Poop on the Shelves
Ball python enthusiasts often ask others for advice while trying to determine which ball python investment is the best. Unfortunately, questions such as these don’t come with straight answers. The best response is different for each of us and it is only after a bit of self-assessment that any of us can really hope for useful conclusions. In the end the only person from whom you can get... [Read more]
On the Economic Viability of Ball Python Breeding
Note: Before reading this you need to know a few things: Compared to the average blog post this is long …very long. It’s more like a chapter than a blog post. The purpose of this post is not to try and discourage ball python breeders. Quite the opposite, actually. I am enthusiastic about the prospects of this business and I want people who decide to be in it, myself included, to understand... [Read more]
Tell Me What It Takes
By my standards and expectations last year was a tough breeding season. In addition to losing a few key clutches during incubation I had an amazing number of clutches that bludgeoned me on the odds. At times it was depressing. But one thing that all breeders rely on is the fact that sooner or later the odds tend to swing around in their favor. It’s the nature of averages; sometimes you... [Read more]
Wholesale (or is it Whoresale?) Pricing
Not long ago I was browsing an on-line reptile classified web site and I came across the ad of a well-known reptile wholesaler. The ad was of the “want to buy” nature and he was offering to buy the entire breeding production that you have for sale. After saying that he wants your production he typed in bold characters, “WE ARE ONLY PAYING WHOLESALE PRICES.” Sadly, wholesale... [Read more]
The Things You Own
“The things you own end up owning you.” – Tyler Durden I’m self-employed. I have been that way for almost a decade. In addition to my reptile enterprise I am a founding owner of a small information technology (IT) company. Because I have a passion for computer networking and information security I long ago decided to start my own business doing the thing I love. That... [Read more]
Peanut Butter Cups
As I type my daughter is a few months into her third year. As is often the case with parents I put nothing else on this planet before her. She is everything. Every parent wants to protect their children from as many bad things as possible in this world. To that end we often turn to professionals for advice on when it is OK to do certain things. Take peanuts for example. The prevailing medical... [Read more]
It’s Time To Bask
For longer than I have been on this planet people have been keeping reptiles as pets. The original reptile keepers were mostly academics, scientists fascinated by their enigmatic subjects of study. As reptiles began to enter into the pet world they were most often the choice of young boys and other people who were more …colorful …than mainstream society typically allows. The keeping... [Read more]
Satisfied Needs Don’t Motivate
Do you have a male albino ball python in your collection? How about a male pastel? A male black pastel perhaps? I know you have a male pinstripe, right? How about a male piebald? Got one of those? Many enthusiastic ball python hobbyists answer “yes” to at least one of those questions. If you’re a ball python breeder the answer to most or all of the above should be a foregone... [Read more]
Pythons, Federalism and Mobility
Back in high school I sat through more than one government class. In my freshman year of college I went through the motions during a year-long course on the history of the United States. While sitting in those classrooms I wasn’t really investing in the information, I was enduring it. I memorized facts, names and dates that would need to later be regurgitated on an exam. Despite the quality... [Read more]
Once In A While
The illusions surrounding the live animal business can readily be compared to the old saying that ‘you shouldn’t sit up front at the ballet’; get too close and the magic vanishes, the harsh realities revealed. Despite our best intentions something changes when we take that which we love and turn it into a commodity. Tending to the day-in, day-out needs of live animals is neither... [Read more]
Herein Lies a Problem
Sigh… I recently received a letter from the office of my representative in the US House of Representatives. The letter reiterates what one of his staffers told me during a face-to-face meeting when I went to his office in Washington DC. While I characterize Mr. Forbes as a delegate who is “on the side” of responsible pet owners I think his opportunity for opposition has been limited. ... [Read more]
Perspectives On Tangible Transactions
They say the first step on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well, after several years of denial and inner-confusion I have come to realize that I have an odd sort of problem. Now that I know I have it I’m not entirely sure what do to about it. It vexes me because it’s part of me, I internalized it long ago. People who don’t suffer from one type of affliction... [Read more]
Sweet Deals On Other People’s Problems
Pull any breeder aside and they will tell you that there is no better way to build an excellent reptile collection than to produce your own babies and raise them. The problem is that it usually takes forever to build a collection worthy of note when you do it this way. Producing new morphs of your own is an incredibly gratifying accomplishment, though. It’s a big part of the reason that... [Read more]
Taking Action – www.nosnakeban.com
Stop S373 and HR2811 http://www.nosnakeban.com The National Pet Association, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of responsible pet owners in the United States, is helping reptile owners in the fight against irresponsible legislation efforts underway in Washington DC. Please join me by supporting the call to action outlined at www.nosnakeban.com. Please also take the final step which... [Read more]
Republicans, Democrats and Reptiles
“Liberty, once seized, is seldom reclaimed.” -M. Levin Many reptiles owners who are concerned about HR2811 and S373 may not realize it but these bills are positioned almost 100% along party lines. Democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are in favor of it. Republicans oppose it. Republicans do not oppose these bills because they love pythons. They oppose the... [Read more]