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Chat Week 2000 Transcript
12/14/00 - Jeff Ronne
The Boaphile
Keeping and Breeding Boas
ahab - what is a good weight for a female columbian boa breeder
TheBoaphile - The ideal weight is probably about 15 lbs., 15 lbs. and about 6 feet long.
TheBoaphile - Smaller female gain weight faster than do big ones after breeding.
amazoa - Where do you see the Ghost project going? I'm planning on breeding a super white anery to a Double Het for ghost male do you think that real light anery will make a big difference?
TheBoaphile - Good question. I am not sure how much any of the ghosts might have gone for this year.
TheBoaphile - I guess I really don't know about the ghost pricing
BPchad - what would you say is your favorite snake?
TheBoaphile - My favorite has to be the Colombian,It's the first I bred and the one I am best known for. I have way too many of them too.
BradS - I'm wondering if you are or ever have kept brazilian red tails, if so how do you compare them to other bcc and bci as in disposition, feeding respsonse, and all around dificultly to keep and breed in captivity?
TheBoaphile - I have not. My understanding is that they are very similar to Surinams though.
BobM- Jeff, what are u focusing on most for 2001 in your breeding experiments?
TheBoaphile - Good question. Albinos, Pastels x Hyos.
Grappler - I am not currently keeping boas but i am a longtime herper with various snakes and monitors. What would be the best boa to start out.
TheBoaphile - Colombians. They are docile generally and can be kept small by limiting feeding. Very hardy and there are a lot of beautys out there.
TheBoaphile - You can keep a male less than four feet if you feed very lightly.
HamricHerps - when do you expect to have your white columbian. for sale again,and how did you exactually come about getting them so white?
TheBoaphile - Hopefully in the spring. Selective breeding the best and lightest babies I have produced. Keep the best, sell the rest.
Herp- I'm thinking about geting a surinam...maybe a male...I get conflicting advice, am also thinking of a colombian as well
TheBoaphile - They are fairly hardy, but are not as good a choice as would be a COlombian.
Herptech- Do young female Boas breed every year?
TheBoaphile - Yes but only if i get all the weight back on them. I don't breed females that are not at least 4 years old.
marcus2229 - what has been hardest snake that you have worked with
TheBoaphile - Peruvians are the worst. They are beautiful and very hardy but very very difficult to breed.VERY DIFFICULT!!!
Mattmorelia - Do you have any adults that have never bred over the years and are you still trying to get them going? (I know... not the best ?!)
TheBoaphile - Oh yes. I have one of my favorites that is 10 years old this year and never produced.
Ralphine - I have 16 year old interested in Colombian boas. Our experience has been corn snakes & leopard geckos. At what stage (size, weight) should a boa be handled by 2 people? Does limiting feedings make a boa testy? It does me!
TheBoaphile - Probably at about 7 feet
TheBoaphile - Better safe than sorry. I don't think being killed or constricted isn't really a danger, but a bite is.
ratsnakes- Id just like to say your abbarant and striped peruvians are some of the best boas i have ever seen ---done
ratsnakes- I was wondering if there was any cons to using guinea pigs as a food source instead of rats for adult boas, besides price of course?
exited)
TheBoaphile - Boas do not like Guinea pigs. Too much hair. Danger of regurgitation.
redtails - How often do you feed your Baby True redtails?And the growth rate you have feeding this way?
TheBoaphile - Every week or two. I only get them to about 3 feet at one year now.I am not in as big a hurry as I once was. Cames with experience loosing young large animals too many times.
reptiman - how big do bolivan red tails get? Do females get bigger then males what do they max out at? what is there temperment like? are they easy to keep and breed?
TheBoaphile - Bolivians get slightly smaller than COlombians. I have females at 8' but they are 12 years old. They don't normally breed until they are 5 years old.
retic9 - could you tell me some general info on time to breed, how long to cool ,and cage requirements for colombians?
TheBoaphile - Start breeding in September.Don't cool.
retic9 - why not cool
TheBoaphile - Buy my video It gives all the secrets!
RonB- I have two dozen adult Colombian Boas. Most are great feeders, but a few are very, very picky. Any hints on getting these to become more aggevisve feeders?
TheBoaphile - Wish I did but no. SOme animals just don't like to thrive. Frustrating isn't it.
serpentarium1 - Is it true that the only dumerials that are in North America are so inbreed because only one pair survied and do you believe in interbreeding Boa Constrictor with other locality Boa Constrictors
TheBoaphile - I think actually Bob Applegate has good info on Dumerils...
TheBoaphile - I don't interbreed different localities except the Hypos and COlombians. Hypos originate from Panama.
TobyH- What is the status on Hogg Isles in the wild?, are they, or are they not extinct in the wild?....I have heard many different conflicting storys on their status.
TheBoaphile - I doubt the are extinct. I think there very likely are some, or hope there are. I hope people can leave them alone now.They came from a number of Islands.
towertsk - Is it possible to get females up to breeding weight in 18 months and do they grow faster when feed live or frozen?
TheBoaphile - Yes and no.
TheBoaphile - Yes it is possible... No it is not wise if you would like the animal to live a long healthy life.
JeffB - how can you pick the best boas every year and not continue to add onto your house every year?
TheBoaphile - Good question.
TheBoaphile - A couple years ago I sold about half the Boas. I am now keeping too many again. It's a sickness...
TheBoaphile - That and we are ina pretty good size house.
amazoa - I had one baby columbian out of 28 that died last year. Want to know could I had done anything? It was a fat fat baby and I assume full of yolk. Just wondering if you ever had this happen? Bye the way how are your green snakes?
TheBoaphile - Premature... You will get babies that have the huge gut that can't digest it. They normally die. One out of 28 isn't bad.
BobM- Jeff,If anyone, who do you look up to in the boa breeding world?
TheBoaphile - Rob Tudehope more than anyone else.
TheBoaphile - A "true" Red Tail breeder. From Iowa. The state with no trees.
BradS - Do you have any doube het projects going on right now that havent been done yet?
TheBoaphile - Not really. Except the Pastel to Hypo project and Albino to Pastel also. We'll see...
CB - you said tha columbians were probably the best to start out with, i was wondering why the rosy boa wasnt a factor in your recomendation, i have kept a little bit of eveything, and i have my first rosy (from Bob Clark) and he`s one of the best snakes i`ve ever had the pleasure to keep. he feeds very well, and is as docile as a snake comes, and from what i`m told, this is typical of rosys
TheBoaphile - You are probably right... I have never owned a Rosy and often have tunnel vision. I assume that Boas are only Boa Constricotor. My mistake.
Dumerils - will breeding an albino male to a dh snow produce the same/similar results as a dh to dh breeding?
TheBoaphile - It will produce half a litter of Albinos and all babies will be 50% possible het for Anerythristic.
floridaherphead - hello jeff i was wondering when you have your snakes together breeding do you take them out to clean cage, also when am i gonna get my videos i orederd from ya buddy
TheBoaphile - No cleaning during breeding normally...
floridaherphead - even if theres feces
TheBoaphile - Sometime the cages can get really bad and then you have no choice but normally no .Poop Smoop. Spot clean. Always but always fresh water!
where - where do you see the prices of albino boas going in the next few years?
TheBoaphile - I think they will be the same next year and this...
TheBoaphile - I don't see the price dropping much in the next few years either.
Herp- what would be your favorite morph of all the boas?
TheBoaphile - Favoite morph?
TheBoaphile - I don't know...
Herpo - Jeff, What temps to stimulate breeding on amarali and for how long?
TheBoaphile - Cool for a month. 70 degrees and back to normal at 80 - 82.
Herptech- Sorry my last question was not very clear. My Hogg Islands are four years old I breed them for the first time last year but have seen not seen any mating this year last year at this time they were locked up all the time any ideas the female weighs 4500 gm?
TheBoaphile - Feed em and breed em.It's really that easy.
redtails - Where can I find info about the definition of "het" "double-het" "66%het" "co-dominant" etc. Is there a book or site you can reccomend?
TheBoaphile - Good question.Bob or Jeff do you have a recommendation?
JeffB - Hm... theres the corn snake progeny predtictor it probably has explanations
TheBoaphile - I understand genetics but it take a lot of time to explain this stuff.
TheBoaphile - I don't know of a good book on the topic.
JeffB - anything by a guy named Mendel...
retic9 - Does the time you breed them really matter? How do you stimulate breeding, and how long do they have to be together?
TheBoaphile - Breed early... Courtship lasts a minimum of 2 months normally and sometimes up to six months becore copulation.
RonB- IBD, your thoughts?
TheBoaphile - I don't believe in it. Long story.
TheBoaphile - Too long to explain here. I need to write something up on it...
TheBoaphile - The IBD wackos are moving away from their once long held, bordering on religeous, belief about it now...
serpentarium1 - How easy is it to get Boas from you into Canada. How long does it usually take you with CITES.
TheBoaphile - CITES normally takes 4-6 weeks. It can be longer though.
TheBoaphile - I am not super experienced with CITES yet. though.
TobyH- There has been rumors about an introduced poplutation of Imperator in Florida, do you know if this is true yet?
TheBoaphile - Oh it certianlly could be...Boas likely could trive in some parts of FLorida and if there were enogh of them maybe we can all go Boa hunting down there sometime!
towertsk - Do you breed one male to more than one female. If not how would you do it?
TheBoaphile - I have more males than females. I only count on one male to breed one female. Any more than that is a bonus!
JeffB - ok... have you ever encountered a boa that just scared the crap outta you?
TheBoaphile - Oh yes! The Monster Tail! She is a killer!
TheBoaphile - My boy and a budy of mine who clean cages for me won't do her cage. Only me.
ahab - if there is no activity and you seperate col's for a few weeks do you feed the males at all during this time
TheBoaphile - I sometimes feed the male a small meal.
amazoa - Give us some insight on the Coral Albino boa that Peter Kahl has. I saw it in Daytona and I could not believe it's beauty. How did all that red end up in that animal?
TheBoaphile - Selective breeding the best Albinos to produce nicer ones.
BeckyB - I was reading that someone was working on Brazilian rainbow boa albino morphs, is there any truth to this rumor?
TheBoaphile - I believe there is a Brazilian Rainbow Albino. I know there is a lusistic. Check with Brian Sharp.
Dumerils - have you had any problems "popping" babies, and at what age do you recommend probing them or does it matter
TheBoaphile - I always pop babies. It is not invasive and very easy but be careful...
TheBoaphile - I only probe after about 2'
redtails - I supposedly bought a 1.1 pair of 3 week old Guyana redtails and but their tails are the same length... can this be? i don't feel comfortable popping hemi penes, should i let a vet probe them at this younge age?
TheBoaphile - Yes. They can have the same length tails.
TheBoaphile - Poping Red Tails like those is much more difficult.
TheBoaphile - I would recomend probing.
retic9 - what is the best way to stimulate breeding?
JeffB - candlelight and checkered table cloths
TheBoaphile - Feeding before breeding and introduction of the male.
TheBoaphile - This plus the change in natural light cycle should be enough.
RonB- Do you break the babies out of their birth sacs or let them do it themselves?
TheBoaphile - Let them do it themselves...
TheBoaphile - If they are too weak to break out they will not live any ways.
serpentarium1 - how can you tell if you are getting a true red tailed. I know the big differances but the cross between like a Surinam and a Columbian are hard to tell sometimes. Any hits?
TheBoaphile - Not really. Nothing I could tell you that wouldn't take just lots of experience to learn.
SFgeckos - jeff- what are your thoughts on inter breeding boids? for example, bob clark does cross a few species, carpet/diamonds and i've seen green/yellow ancondas for sale. would those crosses happen in the wild?
TheBoaphile - I don't like it and won't do it but at the same time it is interesting to see what can be done.
TheBoaphile - A number of years ago someone bred a Boa and a Yellow Anaconda!
towertsk - What are your predictions on the snow boa and prices
TheBoaphile - I don't really know.
JeffB - What cages would you recommend for some 5 foot hoggs?
TheBoaphile - The cages that I will soon be marketing!...
TheBoaphile - Not ready to sping that one out there yet.
TheBoaphile - 5Foot Hoggs could easily be kept in a 4' cage though.
matt2- have you done much work w/Venz boas
TheBoaphile - Not at all. Sorry about that.
ahab - how much flex watt would you use on a 4' x 2.5' x 18" melamine cage to maintain temp.
TheBoaphile - I gotta learn to read one of these days.
TheBoaphile - There aren't many out there I don't think.
TheBoaphile - Hard to answer. How warm is your room?
ahab - 80
TheBoaphile - How much ventalation do you have in the cage?
ahab - not a lot
TheBoaphile - Do not use the 3" Flexwatt. Use 1' of the 11" flexwatt and try it out. It may be enough.
Bob Applegate - How many boas (give or take) did you produce this year?
TheBoaphile - I was wondering when you would show up.
JeffB - and I guesss that ones it?
TheBoaphile - I am not sure how many. A few.
amazoa - Could you give a quick method you have used for treating mouthrot in Boas?
TheBoaphile - Mouthrot. Very tough. Clean, remove it all, and use a topical antibiotic. You need to catch this early to have a chance at curing it.
CB - Boaphile, these cages youre going to make, are they going to be like breeder racks, or something more custom, like for a nice display case?
TheBoaphile - Plastic. Custom!Amazing! Racks too!
matt2- no Bruice, the others
CB - Toby, that is a crude statement considering hybrids ARE and always will be a part of our industry, especially in the colubrid sector
TheBoaphile - The cages I made for myself stack 7 high! Cage pics soon!
TheBoaphile - Watch the web site! www.theboaphile.com No more sliding glass either!
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