Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

sam · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject: bonkers idea

OK, heres my Bonkers idea regarding Royal pythons. Im saying this up front now before anyone else does! Laughing

Feel free to tear this thread to pieces-i honestly know very little about these animals and am not sure this could even be used with them! This is just me trying to use knowledge form other areas to come up with something Laughing

Artificial insemination - harvesting semen from males to induce into receptive females as is done with horses, cows, pigs (and even poultry). In fact, I think I have seen it done in Rhinos on telly once!

possible pros (from a "first look" into it)

1. You could effectively mate your female to any male in the world. Semen is regularly shipped here, there and everywhere for horses and cattle. Being able to do this would mean spending less on getting set up-you dont need to buy/borrow a male, instead you would buy a straw of semen from a male of your choice and use that on your female.

2. You could sell semen... an extra source of income to breeders.

3. You'll get more matings from a male, meaning you can get more offspring from him (useful if he is an interesting morph!)

4. reduces the number of adults/juves which would normally have to be imported from abroad in order to attain that bloodline or morph

Possible cons (from a "first look" into it

1. physical difficulties in the actual harvesting of semen and insemination of females/monitoring their receptive-ness and the stress this may cause

2. flooding the market with the high end morphs making the value plummet (compensated by the money from "stud fees"?)

3. Having to have trained snake AI technicians and/or training programs for keepers to inseminate their own animals (very important for handler and animal safety)

As I said- feel free to rip this up! Im just intrueged as to the effect AI might have on the "industry" of Royal pythons... any more pros and cons people can see?
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Scott W · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:15 pm Post subject:

nice idea but as you say I have no idea how practical harvesting would be Laughing

and certainly not something I would want to try my hand at Wink

Although I'm sure there are some great candidates around to offer that service Laughing

On a serious note I think that it would also take the fun and challenge out of it all. I'm sure people have looked at it and probably came to the conclusion it wasn't viable etc
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sam · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:03 pm Post subject:

Yeah, i know they have done it successfully with some slightly more difficult to handle animals... but not sure about snakes.

I think the "removing the fun" part could be the biggest con - but it could also open up some of the higher end snakes to people on a lower budget.

there would still be a challenge-its just youd have more access to "better" snakes i suppose. But its not like your working with the same sort of quantitative genetics as in the case of dairy cows-there are so many genes which effect milk production that AI isnt a "quick fix",your not definitely going to get X more milk for using a certain Bull, it varies (unlike the colour genetics where the crosses are predicatable mendelian genetics in most cases)

Anotehr con would be the weakening of teh gene pool if everyone started using certain studs.
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sam · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:46 pm Post subject:

Ok, told you it was a bonkers idea! Could you give me an even longer answer saying why not? Not that i dont belive you-i do! but id like to know why...
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Mememe · Site Moderator Joined: 23 Dec 2005 Posts: 2141

Very few people have looked into storing reptile semen, and the best recovery rate after freezing someone's ever got was still low. (This record was from Angolan python semen)

Furthermore, electroejaculation would be the best bet - which has may problems to says the least.

Smile

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sam · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:50 pm Post subject:

No wanting to be gross-but can manual stimulation not be used? Ive heard of that being used in some avian species. Also in Koalas they just "interupt" normal service by introducing a container for the ejaculate...
Im not sure how randy Royal males are! Shocked

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MJ · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:53 pm Post subject:

I can see the head line now "Man arrested outside glasgow botanical gardens for snake molestation" Laughing

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sam · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:03 pm Post subject:

All part of the glasgow night out experience... muchos drink, dodgy scooby snacks and take a snake home at the end of the night Wink

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MJ · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject:

I enjoyed the first two on my trip Cool

just glad I had a midnight train to catch so didnt have the last one Laughing

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sam · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject:

Maybe next time your up Wink

Although by then it will probably be after freshers week so lots of young female vet students for you to take home instead Laughing

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