Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to take a few minutes here to re-explain my feelings on Desert girls.

As of today, I have a few Deserts. We had a few clutches in the incubators that survived the fire. Because we don't have racks, waterbowls, etc the snakes are parked at a friends place about 15 miles away. The fire broke my heart in many many ways and I'm not ready yet to have snakes back in my life on a daily basis. I see my snakes about once a week and it breaks my heart again, every time.

Part of the reason for my heartbreak is Desert females. As the largest breeder of the morph, I had a large number of Desert females and Desert combo females held back. All bred and born at PE and looking and growing like all my other balls. At the time of the fire I had 4 girls who were over or close to 2000 grams (empty, not full of rats Neil! )and all had great follicle growth and all were feeding great. All had bred a few times with Desert combo males. My guess is by the time they would have laid, they would have been over 2500 grams. Not skinny at all. I posted photos of them on a scale for all to see. I had another 12+ females who were over 1500 grams that would have most likely breed this spring. And maybe another 12+ girls close to or over 1200 grams that might have gone in the summer.

Sorry to hear that again. I can only imagine.

On a positive note. I am looking forward to my desert pin getting with all the lemon blast and pinstripe girls I am holding back from this season. I will try to emulate some of the combos you were trying (and achieving) in your collection.
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-AnthillPython.com-

This was going to be the year, at least from my side, that I figured out what is going on with Desert females. With that large number of females, I would have a chance to try a few different temp set ups. Now, this thinking behind using cooler temp wasn't just made up. It comes from understand python reproduction. Too high of temps can cause ovulation too early and lead to slugs. Cooler temps, less chance of slugs. I've seen it work in my own collection. It makes sense to me that Desert girls could need slightly lower temps to not produce slugs. It made enough sense to me that I held back tons of Desert girls LAST YEAR.
When I got the group from Stan, one small Desert girl was gravid. She was less than 1200 grams. Because Stan kept his snakes in racks without heat, when I got them, I set them up the same way. Room temp, and no extra heat. That female was unable to pass the eggs (she was way too small, the smallest gravid ball I've every seen) and I had to aspirate the eggs to get them out of her. When she passed them, it was clear they were eggs not slugs. That event is another reason I think the cooler temp should help.
I've also had a friend who shared that his friend produced good eggs from a Desert females two years in a row. That guys kept his snakes at room temp. No extra heat. Another reason why I think cooler temp should help.
So the cooler temp thing isn't made up bullcrap. It comes from events that follow along with what I have learned about python reprooduction in a past few years.
Do I think Desert females have a trick to getting them to go? Yep. Is it cooler temps? I was going to find out this year, but I thought that would be the trick.

Thanks for your thoughts.

I do love the desert crosses and have a male.

From an information standpoint on the females, which is what the forums should be for.

If you willing, approximately how many females are out there from you guys in 2008 and in 2009. I understand that males you sold in 2008 could have produced 100s of females in 2009.

I there are other deserts out there from Stan prior to you guys, and if anyone other than Chad/Robyn has info on those, that would be great.

Just trying to understand the numbers of 2000g females that are over 3 years old that should be available in 2012 for breeding. Not sure if there are 20/50/100/1000 girls out there in your opinion that are over 3 years old.

Also, what is the total number of clutches you have heard about first hand that had no viable eggs vs viable eggs from your snakes that you sold? It seems there have been 2 known clutches in florida, one post on kingsnake that was never followed up of a clutch, and rumors of eggs in Europe last season that I never saw confirmation of. Other than one breeder on the BLBC who shared his negative results, and Chad who shared the 1200g eggbound story, I have only heard second and third-hand stories of problems. How many clutches have had issues in your talking with breeders, 5/10/100/500 ?

I figure people who bought from you would let you know of any success stories and stuggles.

Thanks for any infomation. I look forward to producing and working with boys and girls in the future.

I did not get to see the long post last night....

Neil, were you fighting with yourself?

I do not have any kind of vendetta against Desert nor have I spoke a word to

DOuble Trouble Neil Big Gums MCCrum Bum....

I am not sure why he is very focused on this point.
I think if Deserts were reproductive like any other Ball Python we would not be having this debate.
Pete Kahl has DESERTS..... as I know he has not achieved much with his girls...I could be wrong and there is some kind of secret.... but Pete Kahl can breed snakes!

I love Deserts, they may INCREDIBLE combos..... PERIOD!

Amazing..... but they are not normal and I'll bite your teddy bear into pieces if you try to tell me that I am WRONG about it!

SATAN
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.

and by no means am I trying to claim or even suggest that Robyn and Chad have been ripping people off or misleading them....

They are sticking to their project and fully believe in it...that in itself is a testament to their STRENGTH.

WHat they have survived through would kill me.... not maybe, I would not recover and would make a great AMerican Terrorist that would blow myself up on command!

I have struggled through many things like the Super Woma and I have "bowed out"...... genetics WON!! They SUCK!

SATAN
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"Satan™" is a registered trademark of NERD, Inc. Any copyright infringement is punishable by ETERNAL DAMNATION and some other terrible stuff.