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"Slow Grown" for use as breeders

B

bcphoto

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Question for experienced breeders, I see alot of "slow grown" snakes available, how do they tend to work as breeding stock? If you have a snake that matures at 3-4 years and the slow grown snake is 2yo and 24" while a similar well fed yearling is 16" my instincts would say they would not be ideal for use in a breeding project. What are your thoughts?

Thanks
 
I've never seen the "slow grown" sales pitch before but it tells me one of two things. Either they didn't feed it a lot and it matured slower or it didn't feed as well and it matured slower. If it was the former I see no problems at all. If it was the latter you could make an argument that a poor feeding response might be genetic and babies might give you problems but I had a very finicky corn snake that produced nothing but great eaters. Bottom line If the animal is old enough and big enough to breed I don't see why it would make any difference if it took him an extra year to get there.
 
I had a lavender stripe California King that a breeder sold me for cheap because she said that the snake was a "slow grower" and wasn't suitable as breeding stock. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL snake. The breeder also mentioned that she had even attempted to get the snake's weight up by feeding her reptilinks (a product that I am not really a fan of). I just thought to myself, "We will see..." and I didn't say anything.
Well, when I got her home and after she settled in, feeding day finally came around and I discovered the "problem" with the snake. She was afraid to eat anything with fur! She would strike and coil at any feeder that didn't have fur, upto and including very sparsely furred fuzzies. As soon as I offered a fuzzie with fur or a hopper, she would do her best to get away.
Anyway, I ended up ordering some hairless mice for her, and after that she ate like a pig! She never got over 3'10" but was well on her way to breeding weight. I had planned to breed her this year, but she unfortunately escaped her tank one night by working a hole in the screen :( She is the only snake I have ever had escape, and I still think about her every day 5 months later. I keep hoping that I will find her, even though I am pretty sure she managed to get out through the doggy door :(
My post probably isn't what you were looking for, but when Imhear someone say "slow grown" she is what comes to mind. I can't help but think that maybe a lot of these "slow" snakes are just problem feeders that whoever has them just hasn't figured out a way around the problem.
Good Luck!
~Beau
 
Well I know in the colubrid world these snakes are known for having crazy appetites and fast metabolism. But that being said snakes in general are being looked at again in terms of much they actually eat in the wild and if we as keepers over feed them. I know if I throw a mouse in my Cali will jump on it like white on rice. I could do this everyday and she would probably go for a while before refusing. My point is I guess slow grown isn't a bad thing. Depends on the reasons. If they are picky and don't eat that's one thing. If they were simply offered smaller meals less often for the purpose of slowly maturing the snake that's another. Just my two cents


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