Chat Transcript
Bob Clark 9/30/99
Jeff Barringer - Tonights guest is Bob Clark and tonight the topic is Pythons. Bob Clark is a breeder of numerous species of pythons. He resides in Oklahoma. Welcome Bob Clark
Bob Clark - Thanks, Jeff.
JeffB - Bob let me start off and ask you... With a recent python fatality in the midwest, how do you
think that will
impact reptile keepers?
Bob Clark - Of course, the tragedy is that a child was killed and
its terrible that it happened, that said as far as our industry goes its
one of the worst things that can happen for us. This sort of thing causes local ordinances to be enacted and it restricts our ability to keep the animals we
love Oklahoma City ( my home) is considering regulations
that will outlaw the keeping of the big boids. We were successful in getting the snakes removed from
the regulations and unfortunately this is when we heard about the
accident. Snakes were then put back in. Two days ago a 7' retic that was lost in a rent house
came out of the walls and killed the new tenant's dog. This stuff is
newsworthy but the timing couldn't be worse! The Council votes on the
12th.
bhomer - hello Bob, Do you think that they will adopt the
regulations on the constrictors?
Bob Clark - I think there will be restrictions here on a lot of
exotic animals (cats, bears, non-domestic canines) but I think the big
snakes will not be regulated.
Asnakemann - what is the size of the adult jampeas your working
w/and what is the age ,size and temperament?
Bob Clark - I have an adult male Jampea retic that is about 6'
and a female that is around 12'. Temperament is good. Both are wild caught and I'm
uncertain of the age. I've had the female since she was about 24" ,
she's 8 years old. I've just had the male one season and he hasn't
grown.
BigJimx - Bob how is the albino retic project going and what
can we look forward to in the near future?
Bob Clark - I hatched the first albino retic babies last June.
The retics are just now starting to breed so there should be some more
in the spring.
Boa - I recently saw a photo of the leucistic burm that you
have/had, I was wondering what ever became of that snake, and has their
been any successful breeding attempts made? (beautiful snake by the way)
Bob Clark - I tried for several years to breed that snake but
never got any fertile eggs. I eventually sold her to an exhibition in
Malaysia, I heard since that she had died.
CDEEJAY - I would like to know with al the years you've been in
the business what is the most exciting morph you've discovered and what
is the most exciting project your working on now?
Bob Clark - I think the most exciting was the albino Burmese.
When it was happening I didn't realize how huge it was but it was still
all the excitement I could handle.
Damon1 - Bob, I am very excited about the new Albino Burm you
have. When do you plan on breeding it? And will you sell any hets
before it is a proven genetic trait?
Bob Clark - There's always a risk in selling offspring before a
trait is proven. They're only hets if the trait is genetic. I'd say I probably wouldn't sell any before I prove
the trait. Its safer and I'm selfish.
dd - Any new info on the stolen ball pythons? I'm in AZ and was
just curious.
Bob Clark - No new information lately. William John Buchholz is
still a fugitive. Jeffery Charles Miller was indicted last month on
charges related to Operation Chameleon, USFWS sting operation.
HossJr - What species of python do you think will be the next to
surge in popularity? Especially with the trend towards legislation in
the larger snakes.
Bob Clark - I'm somebody that likes all pythons, big and small. I
hate to see it but changing local regulations could keep many of us from
keeping the snakes we want.
MoreliaBreeder1 - Bob, were do you think the future of the
Morelia pythons going? esp. centralians and jungles also i was offered
an axanthic 5 year old female ball python for only 500$ you think this
could be bogus?
Bob Clark - I'm not strong with the carpets. I think there are a
lot of interesting types out there but I haven't focused on them, sorry.
Reticman - Mr. Clark, thoughts on Bali Yellowhead Retics? Will
we see it x with Jampeas?
Bob Clark - I like the look of the Bali retics and the size is
good. It looks like they don't get too big. I recently got a pair and they're doing well. Maybe
there will be some breeding next season.
RichH - Any chance of you attempting to figure out how to breed
boelens in the future?
Bob Clark - I tried in the mid 80's and eventually lost all my
animals. My plate's pretty full at the moment. Maybe I'll wait for
someone else to figure it out.
snakebyt - were you surprised by getting both color phases of
albino retic?
Bob Clark - Yes, I expected the babies to look like the adult
male. The first baby Burmese were a surprise as well.
Think how different they are from the adults!
templeviper - Bob do you see albino tiger retics being produced
any time in the future?
Bob Clark - Its possible in a couple of years. I'm raising
tigers het. for albino now.
viperman - what hots do you own if any ,and any projects for
hots in the future+what is your favorite hot?
Bob Clark - I don't have any venomous species. Nothing against
them but I'm trying to keep focused on the boids.
bhomer - Hi Bob, What kind of projects do you have going with
Boa Constrictors at this time and do you find them(Boas) harder to breed
then your Burmese and Retics?
Bob Clark - I'm fairly new with boas but I'm interested in the
salmons and did produce some f2 salmons last month and some salmons het
for anerthyristic.
Damon1 - Bob, do you have a favorite color/morph of the Burms?
and have you produced any Albino Granites this year?
Bob Clark - I think the albino Burmese is hard to beat. Its so
common now it doesn't seem so special, its a great looking snake though. That said the albino retic is a great looking snake.
Boa - I received a video from a boa breeder and on it he showed
a columbian boa that he restricted the food on, it was normal in every
aspect except it was only about 2 1/2 feet. I was wondering if you have
ever experimented with "dwarfing" your retics or burms, and if so what
the consequences if any have their been.
Bob Clark - I once got a 7 year old Burmese from a guy that fed
it only one mouse every 10 days. It was just under 4' long
I fed the snake larger meals weekly and it grew to
12' in a little more than a year
I haven't tried to intentionally dwarf a snake, I've
been more interested in getting them to a breeding size quickly
I'm not surprised that there are naturally occurring
dwarf races out there, though.
dd - How about the retic x burmese crosses, any plans for
albinos or other morphs?
Bob Clark - The hybrids are difficult to make. The different
species don't have much interest in breeding together, fertility is low
and many embryos die during development. It will be a rough road.
HossJr - do you work with any of the short-tail pythons,any
thoughts on them?
Bob Clark - I like the blood pythons but I don't have a lot of
experience with them.
MoreliaBreeder - Have you ever seen a anery, retic and thought
of snow retics?
Bob Clark - Retics don't have much, if any red but if we could
find one with no yellow we might make a snow retic.
JohnH - Ok, Now I am kind of interested in these new dwarf
reticulated Pythons. Now you say they have the proportions of a black
rat snake. I don't know much about the dwarfing in the size of species
and what effect it has on the species besides the obvious decrease in
size but does this mean the taxonomy of the snake is different?
Bob Clark - Geographic isolation can allow a population to evolve
differently. Its easy to see a difference in size other
morphological or behavioral differences might be more difficult to
notice.
petelee - hey bob what kind of incubators do you use?
Bob Clark - Mostly I use snakes for incubators. My artificial incubators are homemade.
PythonLover - hey bob, have you ever seen an anery. retic and if
so did you quickly glimpse into the future of snow retics?
Bob Clark - I've never seen one, but the idea is interesting...
snakebyt - I hear that you have some of the first CB papuan
pythons, i have worked with them and there wonderful, have you had any
luck breeding them, or have they been set on the "back burner" for now?
Bob Clark - I've had no luck at all. I have some of the first
CB animals bred at the Knoxville Zoo in the early 80's. I've had
copulations and even follicle development but no eggs.
Damon1 - Do you see any possible chance sometime within the next
few years to see a piebald burmese or do you need a leucistic burm to
make that possible? I think a normal colored burm pied with pure white
would be a beauty!
Bob Clark - So many things are possible but since we cant "make"
a mutation where we want it we just have to wait for one to occur. The piebald trait occurs in many species, so its
possible.
BoaMan - Hey bob, i was just wondering how fluffy is and if you
still have him/her?
Bob Clark - Well, Fluffy is really two snakes. Fluffy #1 I sold
to a zoo in Tel Aviv two years ago. She was 285lbs and somewhat over
20'. Fluffy #2 I still have. I weighed her 6 months ago
at 287lbs. She was about 50 lbs less than F1 when I sold here but she's
actually growing faster than the first one now. I'm sure she'll be over
300 lbs soon.
Jeff Barringer - Well Bob its past 10:30 here, I want to thank you for being here and we look forward to having you back again real soon.
Bob Clark - Thanks guys, I hope we can do this again sometime.
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