Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have recently been looking around at some GTPs but I'm unsure as to whether I can adequately take care of one. I have kept bloods for years with no problem, so I don't think maintaining proper humidity should be a problem. I've read, on a few pages, that many GTPs will not drink from a water bowl..true or false?..Also, I know this is a rather obscure request but is there anyone who keeps both bloods and GTPs that can give me some indication as to the difference in level of care that is required. I have done a lot of reading, however I had a conversation with someone years ago that told me the slightest slip up with a GTP and they're dead, they don't bounce back. However, over the past few years I have heard this, and other things about bloods that just aren't true..so can anyone give me an idea of how resilient they really are. I have had my bloods get a rattle from time to time that clears up within a day or so with a slight adjustment to their environment...but never anything major.
Thanks,
Kim

My experience with GTPs over the years is that they are much tougher than they are given credit for. That said, you should perform due diligence and be sure to educate yourself properly before purchase of one of these beautiful snakes. I would recommend reading Greg Maxwell's book "The More Complete Chondro"-there is no better source of accurate info on the GTP.....

It may be true that the occasional chondro refuses to drink from a dish (particularly possible with juveniles), but since most folks mist their chondros daily anyway, the point is moot!

One problem reported even by experienced keepers is the occasional unexplained death of a seemingly healthy animal, It happened to me once in my small collection (7 chondros), and has happened at one time or another to every chondro keeper I've spoken with....
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

i just put deposit down on gtp, this will be my second one. in my research i have found that unlike bloods(which i have kept for several over the years) gtp's do need cvonstant high humidity, instead they need cycle of humidity followed by a drying out period. and where your blood will, for lack of a better term, wallow in sphagnum soaked or cypress soaked, a gtp will need a drying out period to be healthy. most seem to want it to get 85-95% humidity during the day drying out to 50ish at night.

oh and greg maxwells more complete condro and read up on hiswebsite fantastic stuff.

good luck
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1.1 coastals
1.0 brooks king
0.1 aru scrub

Your best bet is to buy an established, thriving animal from a hobby breeder rather than a broker. You'll be guaranteed a captive bred, not a farm bred animal. You'll also get assistance after the sale for whatever questions come up. A hobby breeder will have pictures of the parents and a lineage chart to offer. Its well worth the effort spent to find a good breeder for that longterm roadside assistance.
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Julie
www.[url ban]/gfx

Thanks for the advice. I actually decided to pick one up on the 25th and it had its second meal, since I've had it, last night. It has, however, not pooed yet but I suspect that the food I'm feeding it (pinkies) is too small as the animal is 7 mos and I think could easily be on fuzzies. I got really paranoid about having appropriately sized food because of the things I've heard about prolapse but decided that, even so, the pinkies aren't even as wide as the widest part of its body...so after it finishes the last pink I have I'll switch to fuzzies.