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Q:
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Looking into Chondros... any advice?
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I have been contemplating getting into Chondros. Every time I see them here on the site, I want them more and more!
I am very interested in getting into the "blue" lines of I believe it is the green tree python? I am unsure and that is why I am asking. I want to know a decent amount before I get one.
I am just looking for general info on breeders, prices, habitats, ect on these animals. Any info will be greatly appreciated!!
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Points:
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100
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Topics:
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General Health
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Caging
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Heating
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Tags:
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Breeders, Care, Chondro, General, Genetics, GTP, Morelia, Pricing, Viridis
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Species:
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Pythons > Morelia > Morelia viridis
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Administrative:
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Show/Hide
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Accepted Answer
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5/3/2010 5:26:40 PM
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FyreFocks
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The More Complete Chondro is a book by Greg Maxwell. Purchase that. You can also learn a great deal from lurking, or joing, moreliaviridis.yuku.com.
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Author Comment
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5/3/2010 5:30:03 PM
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Author Comment
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5/3/2010 5:57:40 PM
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Behindblueyes21
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I have been looking through the gallery of the green tree pythons, and i notice that the blues that I am interested sometimes will change color back into green. Why does this happen? I am googleing info to find out as well... I am ordering the book from amazon!
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Member Comment
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5/3/2010 6:02:00 PM
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FyreFocks
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Theres no guarantee that the animal will turn blue, in any of its forms. and it seems that the further you go from the original blue animals, the harder it is to make blue animals.
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Assisted Answer
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5/3/2010 6:42:05 PM
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Aimee
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one of the cool things about chondros is the insane color change they go through, even your 'typical' or 'normal' snakes
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Assisted Answer
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5/3/2010 8:18:27 PM
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BuddyB
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Everyone loves blue chondros!!
I hope you have a deep wallet my friend...blue chondros are expensive.
I would suggest that you steer clear of wild caught or farm bred aniamls for your first chondro. Farm bred chondros can be stellar, but you are going to have a ton of questions, and most brokers only care about the "sale", not about after sale support.
Buying your first chondro from a breeder is the way to go...you are going to have a ton of questions, all of which a chondro breeder will help you with.
Some females change from green to blue during a breeding season...these are normally referred to as hormonal blue, and then change back to green, and sometimes they will stay blue.
Buddy B
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Member Comment
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5/3/2010 11:02:31 PM
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 12:05:41 AM
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kfethe
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Just make sure you put them in a room that stays stable at around 85 to 88 degrees fahrenheit. Or get a very good heat source like a radiant heat panel. All the chondro people I talk to say that stability and consistency are the two biggest factors in keeping your animals healthy. This is a link to a friend of mine that is into chondros if you want to shoot him some questions. http://iherp.com/Public/ShowUser.aspx?UserID=f2f89232-5ab7-4aa4-9f2c-aa992c7aefb8
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 12:24:38 AM
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treetrunkchris
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i want to get some, but all the ones i like that are pretty colors turn green =-( i found one Powder Blue Adult on Tom Crutchfields site, he found it in the 70's in thailand or something like that and tried to buy it but the owner didnt want to sell it cause it was a personal pet =-( if i get one i want one to stay that color, i dont mind a nice green tree python, but i kinda like the emerald tree boas better =-)
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Author Comment
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5/4/2010 1:09:45 AM
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Behindblueyes21
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Thanks every one! Price is not an issue for blues, but I will most likely find a reputable breeder and buy a normal at first so I can learn about them before spending a bundle on a blue. I am still doing some reading first, and will be sure to have a stable heat source. Being in WA, it is hard to keep rooms above 85 unless you have a deep pocket for energy costs! I will most likely buy a good heating control system similar to what I have for my Ball pythons.
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 1:41:34 AM
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kfethe
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Well then, I guess you'll just have to move down here to florida where keeping a room below 85 degrees is a challenge. Hahaha.
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Author Comment
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5/4/2010 3:44:02 AM
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Behindblueyes21
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Lol, I wish I could. I would fry! lol. For now, a heating system is my best option. :)
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 7:25:58 AM
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Assisted Answer
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5/4/2010 7:45:12 AM
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JohnR
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Good advice Buddy.
And be prepared to face losing one. It sucks but does happen sometimes. Take your time and don't rush into it.
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Assisted Answer
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5/4/2010 9:17:52 AM
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WhiteHillReptile
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looking for blue chondros??
first step should be to join www.moreliaviridis.yuku.com
after that you should post a thread seeking advice from a guy named John Romano. he should be able to answer all your blue line questions. HAHA! =)
ok...so maybe you should only do the first step. (the blue line is a touchy subject with some) There is a wealth of info on that site plus links to great breeders with animals ranging as deep as your pockets can get.... probably deeper.
and its Buddy FTW. dont go crazy. these guys are like pringles and you cant stop at just one, you will want more but dont go crazy. The good thing about chondro heads is that we never tire of talking about our animals, opinions of course differ, but the basics are all the same.
FWIW
Tre' Hill
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Assisted Answer
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5/4/2010 9:34:48 AM
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Assisted Answer
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5/4/2010 10:09:19 AM
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Mel4short
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Be prepared to spend a lot of money!!!! From Chondro to cages...they ain't Corn Snakes!!!!(no offense, Nate) Being a certified Chondrohead, I have to tell I think they are the most amazing creatures. Watching the color change from neo to adult is fascinating...you never know what you're going to get!! Best advice: ditto all of the above. They've given you great sites to visit. And yes, Maxwell's book is a great read, get an autographed copy from Finegtps.com. What to pick up first? I'd go with a WELL established neo, and like Buddy said, watch and learn. They have so much to say with their body language. But watch out, they are definitely like potato chips!!! Can never have just one!! Rico at SignalHerp is a good place to buy as well as some of your breeder/keepers on here. I'd also start with a locale-type. And certain locales are less expensive than others. As the name implies, "Green" Tree Pythons do tend to be green!!! And not a damn thing wrong with that!!!! I highly recommend them.......they've changed my life.
Good luck
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 11:08:48 AM
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FyreFocks
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Buddy, was that a shot at me because i no longer own a chondro? ;)
Tre', you want to get her into chondros, not out of them. Leave CR out of this!
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Assisted Answer
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5/4/2010 12:46:07 PM
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aaron
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Blue back to green is a "hormonal blue" not a genetic blue. I have a female who goes blue every year, and then back to green. She's a "sorong" type, and gorgeous in blue, but that's only due to breeding season. So when you're looking at an adult that's blue, the blue could be from breeding (sometimes they will stay blue, but don't necessarily produce blue offspring). This is strictly a female thing, and the yellows typically turn to white in these animals when they change.
There are blue line animals, and yes, they are expensive. If you buy a baby, there's zero guarantee that they will turn blue. You just hedge your bets that something from a blue line has a higher propensity to change to blue.
David Newman had Licorice for say a while ago, I think he was 4k if I'm not mistaken. With the market down, you can actually buy animals that are blue. Still expensive, but prior to the bust, babies from blue lines (high in the chain) were 5k. Because most of the blue line breeders are hobbyists first and not meat slingers, it doesn't matter if they sell them or not, so even though the market is down, it's remained *fairly* stable because the people who have these animals don't need to sell them to survive. That is my opinion anyway.
Getting a couple of "normals" or less expensive ones is a great idea. When you first get into them, you'll start to notice their behavior, when they're happy or when they're sick (yes, I said happy). Knowing your animal, and their "default" behavior is really important to their well being, and nothing like a couple of normies to do that with. If you do get a baby, make sure that they are well well well hydrated and your t-stat is dialed in appropriately, and definitely stay away from tap water if your municipality is putting plutonium in the water like mine apparently is.
A yearling is your best bet, you get to watch the change and see what they turn into, and they are well enough established that you've dodged the normal attrition rate. You'll pay a little more, but well worth it. There are a lot of breeders here, MVF is an excellent resource, as is The More Complete Chondro.
Patience and diligence are paramount with these animals. They're hardy when they're healthy and potentially hell when they're sick. A challenge for sure, but if you meet their requirements WRT environment, they are a ridiculously rewarding animal to have (and breed).
Good on ya.
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Assisted Answer
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5/4/2010 12:51:28 PM
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Kim Heller
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Lots of good advice here. Buddy, Tre, and Mel are offering very good advice. Too often we see people ask for advice about getting into Chondros, and then they do the total opposite of the advice offered.
And Shannon is very right about the addiction part. They are amazing animals. Do your research, get to know some reputable breeders, and go from there. I've been keeping them for 10+ years, and can't imagine my life without them.
Kim
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 1:49:07 PM
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 2:11:55 PM
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aaron
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Late to the party, but I brought vodka!
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Author Comment
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5/4/2010 2:30:02 PM
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Behindblueyes21
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Oh wow. Thank you guys! This is helping SO SO much! I love my animals and I definaty won't be doing the opposite of the advice given. I will be doing a great deal of research first, as well as gathering the equiptment first. I want to be sure to have the habitat ready before aquiring the animal. I am very impressed with the love and admiration for these animals. I've only dealt with ball pythons, bloods and redtails. I've dabbled in corn, rat snakes, beauties and some other weird species, so I have a decent amount of knowledge about caring for unusual critters. Thank you!!! I am curious why the blue line is controversial to some?
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Member Comment
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5/4/2010 2:56:30 PM
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FyreFocks
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You had to ask, didnt you?
Blue lines brin gup controversy because theres a decent amount of line breeding, and in some cases inbreeding, and its believed (by some) that the lack of outcrossing is causing unfit babies. I dont know anything about the blueline originations, so i cant comment further.
There are 2 awesome, undocumented blueline males for sale currently, but they are pricey. Pete is selling his blue male and like Aaron said, Davids licorice might also still be for sale. But the tags on both of them are 5 and 4k, respectivelt.
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Author Comment
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5/4/2010 3:09:07 PM
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Behindblueyes21
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Oh, ok! I kinda figured that's where the controversy was. It's similar with a lot of animals, I am a fish keeper as well and there is lots of controversy in hybrids and such. I still think they are beautiful! But at this point, i think they are all amaizing. Maybe I will research females and just have a blue durring breeding. Lol. I am facinated with the colors and the variety. I will start saving now for a good blue line animal!! By the time I have the cash, I will know for sure if chondros are right for me!! Lol. :)
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Member Comment
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5/5/2010 1:29:45 AM
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Mel4short
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Aaron, I'll take a cosmo...ooo, wait, those tend to get me into trouble!! :P Great reply, btw. I suppose I shoulda' said yearling...kinda what I meant.
Kim, ditto! I never would've dreamed a reptile could crawl under my skin so...
A more passionate bunch of folks on the subject of snakes you'll never find. Chondro rule!!
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Assisted Answer
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5/6/2010 9:41:33 AM
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chondroman
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I have been keeping chondros for 15 years they are awesome and like everybody is telling you you will want more. You are going about it the right way learn all you can before you make a purchase. The smartest thing to do is buy one from a well known breeder somebody who will help you along. Buddy gave you a list of some top breeders. Good luck and enjoy.
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Member Comment
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1/24/2011 7:04:04 AM
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abi21491
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