I have a question

[Chad_Youngquist]

Why would you want to ship a possibly gravid boa?

I have seen boas on the kingsnake.com classifieds over the years that are advertised as "POSSIBLY GRAVID!!" Why in the world would you chance shipping a gravid boa? Is this simply an advertising ploy? If someone is selling a boa that will possibly give birth, I would think that person would want to see the outcome first.

I guess I never understood that logic. Someone shed some light on it for me.

Thanks,
Chad Youngquist

[Erich_Gaertner]

I don't know if I can shed any light on it, but I think your right about an advertising ploy. Maybe a better word would be gimmick! Why would anyone ship a possibly gravid boa you ask? I think it's pretty simple, either they don't care about the female and her unborn babies or they're just trying to give a potential buyer a little more incentive to make the purchase. I tend to think it's the latter. Why would someone who is selling say a $300.00 "possibly gravid" boa not wait to see if she gives birth? Say she has 10 babies, that person could wholesale them out at $40.00 each. That's $700.00 for an animal the seller was originally asking $300.00! What would you do ;)? I know I'd be thinking about the "Pick of the Litter!!!!" ;D I guess it's also possible that the person in question just isn't very smart! Just my opinion! :)
Erich

[redtailboas]

Chad, maybe it is like buying a Possible Het....

You are taking a 50 % or 66 % chance that the female is gravid.

Yeah right. Does that mean that you had a male in the cage for 1 day so there is a "CHANCE" that he did his business. Oh Brother!!!!!!! Sounds like a complete marketing ploy to me.

[Acco_Asphyxia]

Yeah I definently agree that it is an advertising ploy. Or (as mentioned above) the breeder kept the 2 together for a very short period of time, although I have never seen anybody sell a possibly gravid boa, I don't think that it would push me to buy the boa because even if it did give birth, you don't know what the females been bred with or if it was just inbred with a relative just so the breeder could say "possibly gravid". :(
But thats just what I would think if I saw that.