Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A customer brought in a litter of Hypos yesterday. This one was really neat. The animal does have some skin malformation a couple of inches behind the head. The owners name is Lucas and his phone # is 813-728-1462 if you would like to talk to him about this litter. Hope everyone is having a great season.

N/P

Is he looking for other peoples thoughts on it,or looking to sell them?

I think he's interested in selling them. Bob Potts

I glanced at the pic, it looks like a developmental deformity. The ventral scales look like they've been stretched up the laterals.
jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

Seems to have alot of black for a hypo. What do you think is going on with them Bob?

>>I glanced at the pic, it looks like a developmental deformity.

that was my thought too. And if it is deformed I would hope they aren't being sold but rather should be culled... at least in my humble opinion.
-April

Johnathan could be right. This could be stress related during developement and I told Lucas this. The skin has some malformation behind the neck, which I stated earlier, but their "seems" to be no structural malformations ie kinks and such. I also agree with Johnathan that these are merely opinions but thats the fun of working with these wonderful and mysterious animals.

Almost looks like a severe burn on the top that singed the skin and stretched everything up.
Were the wounds fresh?
Is there a light in the enclosure?
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www.BetterBoa.com

9.7 Bci's
3.3 Corn snakes

I do not believe this is a wound. Please read my initial post. This was the only animal in the entire litter with this malformation. The rest of the Hypos, though not as extreme but very cool and the normals in the litter all looked extremely healthy. I never said Lucas was selling this boa but should he destroy the entire litter because on this one animal?

I would not destroy the entire litter.
to me the grove deeply resembles a burn that could be caused by the light housing. For only one to look that way too is mysterious and leeds me to beleive it may have been after the fact of birth and accidental.
You should see if a possibility exists that the babies may have gotten burnt
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www.BetterBoa.com

9.7 Bci's
3.3 Corn snakes

Now that you mentioned it, it kinda looked like a heeled scar. The only thing is, the pic was taken the day the litter was produced. Who knows. I was not implying that you suggested that the entire litter be destroyed, just part of the conversation early in the thread. I appologize if it came off that way.

Yeah it would not be a heeled scar 2 days later.
Also you can clearly see scales everywhere. Very hard to diagnose from a photo but keep us posted
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www.BetterBoa.com

9.7 Bci's
3.3 Corn snakes

I'm not a big fan of culling every little defect.

Something like this Boa has whether it be birth defect or
injury, looks otherwise healthy

Personally I'd let it live, but I'd probably keep it myself

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

>> should he destroy the entire litter because on this one animal?

just to clarify what I meant earlier, if it was a birth defect and I (as in, I - the breeder) would not be able to keep it or find it a good pet only home, then I would cull the defected one. If the defect was something that popped up in multiple babies within the same litter or subsequent litters, I would consider culling them all and not repeating that particular breeding. If it was something that happened after birth, like an injury, then the boa itself and genes are fine and I would not cull.

My ex has a pet-only one eyed sunglow boa and I have a boa that had a prior injury. The sunglow will never be bred but I will try to breed the other one as long as the vet gives me the all clear that it won't do her any harm to try.

Just throwing my $0.02 out there.

-April

I would never cull a boa unless it will affect it's normal life...if he don't want it,I'll be happy to take it!

April I understand what you are saying and it is often the right thing to do.

I've been lucky babies that should probably have been culled
have passed on their own here so far.

I know there will be baby Boas that I'll have to cull

I'm not a fan of it but sometimes its the right thing to do

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz

I Support USark.org

April, I agree with you 100%.

>>>> should he destroy the entire litter because on this one
As breeders we take on the responsibility of what we produce. If a pairing is producing consistently bad babies, it should not be done again. As (note - NOT IF) random abnormalities occur, it's up to the individual breeder to decide what;s the right thing to do. I for one do not cull every defect. I only cull the ones that would have a noticeable negative impact on quality of life. Those with minor defects like one eye or spinal kinks that don't affect the ability to eat/defecate/shed are sold as pets only with full disclosure and a significant reduction in price.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats