Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Alright well I have decided to brumate my snakes and try to breed them next year. I understand they are called rootbeer corns and when bred with similar rootbeer corns they produce creamsicle corns. My question is how much should I charge for the rootbeers and is there any type of market for them. I would like to get experience breeding snakes and probably will hold back 1 or 2 but I don't want to be stuck with them.
-----
Extensive Snakes

>>Alright well I have decided to brumate my snakes and try to breed them next year. I understand they are called rootbeer corns and when bred with similar rootbeer corns they produce creamsicle corns. My question is how much should I charge for the rootbeers and is there any type of market for them. I would like to get experience breeding snakes and probably will hold back 1 or 2 but I don't want to be stuck with them.
>>-----
>> Extensive Snakes

No, you are still wrong.
In your original post you said emoryi X normal corn.
This will produce 50% emoryi/50% corn snake normals (rootbeers).
If you breed these rootbeers together you will just get more rootbeers.
you have to have amelanism in the corn snake line.
So, if you breed the emoryi to the normal corn and the corn happens to be het amelanistic then you would get all normals (rootbeers) with 50% of these being het amel. Which 50% you will not know until breeding.
So, lets say you happen to get lucky and breed two of the normal (rootbeer) het amels together.
THEN there is a 25% chance to get amels from that clutch.
Basically a ratio of 1 out of each 4 has the potential to be amel.
These emoryi/guttata amels would be the creamsicles you are looking for.
With a normal emoryi and normal corn, not het amel, you could never get creamsicles. No amel no creamsicle.
With a normal emoryi and a normal corn het amel you could get lucky and have creamsicles in maybe four years if you breed the snakes at two years of age.
If you breed the emoryi to an amelanistic corn snake then the babies will all be normals (rootbeer) het amel (creamsicle).
In this case you know that any pair in the group will be het amel so it isn't as much luck-of-the-draw.
If you breed these babies together you are back to the 25% chance of amels (creamsicles). 1 in 4.
I hope that makes sense.
no amel in the mix no creams.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

wow, thanks for the quick reply. i understand completely now. i need the amel gene somewhere in the mix. as for the normal(rootbeers) do you think i could sell them? really, my only market would be over the internet so shipping is a factor. if the snake is $20 and shipping is $40 i dont think people will buy them. im going to ask around the few pet stores i have in my area but they dont take good care of their snakes so i wouldnt want to sell to them. decisions decisions.
-----
Extensive Snakes

>>wow, thanks for the quick reply. i understand completely now. i need the amel gene somewhere in the mix. as for the normal(rootbeers) do you think i could sell them? really, my only market would be over the internet so shipping is a factor. if the snake is $20 and shipping is $40 i dont think people will buy them. im going to ask around the few pet stores i have in my area but they dont take good care of their snakes so i wouldnt want to sell to them. decisions decisions.
>>-----
>> Extensive Snakes

I beleive it would be hard to get $60.00 each for them.
Which would be the total cost of any single animal shipped.
You might need to find a local store willing to take them or possibly list them as a package deal. 5 rootbeers for $100.00; total, including shipping, or something like that.
You could figure $35.00 to be a realistic overnight shipping charge so that would mean $15.00 per snake.
Remember, you can't make a fortune on them especially being intergrades.
Even these numbers could be lowered if need be.
Don't be unwilling to drop the prices. Anything is better then nothing.
If you don't plan on keeping all offspring you have to take a realistic look at what it takes to git rid of them.
You could also consider a booth at a local reptile show.
Find out if there are any in your area and what the cost of a table will be. Weigh that against how many you would need to sell to recoup your cost and work from there.
Let's say a booth is $35.00 or $40.00 at a small local show.
You would need to sell 2 at $20.00 dollars to get your money back.
Now, think about it.. Would you be able to sell two at $20.00 or would it be easier to sell three at $15.00 or maybe four at $12.50 or even a package deal. X amount each or a package deal of five at $50.00, $55.00 or $60.00.
See what I mean?
You might also consider giving some away. Attempt to get friends or family or people in your community interested in the hobby. This could lead to future sales and or trade oportunities
You will also need to look at cost to feed compared to any amount you might be able to get for them.
You should have until spring to find possible outlets for your snakes so get a good plan of action first and breed second.
just some of my thoughts on the subject

-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

thanks again for the reply. i know i am not going to make a fortune off of these guys. all i really want to do is breed my pet snakes together and keep 1 or 2 and find other homes for the rest. heck i would even give them away if need be. thanks again for the ideas and i will take everything into consideration before i try this.
-----
Extensive Snakes

I have two pairs of adult rootbeer corns het for cream.They are not that prety and I only have them because they were part of a group purchase.My problem with them is that they are hybrids, but thats beside the point. I offered them at a show for $100 a pair and there was no intrest what so ever. Pet stores usualy are not to intrested in the drab looking hatchlings either. They tend to like the amels, snows ect.