Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Could people in the know please tell my your opinions on these two pythons. Were I to want either species as pets with the possibility of breeding in the future what would be the advantages of one over the other?

Thanks!

Gene;

Both species are easy to maintain, and each would make an excellent pet.
Spotteds will get larger, however if you choose to breed them at some point, the larger babies tend to be easier starters.

Childreni stay smaller, in my opinion they are prettier,(I'm a big childreni fan!) however hatchlings can be more difficult to start due to their size.

While Spotteds and Childreni can be nippy as babies, both will calm down with handling, and each will make a hardy captive.

Good luck,
Gary Schiavino

Thank you for your reply. Thats exactly the answer I was looking for. After thinking on it for some time I kind of figured the childrens would be tougher to get started eating. What would be the best thing to get them started eating? Are they too small to take pinkie mice?

Gene;

Baby childreni are absolutely large enough to take newborn pinky mice. I've produced several clutches, and every baby has always been started on pinkies.

While some may take longer than others to feed, all will eat in time. If needed, pinky mice can be scented with chick down or lizard scent.

Some keepers often go right to offering small lizards out of frustration, however I would not suggest doing so.

Lizards can be expensive to acquire, they can harbor parasites, and it can be difficult to wean your babies off of them.

Be patient, and stick with pinky mice.
You'll be glad you did.

Gary

Awesome. Thank you Gary. I really appreciate your advice.