Boelen python, any OS members have one?

[waruikazi]

Lonqui, I don't know what the mountains in PNG/Indo are like but while we are talking about residual heat in rocks, caves and microclimates i have a question for you.

Out here in the West Arnhem escarpment our ambient temps get nearly as low as 50F (12-15C) at night but as the night temps creep in you get a very distinct layer of warm air only 10-15m off the ground which is atleast 5C warmer, probably more. I think this effect is going to stump the people who have tried/will try to breed one of our iconic snakes. Dioes anything like that happen in that area (with high daytime temps i would assume it has to) and could a similar effect be what is stumping the breeders of this species too?

A lot of that is being talked about now
although they can handle the cold like Diamonds do it seems temperature has a huge bearing on the sex of the hatchies [much like crocs??]
50F may be ok for short periods so long as there was residual warmth in the rocks etc
The mountains they come from certainly get cold at night but also get heavy rains and are very hot during the day
Lots of them have been located in caves

 

[longqi]

Lonqui, I don't know what the mountains in PNG/Indo are like but while we are talking about residual heat in rocks, caves and microclimates i have a question for you.

Out here in the West Arnhem escarpment our ambient temps get nearly as low as 50F (12-15C) at night but as the night temps creep in you get a very distinct layer of warm air only 10-15m off the ground which is atleast 5C warmer, probably more. I think this effect is going to stump the people who have tried/will try to breed one of our iconic snakes. Dioes anything like that happen in that area (with high daytime temps i would assume it has to) and could a similar effect be what is stumping the breeders of this species too?

Most of the caves they have been found in are distinctly warmer at night than the surrounding jungle
Similar temperature swings between day and night
Its very different to the Arnhem Land rocky outcrops being pretty tough/damp jungle rather than scrub like you have
Its a lot higher altitude too with 90% of Boelens being found up high ie, 1500metres plus
Not many below that
But very similar with microclimates

 

[waruikazi]

Cheers for the response mate, just to clarify i wasn't suggesting that the habitats were similar (therr's about 1200m of altitude difference for a start). Just alot of people seem to discount or overlook the idea of microclimates and their importance to different animal life cycles.

Most of the caves they have been found in are distinctly warmer at night than the surrounding jungle
Similar temperature swings between day and nighte
Its very different to the Arnhem Land rocky outcrops being pretty tough/damp jungle rather than scrub like you have
Its a lot higher altitude too with 90% of Boelens being found up high ie, 1500metres plus
Not many below that
But very similar with microclimates

 

[DanN]

Hi Longqi,

Thank you for the clarification. I woud be interested in seeing the PNG quota if you have the time. I had another quick look on the CITES Trade Database and didn't come across anything - but it can be tempremental.

While I don't want to get into it on an internet forum, I still have my doubts about both breeders you're refering to. Will leave it at that

Dan

 

[longqi]

I will find it eventually Dan
Might be a few days though

Completely agree about strange goings on at most breeders over here but Kalimantan is doing some great work with CB chondros and Boelens were his next step
He gave me some really good tips on Dragon snakes that worked so I think hes fair dinkum

Waruikazi
The caves are very selectively chosen by the Boelens
Even though that mountain range travels virtually the whole length of the island, including Iryan Jaya [Papua] the Boeleni caves are seldom found on the Southern faces of the mountains, even if the caves there seem the same
It is very close to the Equator but these ones must have just a couple of degrees difference in temperature?
If you can imagine the Kokoda trail x 5 you begin to understand the harshness of their native environment
There is simply zero access to some parts of that country

Micro-climates are probably much more important to many species than we understand yet

 

[user 16324]

pretty sure i read about a breeding program that will be happening in NT with the Boelens python.

 

[Australis]

pretty sure i read about a breeding program that will be happening in NT with the Boelens python.

You might be confusing the species.

 

[elfwing_m]

I have a pair, I'm an Aussie living in Kuala Lumpur and now looking at importing some nice "Aussies", like Diamonds bred in the US and Black Headed Pythons bred in Sweden. I miss my Aussie collection!
Michael

 

[Mo Deville]

was pokeing about some forums and on the web and found a refrence to this stunning little guy in the morelia pool are there any OS members who have one?
i would love to hear more about this stunner snake, check this out!

check out some of the google pics of them some are amazing!GOOGLE PICS
Nato

these are sooo sick man!!!