Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I Have been breeding balls for many years now, but i wanted to get a general idea of what every one elses experiences have been with wild females.

First off how many own wild adult females?

Second, how many have breed that wild female and what were the outcomes? I want to try and figure out how long it takes a wild female to settle in and breed in captivity and produce a good clutch.

I have had a wild female breed the earliest at 2 1/2 years past the day she came in, and she came in as an adult. I am only interested in wild adults not CH babies that have been grown up or young bush babies.

There is a point to this thread i have seen a lot of conflict between Wild animals "sucking" lol ... And i just wanted a survey to see how long it actually takes for a female to readjust and breed in captivity.

I personally think that WILD females are more trouble then they are worth (most of the time, I am not saying they arent worth anything but the amount of time, money, and the life of the snake which was use to a wild enviorment) only because so many come in and die b/c people dont know what they are doing. I DO know how to get them eating and i DO know how to fix problems that they may or may not come in with, this thread was not intended to turn into how to get a wild ball to feed. I just feel if you want new blood CH babies will cover that for you, and if a wild animal dosent breed for another 2 years past the day you get them in then what benifits are you getting by buying an adult wild female, unless it already has eggs when you buy it, which i know is the case alot of times. But in 2 years you can get a CH female up to breeding size without power feeding and have a healthy animal with new blood and in the long run will most likley have less health and feeding problems. Just my thoughts..

But back to my original thought, i just wanted to see how many have breed a Wild in their care and hacthed the eggs and your outcome.

Thanks for everyones input. I know my own and close friends experiences but wanted a broader idea on the subject

Thanks again Kim
N.A.R.C

Kim - I agree - as a completely separate issue to feeding, caring and acclimating them - for the most part I've heard the same response from most people - that it takes 2-3 years or more to get an adult imported (WC) female to breed in captivity - including the ones that come in gravid. I know there are some that claim to get them breeding again the next year - no doubt some people have "magic touches" in various areas of ball python breeding - but that seems to be the exception not the rule.

IMO - WCs do suck unless you have the skills and patience.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

I took in a gravid WC 5 years ago. I has never even approached breedable weight ever since.

There are so many CB or CH females available, I wouldn't even mess with WC unless is some cool unproven animal. Besides, not taking adult animals out of the wild helps keep the wild population robust.

Justin

I got 20 of them 2 years(breeding seasons) ago.

1 bred the first year(got her in sept and she laid in March after being bred by my pastel), my first clutch of ball eggs ever!

This year I had one bred as well and got 6 good het pied eggs.

The other 18..........anybody want em! haha

Spent ALOT OF $$$$$$$$$$$ on African rats to get some started, LOTS OF TIME worming them, taking care of RIs, and i may have got them for $40ea, Ive spent well over $200 on each at this point and most will never bred or even get enough weight to consider it.

WAS IT WORTH IT????

Yes, the experience is worth alot more than i paid and seeing the first little head sticking out of the first eggs I got was something ill never forget....could have done it better but whatever man, thats life

>>The other 18..........anybody want em! haha
>>
>>Spent ALOT OF $$$$$$$$$$$ on African rats to get some started, LOTS OF TIME worming them, taking care of RIs, and i may have got them for $40ea, Ive spent well over $200 on each at this point and most will never bred or even get enough weight to consider it.

I got out of this, it's not worth it.

>>
>>WAS IT WORTH IT????
>>
>>Yes, the experience is worth alot more than i paid and seeing the first little head sticking out of the first eggs I got was something ill never forget....could have done it better but whatever man, thats life

Then, you say it is. But it looks like you meant the breeding experience? Which you could have easily achieved without imports. Am I off?
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Are they worth buying? NO!

Did all the experience i got leaning vet care, how to get nonfeeding balls eating again, african climate changes and the heavy lesson in patients along with all the other crap make it worth it in the long run for me.......yes.

t, you wouldn't do it again?

I know what you mean.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

I only have a few WC adults...But they all suck...

I bought my first Adult WC Ghost female in '02 and she is just laying eggs for the first time this year...I just hope they are good...

I have a few Adult WC "Burgundy's" that I got in '03...Only one went last year...I got 8 eggs from her, 1.7 and they are all excellent feeders...None of the '03 WC "Burgundy's" will go this year, even though I tried breeding them...

I have a few "Granite" bush babies I started raising in '03...All of them produced for me last year...

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Jon
Cold Blooded Addiction

I am with everyone else I got 5 WC females 3 look different 1 might be axanthic 1 looks normal. Took 8 mounths to get them all feeding. 1 layed 5 good eggs this year(in oven) anouther is gravid the other 3 haven't showed any intrest in breeding and this is the 3rd year I have had them.
WC on eggs and yes they do SUCK

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Vince Pramuk

Actually I got 10 Adult female wild caughts from Bob and 7 ate like a charm and 5 of them laid eggs that year. This year all 7 are probably going to lay. The other three have been problem eaters until I gave them treatments of Flagyl. They started eating after that so I think they are worth it.
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BPs are B-E-A-UTIFUL!!!!! www.daveypythons.com

Kim,

We picked up a group of W/C adult females about 4-5 years ago. They have all bred but have varying results. I had one female acclimate well and quickly and actually sucessfully bred within 7 months of arriving in country and produced 6 good eggs. She has since only bred once and produced 1 more clutch of 5 eggs. I am hoping that she will go this season as she has been bred by our Goblin male.

I have 2 females that came in shortly after the above female that bred 1.5 years or so after arriving but both slugged out. They are going this season again and both have ovulated and we are waiting on eggs now so time will tell.

I have 1 female that came in 4 years ago that has never sucessfully produced. She has bred many times with many males but to date still no eggs. This season does not look any different. She has been bred by one of our Pastel males as well as out Gobline male ans shows no signs that it took.

I also have 1 female that we got in from Ghana as a gravid that laid 6 eggs of which 5 were viable and hatched. She has only this season been back to a good breeding weight. She has been bred by her son to prove them out but I have not witnessed ovulation as of now and is still receptive and breeding with the male so I have not clue if she will go this season or not.

In General I feel that W/C females are not worth the time but there are some exceptions to that. I would never have passed up the gravid female I picked up and even with the other ones that are not producing I got a good deal on them and still do not regret my purchase on them as I feel they will all produce sooner or later for me but I don't think I will purchase any more adult W/C females.
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....I would rather have a Bottle in front of me.....than a Frontal Lobotomy....

Rob Trenor
RK Reptiles
www.rkreptiles.com
www.rkreptiles.net
www.ballpythonmorphs.net

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.........easier and cheaper to buy American...helps Americans and lets the wild stuff stay wild and happy......

poor little balls....ripped from a termite mound........

HEY..?.....what a thought........termites go extinct due to Regal python collection........!

......I got 12.....1000 grams.....1 died that week or in box.....I think it was in the box.....another guy took 3....all died in a couple weeks?....why I do not know....he has 30 years experience and more balls at home.......the others were all sold after feeding them and messing with them for 14 to 16 months plus.........bought for $33 each with shipping..sold for $50 each or so.......lost time and lost cash.....

.......another problem starting this year will be selling the big normal girls that were born here to make room for morphs.........they probably won't fly off the table either ......we'll see......
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......wild balls suck ! BUY AMERICAN DAMNIT

Thank you to everyone who answered. The main reason i asked is we have close to 80 females breeding this season and out of the 80 about 75 took and all of them were CH or CB animals that were raised in captivity. The few females that were brought in as wilds and were up to weight did not ovulate or show any signs of interest. I personally feel the time, weather, enviorment and many other aspects that change when they leave from Africa for the US, can not be replicated in our care, it may be close but still it seems with all the tricks many new and old breeders have, it still takes on average 2-3 years and still it is questionable.

I appreciate everyones feedback from their own experiences, i feel more confident now in my previous assumption of the wilds in our collection. I also appreciate this not turning into a how to feed your wild ball thread My wilds are fat and they eat great ...... they just wont breed ... lol..

Thanks again to everyone... Good luck this breeding season..

Kim
N.A.R.C