Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For the most part there weren't too many subocs for sale at this year's show. Pretty typical of the Daytona show though. Here's a list of what I did see:

1. Lee Abbott had 11 blondes that hatched out just a couple of days before the show. He also had the adult pair on display. Both were very nice, pretty blondes, with one being more yellow and one a bit more tan, IMO. All 11 babies sold (for $150 each! awesome!), within a few hours on Saturday (I'm pretty sure that's what he said). I noticed he also sold tons of his awesome Okeetees and Gray Bands. Goes to show that people want subocs and will buy them when they are available.

2. John Schmidt of Suncoast Reptiles had some adult axanthic and adult double hets normal (het for axanthic and blonde) for sale. Last time I looked he had sold the silvers but still had the double hets (both males). He said he has had no luck get his adults to successfully breed over a period of a few years and so he was getting out of them.

3. Craig Trumbower did not have any subocs and I noticed he had fewer snakes in general than he normally does. He did tell me that he had 3 (I think he said three) clutches of double het eggs cookin'. Someone told me later that Craig was moving so he was selling most of his animals.

4. Dave and Tracy Barker had to cancel their trip to Daytona as Dave was sick. I did speak to Don Soderberg who was involved in the albino TPR project with them at one point. He said he was not keeping any TPR's at this time and that he was just visiting with the Barkers and they have no TPR's either. He said they got out of the project completely but he's not sure who they sold the animals to.

That was about it. As I said, not too many subocs but that's typical for an August show. You do see some yearlings and adults here and there every year, but not like ball pythons! LOL>

Dusty, hope that answers your question. HOw are the eggs?

Mike!

Thanks a bunch for the run-down! So were Craig's animals double-het x double het (het for snow) eggs or just double het (silver blonde x normal) eggs? Don't mean to nit-pick, just curious.

I had heard that a lot of the Barker's older breeder animals have passed away by now, but I believe they still have some 12+ year old animals as pets.

I wonder if Craig is moving to Texas. I believe he owns some property there.

The eggs are good. I'm excited. If all goes well, we should have about 17 high-end suboc babies hatch out this year.

Thanks again!
Dusty
Suboc.com

No problem Dusty. I believe that Craig's are just double het (normal and silver). I could be wrong, now that you ask. But I'm pretty sure that's what he meant.

I've also wondered why Lee doesn't have a web site. Next time I see him I'll ask.

Glad to hear the eggs are doing well.

thanks for that info, it was very informitive...wish I could've been there.

I don't frequent the ratsnake forum much...I'm a mexicana king guy but I do have a pair of subocs that are blonde het silver and silver het blonde. My problem is my male is about 1/3rd of the size of my female and they are 18 months old. The male just flat out refuses to eat unless it's live pinks and I'm not playing that game. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Russ

Thanks. If you like mexicana check out the granite mex mex I posted in the Mexican Kings forum.

As for your suboc's feeding issue, I have experienced all sorts of feeding preferences with subocs. Some want live, some want rats, some want specific sizes of mice. If all she'll eat is live, you may have no other choice. Try thawed rat pinks, though, if you haven't already. I have a three year old blonde female that started out eating thawed pinks, then wanted live fuzzies, then went to thawed fuzzies, then thawed weanlings. This spring she came out of hibernation eating thawed small adult mice, then abruptly refused thawed anything. She'll only eat live small mice now. It's not very convenient as she's my only snake that won't take thawed, but what can you do? Good luck.

Along with Mike, I have had my share of Bogeys that go from f/t mice to live and back again. Just another reason to love them...

One female axanthic of mine would only take live, and once I switched her from an open-view 30 gal. aquarium to a more secluded rack setup, she began eating me out of mouse and home. Often taking three f/t adults or 3-5 weanlings at a time!

Try using feeding tongs atleast 18" in length and jiggle the food item gently in front of the hide.

Warm the prey item.

Try placing a frozen/thawed mouse in with a live one. Sometimes a snake, once in feeding mode and looking for more, will "rediscover" that he actually does like "frozen pizza", as I call it.

Try scenting with a Mediterranean gecko.

If none of that works, don't starve him, you'll just have to keep trying things until he decides to go along with it. He'll eventually do it your way, if you just use a little subtle tom foolery.

Good luck!

Dusty
Suboc.com

you are so on point dude. I picked up 4 trans-pecos ratsnakes from Craig Trumbower 2 normal females from kent locality and one pair of axanthic/silver(male normal pattern axanthic het.blond and a female axathic blond phase). I also picked up three pairs of snakes from Lee Abbott, blond phase trans-pecos rats,gray band kings,and a slamming pair of okeetee corns. thanks, Antoine.

Please share with pics! Would love to see the male axanthic and the locality-specific females.

DR
Suboc.com

I'm almost afraid to ask, but here goes: How many tables would you estimate were offering ball pythons in Daytona?

Just curious, since they've been overwhelming at other shows I've attended lately.

Thanks!
althea

Wow, I couldn't even guess. But tons. Overwhelming is a good word for it. I don't see how anyone can make money with those things. I didn't see many people buying them and when they were they were buying them from the "big guys". Some of the morphs are really cool looking but others are just "eh". Some look like like normal ball pythons to me.