Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Even though I've not fully vested myself of all my current stock, I find myself thinking about how I might rebuild it when the time comes.

I could just have all local (as in from my area) animals so I can go back to doing programs as a public service but do I really have the time....

I could specialize in one form and keep all its morphs but don't really like morphs that much.

I could specialize in one form and keep distinctive locality based phenotypes but so many locality guys come across as such sanctimonious #$%**!!~ that I really can't identify.

I could develop a diverse collection that would market well but have been there done that.

I could keep animals as part of a group trying to maintain rare forms (LA pines or S. FL mole kings come to mind).

I could keep a unique and striking collection of hybrids but while I'm not hybrid adverse most don't blow my dress up any more than morphs.

I could just work with what I like but I don't have enough room or time.

Anyway just wondering what goes through all your minds when you start looking at how your collection will look when its complete or do you ever think its complete?
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

WWW.TDSNAKES.BLOGSPOT.COM

Anyway just wondering what goes through all your minds when you start looking at how your collection will look when its complete or do you ever think its complete?
Lately I have given this question considerable thought. Being as I have only so much room, time, and money, I have decided to concentrate on my pyros as a future breeding project, keep my bulls as pets, and my Pacifics as pets. I have to think of what will I do with a lot of baby snakes, and pyros are a lot easier to house than pituophis, requiring smaller habitats.

"On the Internet looking for more like me!"

I have been sorely tempted by Thayeri, but just don't have the room to go off in that direction.
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Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

I once was prepared to do just thayeri and I still think that a good idea. You could keep a genetically diverse collection and not have a single animal that looks like any of the others.

Mountain kings by virtue of their sky island isolation are to me quite viable local projects. They are phenomenologically diverse and more reproductively isolated than more low land forms.

I once found two kings under one board. The one on the far left had very thin banding and looked almost black. The one on the right was almost what I would call a wide band. I almost started two diverse locality lines but knew that from visit to visit I wouldn't be able to remember what side of the board I was on when I lifted it.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

WWW.TDSNAKES.BLOGSPOT.COM

I once found two kings under one board. The one on the far left had very thin banding and looked almost black. The one on the right was almost what I would call a wide band. I almost started two diverse locality lines but knew that from visit to visit I wouldn't be able to remember what side of the board I was on when I lifted it.
You could always use GPS (Global Positioning System) for the EXACT locale! LOL!
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Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

>>I once found two kings under one board. The one on the far left had very thin banding and looked almost black. The one on the right was almost what I would call a wide band. I almost started two diverse locality lines but knew that from visit to visit I wouldn't be able to remember what side of the board I was on when I lifted it.

LOL...that made me chuckle Tony......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I am also getting back into it and re-building my collection. I am just getting whatever makes me go "oooh I like that"! Floridana have always tickled my fancy, and so have Chains, and milk snakes, and corn snakes, also some ratsnake, well you get the ideah, lol.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

It is ALL about what I like....Not what everyone else likes.....
That is why I work with Thayeri, Greeri, Ruthveni, Mex Mex, Pyros, Alterna and Zonata.......All fit into a single husbandry technique.......

The only thing I have "on the side" are Holbrooki and Splendida because they are from my area, but I have morphs of both as well.....Just some fun, EASY getula to work with.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

>>It is ALL about what I like....Not what everyone else likes.....

>>John Lassiter

I'm with you John,
If it's a hobby, you got to like them, to spend the time to take care of them, If your trying to make a living at it, it becomes a job. Then it's not fun anymore.LOL
Have Fun.
My Opinion, Bob B

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R.Bichlers Colubrids
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html

np

>>>>It is ALL about what I like....Not what everyone else likes.....
>>
>>>>John Lassiter
>>
>>I'm with you John,
>>If it's a hobby, you got to like them, to spend the time to take care of them, If your trying to make a living at it, it becomes a job. Then it's not fun anymore.LOL
>> Have Fun.
>>My Opinion

RIGHT ON!
I ONLY work with what I like....I don't work with corns, bps and leos because they sell well at shows and on line.......

Mexican and Montane Kingsnakes...That's what I like......Also Abronia and soon some Petrosaraus......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I am NOT a breeder, or a herp professional, or an expert, or anything like that -- but I AM currently coming to the end of my herp "collecting", so I'm getting a much better picture of what I **think** my collection will look like in its more-or-less final form.

I like to have diversity, so I have collected animals from disparate groups. I also like bright colors and unusual animals, so I've bought a lot of morphs. I like moderate size, so I have stayed away from the really bigs and the really smalls. I don't want to invest extra time in finicky animals, so I have resisted those that have very specific requirements. I don't like snakes enough to spend several hundred bucks on each animals, so I have focused on reasonably priced types. I do like to handle my snakes, so forget those that are known for biting. I **might** want to breed in the future, so I have gathered groups that could be used for good breeding projects in the years to come. And I guess those are most of the criteria I've used for my decisions -- oh, of course there's always the "WOW" factor!

I've decided to concentrate on rainbow boas, albino and snow Honduran milksnakes, and coral snow corn snakes. I intend to make one more purchase this year (female Brazilian rainbow), then I will probably sell a few animals to consolidate the collection. Of course I might fall in love with something in the future, but so far as I can tell right now I'm pretty much done. Buying is fun, but now I need to follow up with the long term care considerations!
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1.2 Peruvian rainbow boas (Amaru, Asiru, Kulipsa)
2.0 Brazilian rainbow boas (Arco, Olho)
1.3.1 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Chakar, Hari, Saksak)
1.0 Thayeri kingsnake (Coatl)
0.0.1 Mexican black kingsnake (Mora)
2.4.4 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, Uce, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

np

...yeah, but I like 'em all!
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

If I could I would have one of every king and rat and corn and milk! Then sprinkle in some Pine/Bull/Gophers and garters, and House snakes, and hognose, and small boas like Rosies, Rubbers and Rainbows. Maybe even one or two Ball Pythons.....maybe? Not sure on that last one, ha ha!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra