Wild Caught and Captive Hatched

So Rex asked me a good question about Wild Caught animals.

Do I have any?


Yes.

I have not, however, bought gravid females from Africa or the like. I have gotten established WC females from people, animals that have been in the US for a few years. This is what we call Long Term Captive (or LTC).

And here is what I learned from them.

Sometimes, they do not adjust well to captivity. They do not eat well, they do not breed well, they just don't adapt. Some flourish! I know several people who love their LTC females. I personally have a female that I LOVE, and I have had for over six years.

But in general, I have had bad experiences with the WC animals that come in.

Ticks, emaciated, and sick come to mind, in animals that I have seen. 

Now, let us touch on the Captive Hatched baby animals that come in every year in mystery bags.

Have I bought them?

Yes!

But I got to go thru several thousand before I bought any. How? Well, I had friends that were importing animals for pet stores, and I got to go thru the babies for several years. But here is what I want to share with you all.

Africa is not stupid.

Africa knows what a morph looks like.

Maybe back 10-15 years ago, when people didn't know what to look for, did some Fires, Vanillas, Sables, etc fall thru the cracks and get sent in the boxes of thousands of baby ball pythons over here to the United States.

Now, however, with the internet and the ability to learn about morphs just as quickly as you and I do, the importers and breeders in Africa know what to look for, and charge a premium for new blood lines of morphs that they send out.

So now? I don't bother with the mystery bags, or even going thru the thousands of baby ball pythons anymore. I have found great normal animals that are just a smidge different, but nothing to really dink around with seriously.

Now, let me say that it is still worth it to dink around should you feel the compelling need to do so. There are new things out there! There will always be something new out there. And you should take advantage of the time you have to dink if you want to. The sooner you do, the sooner you prove things out!

But, to depend on finding a new thing in your mystery bag of hatchlings in Africa? I wouldn't bet on it.

So with that, I leave you to ponder what you will do with your dinkers and your money for hatchlings.

And good luck, my friends.

Have a fantastic day!