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Hello my dear Reptil.TV community and welcome to episode 51.
I promised last time that we'll continue with our Chondro Python topic.
Last episode was about the basics. Today we're going to talk about the details. We're going to talk about color variations and breeding.
I'm back again - somewhere deep in the black forest - at Stefan's place. I've got a lot to show you today.
So, Stefan, you really enjoyed yourself last time and don't really have anything better to do with your time?
Stefan K.: Exactly! Stefan B.: Exactly, that's why we were allowed to come again.
It would be really nice if you could show us the different color variations and if you could explain us some things.
Stefan K.: No problem, let's start and have a look.
Here you can see a High Yellow Sorong Chondro female, with a reduced percentage of yellow.
This female is pregnant. You can see that because of her color.
The green has more of a blue hue and turnes darker. The yellow looses its saturation and almost turnes white.
It's known that pregnant females turn blue. Can you tell us why this happens?
Out in the wild, this is probably because the females can absorb and store more energy - because they are darker.
Here we have another High Yellow Sorong female. This one has an extremely high percentage of yellow.
And a very beautiful blue band on its spine.
Here you can see a Biak Sorong female, with the Highyellow gene.
Stefan B.: You said that it also has the Highyellow gene, why?
Stefan K.: As a pup, she came from a batch of High Yellow Sorong x Biak. Her color adjustment was rather normal. But she probably has the Highyellow gene in her.
Maybe you can see it on her spinal markings. They look like small diamonds.
All right, now we already are talking about genetics.
With Chondros it’s a bit different. You don't have the classical genetics as with Ball Pythons, Corn snakes and so on, or is it?
To my knowledge, the Highyellows color adjust more or less by chance, don't they?
Stefan K.: They don't get their color by chance. If Highyellows are crossed with Highyellow, then what you get is a certain amount of Highyellows.
But there can also be pups that have a normal color.
With the pups, the percentage of yellow varies between 30 and 90%.
According to the genetics, you could say that you need parents with the Highyellow gene - in order have children that are Highyellow?
But in advance I can't know how many pups will be High Yellow. Is that correct?
And then you have to raise all pups until they have color adjusted? If they color adjust as a High Yellow at all?
Or could it happen that you buy a pup that is yellow and afterwards it color adjusts and turns bright green?
Stefan K.: Yes that could happen. Stefan B.: So if you want to be sure your snake is a High Yellow, you should only buy an animal that has already color adjusted?
Stefan K.: That is correct. Stefan B.: But this animal can pass along the High Yellow gene?
You can only you breed High Yellows if you cross High Yellow x High Yellow? Or can you be lucky and breed Chondros and receive High Yellows?
Stefan K.: It can happen that you get some High Yellows. But of course the opposite can also be the case.
But if we breed them with Biak, we always got some High Yellows. However, the yield is lower than if you breed two High Yellows.
But, if you breed a Biak with a High Yellow Sorong. Each and every time we had a High Yellow in our batch.
In a nutshell, the heredity is some what codominant.
But not in accordance with a certain percentage. It's more or less random?
Stefan K.: That's how you could put it. Even the percentage of their yellow saturation can vary.
Stefan B.: You mean, how staturated the yellow color of the snake is. Stefan K.: Even if you breed two snakes that are High Yellow to the core... Stefan B.: ...the babies are not necessarily all yellow?
Stefan K.: Exactly. Some babies can also be normal and green.
Here in this terrarium, we have an extremely beautiful High Yellow Sorong.
It is an animal from our first line of High Yellows that we bred.
Stefan B.: Did you hatch your first High Yellows here or where did you get them from?
Stefan K.: Our first female High Yellow was from a batch of Sorongs.
It was the only animal that didn't completely color adjust. As with the male, we were able to obtain it from a breeder that is close to us.
Stefan B.: I think our audience needs a bit of a bigger picture here. If you look at this animal, you could think that this is a baby that is just adjusting colors.
How long will you keep the animal here? With an elaborate guess, I would say that this animal is over 1m long. What do you think Stefan? How long is it?
Stefan K.: It would guess that it is about 1.4 m long. Talking about the weight, it should be between 1.5 and 2 kg.
Stefan B.: So this snake will never color adjust. Stefan K.: Yes.
This animal is the result of a batch of High Yellow Sorong crossed with High Yellow Biak.
This animal has an increased amount of yellow in its sideline. And it also has this yellow diamondish markings.
Stefan B.: The diamonds are inherited from the Sorong? The Sorong normally has the blue spinal band, doesn't it?
Stefan K.: No, the diamonds are inherited from the Biak. Actually all pups are red at the beginning.
Stefan B.: And in the end they look like this one? Stefan K.: Yes, in the end they look the same.
Stefan B.: Ahh, so it doesn't have a blue spinal band, it has these spots, these diamond or triangle shaped spots. Stefan K.: Triangles.
Stefan K.: This is a typical male Biak. It has really nice yellow spots. And it even has some black spots.
The spots are called mite phase.
Stefan B.: Is this a typical Biak? Is this how the common Biak would look like, aside from the mite phase ...
... from what you can see? Or is this something in the direction of a High Yellow?
Stefan K.: Well, virtually this is a Biak with a lot of yellow. But it is not a High Yellow.
Stefan B.: So this isn't an animal that would pass along the High Yellow gene - like the Sorongs and the other animals that we just saw? Stefan K.: Correct.
Stefan B.: And these mite phase here. Let me explain the name. Mite is English and means mite or acarine.
These black markings are not mites, It's a color marking which is called mite phase.
Stefan K.: Yepp, what the markings actually are, are black scales.
Stefan B.: Is this passed along by random? Stefan K.: This occurs again and again. Because Biak have a wide variety of colors, these markings occur from time to time on the pups.
Stefan B.: Ok, so again, it is passed along by random, just as we discussed it. Stefan K.: Yes.
Stefan K.: This is a High Yellow Chondro from a batch of Sorong High Yellow x Biak.
This is a pregnant Biak.
Stefan B.: Again, Here we have the phenomenon with the blue color. If they are pregnant, they turn blue. Stefan K.: Exactly.
Stefan K.: On its side, you can clearly see the blue color. And the fading yellow on the spinal band.
Stefan B.: As I recall, many people want to have a blue Chondro. In the end these animals are never blue. If they are blue, then they are pregnant?
Or are there certain lines that are blue and keep the blue color?
Stefan K.: There are certain lines that continue to be blue. But there are also some females that stay blue and don't color adjust, after they have been pregnant several times.
Stefan K.: They stay blue and don't turn green. Stefan B.: After they've been pregnant several times ...
Stefan K.: Hormonal blue females. Stefan B.: After several pregnancies.
Stefan K.: This is a typical Sorong male. Stefan B.: What is the characteristic of a Sorong? You can identify them easily by their blue spinal band?
Stefan K.: Yes that is how you would identify one. Stefan B.: And only Sorongs have this band?
Stefan K.: No, it is not exclusive. Other species have this mark as well. But the clearity with which you can see it can vary.
Stefan B.: But an Aru or a Biak never have this spinal band, do they? Stefan K.: Arus and Biaks do not have this spinal band, correct.
Stefan B.: Here you can see two pups. On the left, a typical yellow pup. On the right, a red one.
They have an orange-red color, or as you would say, they have a rusty red color.
Stefan, can you tell from the parents, what color they will have?
Stefan K.: Our experience is, that when wee breed HY Sorong with HY Sorong, we always and exclusively get yellow pups.
But when we cross with a Biak, there are red animals among the pups.
Stefan B.: What you clearly can see is that the pups are already starting to color adjust.
They already have some green spots. How long does the phase of color adjusting last? Can you give an estimate?
Stefan K.: It varies from animal to animal. Some Sorongs enter this phase with an age of 4 - 5 months.
However, that is extremely early. As a rule of thumb, they color adjust when they are one year old.
With Biaks, the color adjustment phase can take up to 4 years.
Stefan B.: So I can own a 3 year old Biak that still is color adjusting? Stefan K.: Yes.
Stefan B.: That still is yellow or red and after ... Stefan K.: ... still is color adjusting, yes ... Stefan B.: ... that still can turn green, really?!
And the color adjustment happens through the course of a few years? With a Sorong, What is the shortest time it needs for a color adjustment?
Stefan K.: We've had Sorongs that were completely green after 3 weeks into their color adjustment phase.
Stefan B.: Could you know if this animal will stay yellow or turn completely green?
Stefan K.: With this animal, I couldn't say for sure. It's too early to tell. This animal is too young.
The color adjustment is only completed, after the entire spinal pattern has changed its color.
Stefan B.: So, when the blue spinal band, that we can see here ...
Stefan K.: When the brown or red spinal band and the head markings - when they have been developed - then you can assume with certainty, that it has almost completed its color adjustment.
Stefan B.: And that it will stay this way? Stefan K.: Yes, that it will stay this way.
Stefan B.: With my hand as reference, you can see how big the snakes are. They are about half a year old.
And I would guess that they are about 50 cm long.
Of course, the question of substance is: How do you breed a Tree Python, or Chondro Python?
How do you stimulate them? Do you have an one year interval with the temperature? How do you accomplish it?
Stefan K.: What is really important, is that you keep the animals in solitary. That the males are kept in solitary, throughout the year.
In order to stimulate them, we lower the temperature to 22 °C at night.
Stefan B.: You do this with the males and the females? Stefan K.: Yes, with the males and females.
Stefan B.: Ok, for how long to you do this? Stefan K.: And after 2 - 3 weeks you put them into a terrarium together.
And they probably will begin to copulate right away.
Stefan B.: Do you do this during a certain time in the year, or does that matter at all? Stefan K.: Well, during November, we begin lowering the temperature.
Stefan K.: Our initial temperature is 27°C. Every 1-2 weeks we lower the temperature by 1°C. Until we reach our night temperature of 22°C.
Stefan B.: Ok. It is said that the Chondro isn't sensitive to the circle of the year. Therefore, you could also do this during a different time of the year?
Stefan K.: Yes, that definitely is possible,
Stefan B.: Then you put the male into the female's terrarium? And you leave them there to copulate for one night, or even longer?
Stefan K.: Yes, the males remain with the female - as long as they mate.
Stefan B.: Ok, and that lasts for 2-3 nights? Stefan K.: Or until the female has her ovulation, which you can identify through the swelling.
And after the ovulation has happened, you can take out the male again. And the eggs are fertilized.
Stefan B.: The time between the first copulation and the ovulation can be several weeks or even months. You leave them together for that long?
Stefan K.: That's how long the male is allowed to stay with the female. Stefan B.: That's different compared to the Ball Python, where you go: in - out, in - out, in - out ....
So you put the male inside and leave him there?
Stefan B.: Here I have a wooden box. For me, it almost looks like, how do you call it? A nesting box for birds?
Stefan B.: But it's something different. What do you use it for? Stefan K.: We use these wooden boxes as boxes for egg deposition.
We place it on one of these branches. Then we fasten it a bit.
Stefan B.: You put it above the ground and don't place it on the surface? Stefan K.: Yes, don't put it on the ground. We put it on the branches.
And it is filled with sphagnum moos. We also moisten the sphagnum moos.
After we moisten the moos, we squeeze the moos for as long as there is no excess water coming out.
And then the damp moos is put inside. As you can see here, the female shapes this cavity where she can deposit here eggs.
This is where see will lay her eggs and then curl around them.
Stefan B.: So, she comes in through here, lays her eggs back there in the corner? Stefan K.: Yes, exactly.
Stefan K.: After she laid her eggs, we take out the box. Open the box, take the female away from the batch and put the batch into an incubator.
Stefan B.: If you don't have an egg deposit box? Tree Pythons can't just lay their eggs in the corner?
Stefan K.: If they don't have a box, then it can happen that she lets her eggs fall down from a branch - onto the substratum.
Some animals even search for a place to lay their batch on the ground. But that is absolutely no ideal condition!
Stefan B: But you don't breed the eggs in the box. You put the eggs into an incubator?
Stefan K.: You can breed them inside the box. But, you need the correct temperature. Humidity has to be extremely high. Otherwise the eggs get damaged and become haggard.
Stefan B.: At the end of the day, it's easier to use an incubator? Stefan K.: Yes, it definitely is easier.
Stefan B.: What is the temperature you set the incubator to?
Stefan K.: In an incubator, I breed my eggs between 31,7 - 31,8 °C.
Stefan B.: As we can see here, you breed your eggs in a bowl, on top of a water bath.
The water bath is down below and the eggs are placed on the grate.
Stefan K.: The eggs are placed on top. The whole cluster is put there. I don't separate the eggs from each other.
Even if the eggs are stuck together, I breed the entire egg cluster.
Stefan B.: On top of the water bath, because that is where the humidity comes from? Stefan K.: On top of the water bath.
After the first pups have hatched. You can take the eggs, separate them and carefully slit them open.
Stefan B.: So, after you see the pups peek out of the eggs, that is when you slit the other eggs? Stefan K.: Yes, that's what I do.
Stefan B.: How many days are the eggs in the incubator? Stefan K.: With the temperature we breed at - it's 52-53 days - before the pups hatch.
Stefan B.: A question about egg quantity. How many eggs do you have on average? And how many eggs were your maximum?
Stefan K.: My biggest batch had 28 eggs in one batch. On average I have between 18 and 22 eggs.
Stefan B.: An other important topic: let's talk about how you determine the pup’s gender. When and how do you do it?
Stefan K.: I wait for a year. And I only probe the young animals.
Stefan B.: That late? Ok! So you probe them. Personally, I pop my snakes and determine their gender. You don't adhere to this method?
Stefan K.: Well, the danger is that you have bend tails afterwards - if you press too hard. Because of this, we prefer to probe our animals.
Stefan B.: All right. It is known that some Chondros have a bit of a bend tail. So the reson for that aren't in the genetics but rather the fault of an improper gender determination.
Stefan K.: Or if you try to take it from its branch and it is still clinging to the branch. And you try to yank it loose. A bend tail can also be the result of that procedure.
Stefan B.: Hmm, I see. Determining the snakes gender is a very delicate matter with young animals.
We talked about all the important Chodnro facts. For me, it was very interesting.
I would say that now we all are pros - when it comes to Chondro Pythons. At least in theory.
Nonetheless, I want to remind you of the literature on the topic. Read books!
It's impossible to talk about everything in one or two episodes. There are three good German books that I can recommend.
The book from Maxwell, the new NTV book and as I recall a book from Weier and Vitt, from the publisher Herpeton.
They all are fantastic books! Read these books.
One last remark on my behave; Chondros and the Emerald Tree Boa are often mistaken.
This episode was exclusively about Chondros, the Green Tree Python.
The Emerald Tree Boas, the Corrals Caninus are more difficult to keep in captivity. They are considerably more aggressive.
Please don't mistake one for the other. Facts about both are often mixed together.
One last remark on that topic. It's rather easy to distinguish both.
They almost look the same. But if you look at their heads, the Chondro has many small scales, whereas Corallus Caninus have 4 distinct scales on the head.
That's how you can discriminate both. That was my last advice for today.
I hope you enjoyed this episode. Until next time.
Remain faithful! And check my Balls!
Stefan B.: No way, you really are brave! Stefan K.: Well, its head is pointing in the opposite direction!
Camera: Yeah, right! Director: Yeah right! Stefan K.: He heard that!
Stefan K.: You do know how far they can reach out of the terrarium? Director: Oh dear!
Stefan B.: But you still can't see it clearly. That doesn't help, does it? Director: No, that doesn't help.
Stefan B.: Woopsie! Camera: [Laughs]
Meier, Witt, I think those are their name. Director: [moans].
Stefan B.: Let's do it again. That was a bit of an ... and an ... Camera: You could just say ...
Stefan B.: What do you think? Was that goodie? Camera: Yep! Stefan B.: We won't do that sequence again!
Stefan B.: Fantastic!