Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In retrospect I should have bought my females first...I have a male albino bp that is large enough to breed but my het females won’t go this year. He eats like a champ but the ladies are picky sometimes. Advice??? I don’t want to spend major bucks on a normal (it would probably be $200-400 for a large female). What are people’s experiences with buying adult females to breed to vs raising your own female breeders?

If I were you I would pick up a couple adult females. They are cheap enough now that I think you are better off getting proven adults instead of hatchlings that will take a few years to get to size. Just buy from someone reputable to make sure you are actually getting quality females and not WC junk.
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John Vandegrift

I was lucky and had many large adult females before my male albino was up to weight for breeding

I got many for free or close to it, if you watch places like craigslist the free classified newspapers long enough you can pick up snakes people are trying to let go of quick

one of my best females was a snake that someone had for about 8 years but they decided they wanted the tank for the new iguana they got. She was a great snake and layed the 11 eggs I got this season can't beat that from a free snake.

you can watch rescue sites, or shelters, check with any reptile stores in your area as I am sure people call them all the time about dumping off snakes.

or just buy one

there will be times people like me will be letting go of normal female breeders cause we have hets to take their places now and it would be less mouths to feed and take care of. (which I should be doing next year I figure)
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Misty Sprouse Ball Pythons

I don't like buying adult females for some reason.....I've bought females at 400 - 900 grams and grown them up the rest of the way....any time I see someone selling a big breeder girl I think that there must be something wrong with her.....she eats bad....doesn't breed well.....slugs out.....who knows.

If I were to buy a big 1300 gr girls......I would buy it from someone I trust.
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blackrockcaptives.com

I bought 3 breedable girls from a friend at the start of last season. Two gave me clutches (8 eggs from 1 girl and it was her first clutch). I've only bought one female as a baby so far; the rest I bought as adults or subadults or produced myself. If you're breeding to make hets you should probably look for virgin females so you don't have to worry about retained sperm, though.

Shelly