASY to have success with. With success come confidence, and the business booms. I know Boas are more difficult then the Balls, but if you really do the Math, they aren’t that much more difficult. I think with more info to help others breed, we would all be better off. I DIDN’T ALWAYS THINK THIS WAY. So for those who know me, I do feel this way now. LOL Boy is this a LONG soap Box. Tooo many issues all in One!!!!!! Lets have fun. Boas truly are the BEST herp of all Herps!!!!! Yes I did go into the BUSINESS aspect, and the reason I did so is because it REALLY is the reason we all have these animals in the first place!!!! Best of luck. I would be interested in replies. However, I can understand if there are none. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jeremy Stone

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