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I had no idea you were working on an article and I don't follow Reptiles magazine. A co-worker also keeps snakes and he brought the magazine into work. I hope your words help bring some more people into the Dumerils world. Nicely done, take care!

Paul

i just got my issue yesterday. it was a great article.

i loved the info and pictures on some of the morphs out there. fingers crossed that the T animals become available in the next few years and they are at least somewhat affordable.

Thanks!!!!

I hope the T Albinos can take off. They are genetically proven. But just not that many out there. The guy who has them has only let one go so far. It really sucks that they are all in Germany.
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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

Thank you sir!!! Glad you like it.

I've been impatiently waiting for all the Dumeril's Boa people to give me some feedback on the article. I've been worried that people weren't gonna like it.
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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

That would make anyone nervous, waiting to see how something that you put out there is received by other keepers. When I saw your name attached to it, I didn't even look at it with scrutiny. I just read it as it was meant to be read, for a broad audience and nothing jumped out as odd, so that's good. My initial thought, was "hmm, that's pretty cool!" lol. The only thing I really picked up on that I do different is I offer a little warmer temps. in their cages, that's it. I had someone e-mail me about some of the T pos. from Reinhold, an offer was made, and that's the last I've heard about it. Hopefully we'll see some make their way over in the near future. I've got a small army of females just in case, lol. Now, I have to do a follow up and read the "how to breed Dumerils" that the magazine directed people toward. Again, nice job, I really hope you turned more people onto Dumerils. I know the people around me that have contacted me about it thought it was cool and seemed fired up about Dumerils.

People like you's opinion on the breeding info is making me more nervous than anything. Cause I tryed so many things for years before I found a method that worked for me. I pretty much took Steve Hammacks info he put in the Dec 2004 issue and tweaked it some. And it worked.

I've been getting a ton of emails and messages on my FB page. I just want people to know that what worked for me, may or may not work for them. Every breeder has a different method.

But PLEASE let me know what you think. Good or bad.
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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

I read through it and I liked the honesty of it. I prefer the simple approach like what you used. A lot of people try to make it sound like it's going to be really difficult and make attempts at talking over people's heads. There's always going to be variables we can't control, but I think if people follow your advice they will be on the right track to breeding success. Of course what works perfectly one season can fail the next, so little tweaks are always important. I think one of the biggest breeding problems we end up with is trying to make one uniform plan that fits everyone. With all the different weather patterns we have in the U.S. what works in a California home, probably won't in Minnesota for example. With the pre birth sheds, I've gone to the point that as long as I get one, I'm happy. The time line varies like you said, but one thing that has stayed true from my experience-if you don't get that shed prior to birth, it was probably a bad litter. So, if I get that shed, I can generally rest at ease that the litter will be a good one. Have any Dumerils breeders busted your chops on anything? I thought you did a good job, good info, easy to follow, and from what I've heard you have people thinking about picking up some Dumerils. That's great!!! My ONLY complaint-you mentioned other people's Red groups....I wanted to see pics of what they're working with, lol. I have a good group of Reds and that one line made me really want to see what's out there, lol. Yes, I flipped back through in case I missed pics of them. I also wondered who a couple people in your list were, but most of them I've heard of. You also made Reptiles magazine a few more bucks because when it comes out in stores, I will pick up a couple copies! You going to sign one for me?

Have my Dums busted my chops, compared to anything I put in the article? ABSOLUTELY!!! LOL!!!!

I currently have a female that is going on 12 months of gestation. She dropped 3 slugs the day after Christmas and she is still holding 3 more somethings in, whether it be slugs or neonates. About to drive me crazy.

And prebirth sheds, Had a female birthing and shedding at the same time once.

Gotta love these snakes. LOL!!
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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

Oh, the Reds. I couldn't find pics of the Reds, nor remember who had them. I remembered seing pics on here and Constrictors forums before.

Also, the OrangeGlows. I have pics the people sent me, but they never gave the magazine permission to use them.
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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

Now these, I'm definitely opinionated on. I saw them for sale on the classifieds, I saw their video on youtube, and the "one of a kind" classification. Then a statement referring to them being in an upcoming Reptiles article as a now proven morph. So, my first thought is, they are not one of a kind. Second thought, they came out half the size of their siblings, why label them as dwarfs rather than runts and claim two "morphs" in one. The dwarf dumerils thing bothers me anyway, lol. Third, if you have not raised these up, how do they become "proven" so easily? I've bred "hets" for this a number of times, and every single one of the hypos (which are what they're calling orange glows, they look the same anyway) has ended up in my freezer. I don't believe Bill has ever gotten anything viable from his, and we all know the hypo Jason sold me died within 12 hours, so she's not producing anything. I'm still raising outcrossed animals trying to prove this, but they did it in less than a year??? The very bottom line to anything that pops up, IMO, is it's pure luck. I think Reinhold has been working with Rosa since 98? Yes, it's proven, but there is definitely no abundance of T pos. Dumerils after 12 years. They just seem to be in a rush, and there is no end results in play yet. I have some interesting Dumerils, and after finally get babies from one this past season that I've tried several times with, I was completely disappointed. Maybe it's recessive, maybe it's nothing. It's going to take atleast a few more years to even begin to find out. After seeing how they come out when first born, and then end up, they seem more like a pastel ball to me than anything else. Start off very eye popping, then brown out. I prefer the orangeglow over hypo label, but I want to see some work done before we go selling animals for a few grand each and making claims. If they end up never being able to produce viable offspring, imo they're worth less than any other Dumerils, not more. Well, there's my rant, lol. It's great they got a mention in the article, but I'm glad you didn't spend a lot of time on them personally.

Jodi Rassmussen never got back with me on the OrangeGlows & they never gave REPTILES permission to use the photos. I sent them numerous emails. I was starting to hesitate on putting them in the article, but I had already mentioned Bill's Hypo, so I went ahead and threw them in there too.
I didn't go too in-deapth on the "morphs" because only the Caramels have been proven so far.
I really wish I woulda have more time to do the article.
Oh, Dwarfs... I remember when Classic Dums had the "Arancio Dwarf" project goin, did anything ever materialize out of that?
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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, 9 leopard geckos, 3 african fat-tail geckos & 1 sulcata tortoise

Classic Dums/Jason same one that sold me the hypo death. A few years ago, he was trying to sell Arancio, and he had not produced anything viable. I forget what he wanted, but rather than sell it, he supposedly put it on loan with someone, and that's the last I've heard of that animal. I'd assume it is either dead or just hasn't produced anything.

Oh ok. 10-4!!
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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, 9 leopard geckos, 3 african fat-tail geckos & 1 sulcata tortoise

Hey Pat, I read what Reptiles Magazine put out on the wab last week. Awsome, the most information I have yet to find on Dumerils, Thankyou so much for the article and all of the help you have given me with mine.

No problem!! Glad you liked the article.
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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