Good Signs on GTP pricing and Availability

[fishead]

Hey there herpes haver man I am gob smacked by that woma!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pixxie]

Yep that woma wins it all nice herpies... Sorry Dave.

[Jason]

well done, back to gtp you say...the you drop that bomb shell...haha. nice animal. hope he gets them this yr!

[JasonL]

Nice one IHH, There is too much emphasis on locals of many snakes, just because a snake comes from one particular area that is known for hot looking forms of that particular species, doesn't automatically mean it will be a stunner, you can find hot forms of womas / blackheads/ stims in any area and dud ones in the more "famous" spots.

[PilbaraPythons]

After that pic I guess I should euthanase these ordinary looking W.As
Clearly one extraordinary patterned specimen that is far from typical of the average specimen in a given area does not equate to a conclusion that N.Ts are generally nicer looking than W.A womas , that assumption would be complete rubbish. Any way this is way of topic for this thread.

I hope the price of GTPs hold its head high as I am yet to cash in.

[craftsman]

Looks like the intended topic has been womanized! I am out of here.

[yommy]

Stunning animals Dave.

Does anyone have current pic's of captive Aussie locale GTP's to show why they are priced better then the imports?

[Pythoninfinite]

A big pent-up demand for GTPs should ensure that their price stays reasonable (for breeders) for a while yet. Then the market will begin to specialise into morphs. I would be surprised if there is any huge increase in smuggling happening now - the number detected coming in illegally probably relates more to better detection at entry points because of increased surveillance and security - sniffer dogs, Xraying of mail etc. Following the publication of Maxwell's books there has been a significant increase in breeding success here too - our understanding of these snakes has improved immensely.

Now that they are becoming available in bigger numbers, more people will consider them a realistic goal.

Jamie.

[craftsman]

Yommy,
it's not all about their looks. It's about knowing they are pure bloodline with known locality origins. If the imports were pure lines (with some proof) e.g. Biak, Aru, Sorong, etc.,they would be equally desirable to many keepers. In most instances, whatever stock was/is available locally has been cross-bred with who knows what. If you want to see pics of native GTPs, look through the Reptiles Australia nag Vol 3 Issue 6 - plenty there.

[Col J]

A couple of questions I have been pondering over:
1. Is there any point in going for genuine Aussie Greens over non-local stock?
2. And how do we really know if we are getting genuine Aussie Greens for the extra $$?

[craftsman]

Col J,
your first question is easy to answer: it depends what you want! The natives are no better or worse, they are different. If you are keen on locality morphs, then go foe it. If you not, get any GTP that tickles your fancy.
The second question have been around for a long time - what it comes down too, you have to trust the breeder.
The only proof of origin that can be offered is a DNA profile but there is a catch. Mitochondrial genotyping reveals secrets about females but tells you nothing about paternal genetic contribution. So, you have to trust the breeder here. However, 'neighbor joining' analysis will slot native males into the Cape York clade.
To have the molecular work done takes considerable effort and money, so it must be worth something (extra$$ as you put it).
There is an opinion that Ausie GTPs can't be genetically distinguished from those from PNG. I believe they can since the massive contribution of DNA material from Iron Range provided by D. Wilson during his study.

[Col J]

Thanks Craftsman.
My humble opinion is that Aussie Greens will always be worth the extra price. I just hope that those who have them never let them cross with imports.

Question 2 I have no idea about & you raise a very good point about Wilson's collected DNA. I would be happy to pay extra for a DNA "proven" Aussie animal.

Col J.

[craftsman]

They are around. You have to do your search.

[ad]

Just thought I would post a pic of a lovely little red,
Cheers
Adam

[yommy]

Originally Posted by craftsman

Yommy,
it's not all about their looks. It's about knowing they are pure bloodline with known locality origins. If the imports were pure lines (with some proof) e.g. Biak, Aru, Sorong, etc.,they would be equally desirable to many keepers. In most instances, whatever stock was/is available locally has been cross-bred with who knows what. If you want to see pics of native GTPs, look through the Reptiles Australia nag Vol 3 Issue 6 - plenty there.

I think you misunderstood my comments. I'm not into imports, i'm purely a locality specific collector and can give exact locations for every animal in my collection. I would just like to see pure aus offspring to gauge them and see if they appeal.

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