Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi
I just purchased a beautiful cb male etb. So, now I want to get a female. Alot of people that i am talking to say there wouldn't much harder to get a well established wc female to breed as long she been in captivity at least a year and is feeding well. What do you guys with experience on this think. Should I hold out and spend the extra money for a cb female? Or will I be able to get a wc one to breed?
Thanks

Are you talking about northerns or basins?
CraigC

This is a reply I posted to an inquiry regarding wc animals. Just be sure of what you are buying.

Let's see, I have purchased/traded for 12 northern WC etb's since '98. Everyone ate at my first feeding attempt and never refused a meal. All but 2 regurged consistently and now reside in the freezer. All were worked with to try and save them, with some lasting 18 months before they finally perished or had to be put down. Those that were necropsied showed kidney damage due to dehydration that most likely occured from conditions during collection or at the exporters facility. In other words, they had irrepairable kidney damage before I purchased them. Average price was $350.00 US and I can't even begin to guess how much in vet bills. So out of 12 I have 2 LTC females in excellent health, one even produced for me last year. Let's see, that's $4,200.00 US in price alone to get 2 healthy females.

So you want to buy a non-feeding, WC Emerald for almost a month's salary. Those stakes are a little too high for me. If you are set on getting it, make sure that it eats at the store and doesn't regurge for at least 10 days. This will reduce the odds somewhat.

CraigC

ps-I forgot a male patterless that I sold after 2 years. So that made 3 out of 13 that survived and are in excellent health.

I have purchased wc basins with which I have never had a problem.
CraigC

Craig
I was talking about northerns. I apreciate the advice. Sounds like getting them to eat is just the tip of the iceburg on getting them to breed. Thanks

WC CAptive, It does not matter, they all have the same parts. No matter what you choose the animals should be in a kept apart for 6 month or so to avoid any un seen illness, you dont want 2 dead snakes.
Lastly, unless you buy from someone you know breed the animal, you will never know where it came from. There is alot of crap that is "CB" or "LTC" BUT YOU SIMPLY CANNOT PROVE IT. Just make sure you buy an animal from some one you know and trust.
Most likely if you purchase a female that is ready to breed out of someones collection, there is something wrong with her either she will not produce or has been breed all she can breed, No one in their right mind will give up a producing female.

j