Even if you’re not too hip to the world of Morelia and the people in the hobby who focus on the genus, it’s very likely that you’ve listened to at least ONE episode of Morelia Python Radio over the last 8+ years. For this edition of our online Q&A we asked Eric Burke of EB Morelia and MPR what it’s been like seeing the podcast landscape change in the hobby and seeing Carpet Fest become a national (and now international) gathering!
HM: What made you decide to start breeding as a business?
EB: I have always been passionate about keeping reptiles and I did that for many years without ever thinking about breeding. It wasn’t until around 2007 that it crossed my mind to try to breed. I’ve always been under the idea of ”growing” into business rather than ”going” into business. So I have slowly built up a collection over the years with the hope that one day I would be able to support myself with my passion. I also want to make sure that the snakes that I work with are available for the next group of herpers.
HM: Why do you enjoy Morelia so much?
EB: I love all things Australia but my favorite thing in Australia is the pythons. That led me to keep carpet pythons and there is nothing better. They are the perfect python. They get bigger than a ball python (maybe not my carpets! lol)but not too big. They make great display animals.
They are chill as adults and they come in so many different colors and patterns and that’s even before you add morphs into the equation. They eat great, shed great and those big beefy python heads are so impressive! They are just it for me. Python perfection!
HM: Who helped you when you were first getting into Morelia?
EB: There are so many people that have helped me or given me support over the years, but five people come to mind. Luke Snell was the first guy that invited me into his collection and showed me his process for breeding carpets. He is also responsible for fueling my obsession with Morelia spilota harrisoni (West Papuan or Irian Jaya Carpet Pythons).
Next would be Nick Mutton from Inland reptile. He was responsible for getting me into higher end carpet pythons. He taught me so much when it comes to the history, breeding as a business, caring for and breeding of these amazing pythons. He was always there to answer my questions, and he wasn’t afraid to tell me I am doing it wrong. He helped me through breeding, egg binding, prolapse, and many other things that pop up when keeping live animals. I consider him a good friend.
The next person would be Owen McIntyre, my co-host on Morelia Python Radio. Owen had a lot of experience in the zoo field, and he taught me how to be more efficient in my snake room. He is also someone I consider a great friend, and he is a witty SOB.
Next up would be Matt Minetola from Philly Herp. Although he doesn’t keep carpets, he is someone who I strive to be like. He has an immaculate collection, he has an awesome approach to projects, and he’s got a great attitude and gets me excited about being in the hobby. We’ve become great friends over the past years.
Last up would be my good friend Rob Stone from Highplains Herptoculture. I first heard Rob on reptile radio and was blown away by the guy’s knowledge about reptiles and the hobby. We started talking, and that was that. We are great friends, and he is a huge help to me and MPR.
We recently began to travel to Australia together, and we are headed back in Oct. of 2019. We are addicted and have plans to go to OZ for the next ten years, and we still wouldn’t be able to see it all. I think what impresses me about Rob is that you can seriously ask him anything about reptiles and I would bet that he knows about it.
HM: What was it like in the earlier days of Morelia before they really took off and became more popular?
EB: It was an exciting time. The jag was the big thing, and I would stare at MP forum for hours, dreaming about one day owning one. There wasn’t nearly the availability that we see today. Darwin carpets were talked about because of the albino morph, but for die-hard carpet keepers, we would have been happy with just some hets. Inland carpets were something that I never thought that I would see in person let alone have in my collection.
We take so much for granted in the Morelia hobby these days. I mean we have rough scale pythons! There were only a few morphs of carpets available. Then we seemed to explode on to the hobby. MPR, Carpet Fest, The Complete Carpet Python, ICASS and Carpet Row at Tinley Park. It was a good time with great people, and I feel blessed to have been there to see it.
HM: What is it like being a part one of the original podcasts in the hobby and seeing more coming into the fold?
EB: I love the podcast scene now. There are so many shows that sometimes it is hard to get through all of them in a week. It reminds me a lot like youtube scene. We are all pretty tight with each other, and we all have our own vision and style. I remember how excited I would be when a new episode of reptile radio was on my iPod for Sunday morning drive to work. They did an episode with Will Bird, and of course, he was talking carpet pythons, I thought that it would be so cool to hear from the other Morelia breeders.
I contacted Larry and BT a bunch of times asking for different Morelia breeders, and they brought some on, and I thought I could do my version of Reptile Radio but with a focus on Morelia and dispelling the myths and misconceptions that are associated with them. So, in 2011 I started Morelia Python Radio aka MPR. We have had so many awesome guests come on and share their tips and thoughts with the world, and I am forever in debt to them.
I think the best thing for me is when I get a message, and it’s from someone that listened to the show, and the info led them to be successful. To me, that is the sweet spot and what it is all about!
HM: How did the first CarpetFest come about?
EB: There were people talking on MP forums about having a get together for the Morelia family for years, but it never seemed to happen. The chondro people already had something called Chondro Fest years ago, and I thought that it was a great idea. Around the same time that MPR started, I talked to Owen about just making it happen and so, Carpet Fest was born.
We decided to put it on in Maryland, the Morelia capital of the US at the time. Howard Redding hosted it, and it wasn’t until Owen got a house that we decided to move it to his place, and then I followed suit, and it’s been at my home in PA ever since then. The whole idea was to have people with a similar passion, get together from behind their computer, share some food, drinks, and knowledge. It was supposed to reignite your love for the hobby and the people in it.
HM: What has it been like seeing them take off in other parts of the country and now the world with the first UK Carpet Fest happening this year?
EB: It is very humbling that Carpet Fest is now worldwide and if it brings a few people closer in this hobby, then the job is done.
HM: What would be your advice to someone who wants to get into breeding?
EB: The best advice I could give would be this. Figure out what you like. Not what’s hot at the moment, not what you can make a ton of money on, not what you think that you need to have to vend a show. Do what you love. Whatever gets you excited to be in your snake room. Do that, and you will see how happy you will be when you’re in your snake room. I was really into West Papuan carpets and even though jungles were the hottest thing I liked the idea of doing to West Papuan carpets what breeders had done with jungle carpets.
I didn’t worry about if people were into them or not, I was going to show them how awesome they are and if people didn’t like them, I didn’t care. I followed my own direction. When I started getting West Papuan carpets, there was hardly anyone that was into them. People may have had one or two, but there wasn’t anyone with a big group of them. These days I would say they are catching up with jungles in popularity. I freaking love that species!
If you’re going to start to breed a species, start small. Keep (insert species here) for a while. Learn about (insert species here) in your room and how it behaves in your room. We had Eugene Bassett on MPR, and the best thing that he ever taught me was to become a “student of the serpent” Paying attention to what the snake is telling you, not what the internet says. Trust me the snakes know what they want better then someone on Facebook does.
Start with a female and raise it for a year. Make sure that you are into what you’re keeping. Once you have a year in then pick up a male. I worked with a few pairs when I first started trying to breed. I was able to pay attention to them very carefully and learn what made them tick. Take notes about any observations that you see. I would even tie it into the weather outside.
I got a few clutches and reinvested the money into another project. Once I knew that I was really into (insert species here), I mapped out my projects for the next ten years. I thought about what I would add each year and what pairings I would try each year. Of course, it didn’t always work the way I wanted it to, but I always tried to have a backup plan. The last piece of advice I would give is to see your projects through.
