Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, robeyeusha, your threads made me decide to go weigh some of my Dumerils. Generally I consider that part of the Ball python experience as those breeders have found the absolute minimums at which to breed trying to turn a profit as quickly as possible. I've weighed babies in the past at birth and done some weights just to observe growth, but never worried about weights on my adults in terms of finding out if they're ready based off a scale. So, here's what I got-My "dwarf" female that dropped this year and is still putting back on weight is 1500 grams. She's right around 4' and 12 years old. Another "dwarf" female that didn't breed this past season is at 1950 grams. On the opposite end of the scale, I have a female that requires a normal scale and she's right around 40lbs. Your experience with past purchases are a great example of why weight and age both play a role. You have one animal that's 2 years old and 225 grams, while another is 1400 grams. If someone gave a recipe for breeding stating a female just needs to be 2 years old, that would indicate that female at 225 grams is ready. Now, common sense should tell a person that there's no way, but there are a lot of people out there that would try it if their idolized breeder told them 2 years old. What's everyone elses range on female weights? I have a lot between those points, but didn't see any reason to weigh them. Several of them are easily 10-12lbs.

this is good stuff - forgive me if i ask too much - i do have a life apart from reptiles - a wonderful 13 year old son who lives with me alone, a great job of 28 years, and many other interests - just really enjoying herping at present - i just like information - i'm learning a lot, about this " business" that i originally thought was a hobby about conservation - i appreciate this post and hope others will follow - i just got through for a loop when everything i was buying advertised as late '08s or '09's were around 250- 350 grams and about 3 ft. range - then i get this advertised '08 3 footer that is 4 ft and 1400 grams - i'm really not sure what i got with him - powerfed?? - on a seperate note, as you know, i've been on a quest to find a comparable female and just today received by email pictures that i would like to share with you and pbm but privately, so not as to upset the owner - my email is robeyeshua221@comcast.net if you wouldn't mind pat and pbm shooting me an email , i would really like you too see these very unusual marked "dumerils" - thanks

I'll shoot you an e-mail now, but here's my guess on the size/age difference. The animals came from someone that took a guess on age.

I have a 2.5ft '07 female that is floating around 700-750 grams. A 4.5ft 10yr old female that is at 2200 grams & a unknown age female that is at 9ft and 35 lbs. My female that dropped babies for me last year was 7ft and weighed 20lbs, this was the same female that was killed by my male.

My biggest key on breeding Dums is them being at least 4yrs old & at least 4ft. BUUUUT, there is always an exception to the size rule every now and then. I had a 6yr old male that was only 3.5ft and weighed about 800 grams. Was a proven breeder before I got him, He was my first Dum. I never got a chance to breed him before he passed away.

ALSO, wild Dums rarely exceed 5ft long. So PBM, you may have some pretty pure bloodlines goin there.
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Pat Higdon - Higdons Herps, Tuttle, Oklahoma USA
Oklahoma City Herpetological Society Member
4 dumerils boas, 1 bci boa, 3 burmese pythons, 1 reticulated python, 2 ball pythons, 1 borneo python, 12 bearded dragons, 4 leopard geckos & 1 sulcata tortoise

Wow, that 07 has really stayed small. One of my females stayed around 3' until I finally bred her, then she had a growth spurt and ended up around 4'. As far as my lines, I've got some of the older known lines like Harding and Sorenson, some that G. Schuette imported, etc. If you ever want to trade out some offspring, let me know. I think Sorensons got bigger generally though. It's been a long time since I talked to him but some of my first Dumerils were from him. They were around 350 each back then. So, do you have any that are "the devil", lol. I have a few that have as bad an attitude as I've seen from any species. Sometime I need to try to get some pics of everybody and start showing some of the collection. I just can't seem to do them any justice with a camera. I want to see if a friend will do it for me because she actually has skills with a camera. I'll weigh my smallest male too, he's 8 years old and maybe as big around as a golf ball.

I picked up the '07 female and an '07 male at the OKC Herp Show back in June. Both are about the same size. The female has not been the most consistent feeder either. I have had Dums that were built like colubrids and some that were built like blood pythons. The variablility in the species amazes me.

I have no clue as to the lineages of my animals. I just know who I got them from. Not many people in Oklahoma are into Dums, and no one keeps pedigrees on them, which sucks, cause I have no clue as to the lineages of my animals. I would love to be able to do DNA test on mine to see how pure they are.

My 9ft female was a found on the side of a gravel road by a vet from NW OKC. She had been run over. Her bloodline is a huge mystery. The two '07's are from Bob Clark stock. And my gravid female came from Hippy Herps in Missouri.

I haven't had a "devil" Dum yet. I guess I've been lucky. Well, my male that killed my female was a very calm snake, he just had an episode I guess. I sold him as a pet only snake a few weeks after that happened.
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Pat Higdon - Higdons Herps, Tuttle, Oklahoma USA
Oklahoma City Herpetological Society Member
4 dumerils boas, 1 bci boa, 2 rosy boas, 3 burmese pythons, 1 reticulated python, 2 ball pythons, 1 borneo python, 10 bearded dragons, 4 leopard geckos, 2 african fat-tail geckos & 1 sulcata tortoise