Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So my daughter absolutely loves her savannah, which has more than trippled in size in three months, and now wants a snake. My wife and I, coincedentally, have decided we would like to start a small scale breeding effort (one to two species, one snake and one species of small or medium montitor, preferably peach throats.)

So here's my question. I have read that milksnakes are very easy to breed and maintain. I think this is where we should start to iron out our practices and learn how to properly care for breeding pairs, eggs, etc,etc,etc. Is there enough common ground between breeding snakes and monitors to teach us the basics and better prepare us for the larger job of breeding peach throats?

Heres what I recomend, hmmmmmmmm I actually recomend two things, one when I am firmly seated on my rocker, and the other when I am standing next to it(off).

First, I do love snakes(not particularly milksnakes as captives) As I am a snake breeder by heart. Snakes are basically the same, but are misleading. Snakes can be bred very easily, by folowing a formula. Monitors go thru the same events, but are not driven by a formula. Kinda why my expert friends(MS's and the librarian) have such a difficult time breeding them, or even keeping them healthy. With monitors, its a constant struggle of making decisions. As they constantly change their requirements as they mature.

Why not do both, snakes take little time.

I recomend, breeding ackies(or gouldi crosses) to teach you about monitors. They do EXACTLY what all monitors do. Kinda like cornsnakes or cal kings in the snake world. And they keep on doing it, until you get it right. The Keys with monitors are, suitable pairs, nesting, and egg hatching abilities. And minor in temps and humidities. The keys with snakes is temperature/humidity ranges, and minor in the keys for monitors. Both of those types have proven to be successful as starter(for breeding) monitors.

Of course you may think I am off my rocker, but, I have both baby snakes of several types, that I hatched and baby monitors/hatching too, here now.

Without being a nutball(debateable), I will say, in the snake world, there are tons of talkers and tons of doers(ones who actually do it), the good part is, even the talkers are doers. Here with monitors, there are very few doers, and tons of talkers, the bad part, most of the talkers, never do.

Please keep in mind, this is normal, just consider, the monitor world is just like the snake world was, oh maybe, thirty years ago. Good luck from the man laying next to his rocker, FR

If you do want to breed snakes you do have plenty of easy choices besides milksnakes. Not that milksnakes aren't cool. But make sure they fit into your idea of the temperment you want for a pet snake.
(If you really want something that's easy to breed, sand boas have to win. My formula for breeding success- house a male and a female together. Boom, babies appear. But good luck selling them for more than peanuts.)
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!