Why are Green Tree Pythons so expensive?

[Retic]

Well they start at around $4000 now so they are getting around to where they should be

 

[$NaKe PiMp]

they should be about $200 like a coastal LOL

 

[jamgo]

even at $200 i still wouldn't buy one.

 

[wizz]

i will have ten for $200

 

[TrueBlue]

they wont be expensive for much longer, as i hear theres a wild population in sydney. hahaha.

 

[Frozenmouse]

they wont be expensive for much longer, as i hear theres a wild population in sydney. hahaha.

bah ha ha ha.

 

[ravensgait]

Just like anything else they are only worth what someone will pay for them.

And just so you know Zoo Chondro's move on Wed. between 6 and 8 PM
Randy

 

[Syras]

$200.. rofl.. not a chance, EVER!

I gladly challenge anyone to go through the process of buying a pair of GTP's, raising them (from neonates), bread them, incubate the eggs... and then see how much you are willing to sell the offspring for.

Once you realise the huge amount of effort (effort, not necessarily skill or experience) required to raise and look after them, you would not sell them for $200.

If you do not own GTP's or have experience with them, then you are not in a position to make negative criticism on these amazing creature, nor the price of them.

 

[wokka]

They are definitely more delicate and demanding in their care . 10% of my snakes are GTPs but 50% of my vet bills relate to GTPs, including unfortunately euthanasing and autopsy. A lot of the vet fees relate to snakes which have been bought in. I would have to say that there are a lot of unscupulous sellers of GTPs out there relative to my experiences in buying other pythons. The GPT sellers say I dont know how to look after GTPs.Any problems with bought in animals have shown in the first three months. Our animals are kept in a number of different facilities under a number of different care regimes. After that no problems. Its a hard call to euthanise animals that have cost $10,000 plus. Some keepers just dose them up and sell them on.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Interesting how success causes resentment eh? Greg Maxwell's book has universally brought about a great increase in insight into this (still monotypic) genus, especially with regard to incubation techniques. But at the end of the day it only represents the views of the writer. He is the first to admit that, so I think it reflects poorly on his critics to slam him as they do... I have no axe to grind with anyone, but NickM, you come across as a spoilt brat in this debate.

Please let us know where YOU publish YOUR data and experiences, so we can see what you have done to support the arguments you have produced here. Don't get me wrong - anyone who knows me here knows I'm all for locality animals (with a vengeance...) But surely your criticism of Maxwell and the "conspiracy theory" you suggest has been deserving of a suitably high profile counter argument, especially in your country.

Chondro discussions can be guaranteed to bring out the sour grapes by the table load... whether you like them or not, who cares????

Jamie.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

they wont be expensive for much longer, as i hear theres a wild population in sydney. hahaha.

True enough TrueBlue - they apparently have found a way of living in roof-spaces over the winter to avoid the cold, but they prefer the north shore because most of the houses are centrally heated...

J.

 

[albino]

i think they will plummet in price over the next two years, all those hatchies that have been smuggled in over the last five years will all be of breeding age and many many clutches will be produced.

 

[wokka]

Wrong thread PI

 

[TrueBlue]

syras, imo thats rubbish.
They are infact alot easier to raise and keep than number of other pythons.
Alot of people treat them with kid gloves and this imo is half the reason they have trouble with them.
They are infact a very hardy animal.

 

[Den from Den Pythons]

Having worked with them through mates I find them easier to care for than Blackheaded pythons.They don't trash cages as Aspidites love to do. They sit on a perch, crap, you remove the substrate and that's it! The prolapse issue may also come down to a bloodline thing. A few keepers seem to have alot of trouble with non-feeders, prone to plolapse animals, small or slug filled clutches etc. Others pump babies with no repercussions, wack them together with full, fertile clutches produced. All babies taking to pinkies with minimal 'teasing' or scenting!

So yeah, if you have animals from good, strong, healthy lines they are very easy to care for!

 

[Retic]

I totally agree, a good bloodline seems to be the best way of guaranteeing good robust hatchlings with few if any losses.

 

[TrueBlue]

Den, imo most gtps that prolaspe are dew to the fact that they are fed to large a prey item or to often when young.
Why i belive this to be true because they have a very prehensile tail,(which most pythons dont), and they need time for the muscles etc to develovp propally in this area, yet most keepers just dont give them the chance for this to happen.

 

[Den from Den Pythons]

Yeah Rob, every 10 days seems to be the magic number to feed greens. I've found, through working with them, some lines, even when kept in optimum conditions are prone to prolapse. Some having 1/3rd of the clutch problematic in this area. Another line, kept in identical conditions powering without any dramas, feeding every 5-7 days on fuzzy mice with solid defication. They are fragile looking little critters but most from strong lines are very food orientated. I've fed babies small fuzzies, 2 days later their lure is going nuts with anticipation for more tucker.

Funny little animals.....

 

[wokka]

I wonder if prolapse and particularly spinal kinks come back to the housing of neonates. In the wild I understand GTPs live on the ground for the first year or so whereas most captive neonates I know of perch from birth. This must strain the tail particularly when lunging at afeed item and cause invisable stress fractures or tears. I would expect along with this that particular lines are more susseptable than others. Larger food items would also increase this stress

 

[TrueBlue]

yes they are funny little things when young arnt they.
Then they grow into boring lumps of gorrilla snot. hahaha.

I think as with all snakes they are quite individual when it comes to the prolapse thing. I know of animals prolapsing from virtually all lines in oz, yet animals from the same clutches fed more wont.??

I tend to stagger the feeding of greens, as you said sometimes after 10 days or so some times 2-3 weeks or so, i also like to give young greens pinkie rather than fuzzies for at least the fist 6 months as is just so much easier for them to digest.
To this day a have NEVER had a green prolapse on me be following this rule. Hey but thats just my opinion and way.