Reptile Articles
306 articles · page 25 of 26
Madagascar’s Snakes: the Dumeril’s Boa, Sanzinia, Ground Boas and more…
Madagascar is a truly amazing place that is vanishing right before our very eyes. It has the distinction of being the world’s fourth largest island and earning the name of microcontinent due to its size and unique biodiversity. It is home to a group of well-known flora and fauna including all of the lemurs in [ ]
Ultramel Ball Pythons, the morph that almost didn’t happen!
The Ultramel Ball Python is one of the most beautiful and underutilized recessive morphs on the market today and there was a time when the entire project almost got scrapped. The origin of this morph has a winding story that started in Africa and almost got lost in South Florida. Luckily for us the project [ ]
Will a Tarantula make a good pet?
When you mention the word tarantula more people will think of fear than fondness thanks to movies like Arachnophobia. The fear people feel when confronted by a giant hairy spider is very real but the facts behind it are mostly imagined. Tarantulas are kept as pets around the world and one of the most recognizable [ ]
The Champagne Ball Python origin story and name change.
Most Ball Python Morphs have great origin stories and the Champagne Ball Python is no exception. It has gone from Africa to America to Europe and back again as it tried to be the next big deal in Ball Python propagation a decade ago. It even spent a couple of years under a different name [ ]
Have you seen the Witblits Bearded Dragons? Something new and exciting in an otherwise over farmed market.
Other than the anticipation for the elusive Albino Bearded Dragons and the disappointment over the problems associated with the silky Bearded Dragon Morph there seemed to be nothing to talk about in the reptile community. That was before the Witblits morph hit the scene and took even the breeders by surprise. After years of attention [ ]
The Genetic Stripe Ball Python, Natures Paintbrush.
Most people look at the Genetic Stripe Ball Python and all they see is a striped brown snake. When I look at the same snake I see an opportunity to create natural art by using nature’s paintbrush to make some of the most distinct Ball Python patterns out there. This is why I am working [ ]
Is a land tortoise the right reptile pet for me? A look at the Burmese Mountain Tortoise vs some of the other land tortoise species.
If you had asked me if a land tortoise made for a good reptile pet five years ago I would have said no! Wild caught imported Burmese Mountain Tortoises were notoriously difficult to work with and keep alive. Ask any breeder and they will tell you that if you wanted to have 3-5 strong breeders [ ]
If the Spider Ball Python is being shunned the world over why is the Bumblebee Ball Python so popular?
From England to Japan buyers and breeders are shying away from buying or breeding the Spider Ball Python and their combos. This refusal from the public has been attributed to the fact that some Spider Ball Pythons will show signs of erratic head movements that may be linked to an inner ear problem. Given this [ ]
Do you believe in ghosts? The never ending obsession with Ghost Ball Python Morphs.
If you happened to have attended the 2003 Gila Productions Tampa Reptile show you might recall that the most outstanding snake of the show ribbon and prize were awarded to Mark and Kim Bell for their breathtaking Pastel Ghost Ball python. By today’s standards that may seem like a joke since this morph is so [ ]
The amazing hognose snake: Actor, Illusionist, Killer!
It’s hard to decide what the most interesting thing about these incredible animals is. Is it their amazing ability to play dead? Is it their impressive number of color and pattern morphs or is it the fact that at least one person has succumbed to their toad-specific venom? The diminutive Hognose Snake is found in [ ]
Are you T+ or T- when it comes to picking an Albino Ball Python?
There are 17 steps in the production of melanin in Ball Pythons. Melanin is what gives all organisms their color and a break anywhere in this pathway will result in an amelanistic or Albino Ball Python. Since there are so many possible ways to make an Albino ball Python we have ended up with quite [ ]
Where would the reptile trade be without Boa Constrictors?
Ask most people in the reptile hobby that question and you will be surprised how integral boas have been in the complete herp experience. Going back to the 50’s and 60’s the old-timers will tell you of the days when boas were sold by the foot for 1-3 dollars a foot. Back then common boas [ ]