Controversial Topics: Breeding Ball Pythons

I'm here again bitching and ranting about yet another controversial topic in the reptile community, more specifically in the Ball Python community. 

When I say "breeding" is the topic, I mean the breeding of specific morphs in the breeding realm that people argue about because some morphs have genes that can cause them to have neurological issues. The most popular being "the wobble", which I'll get into later. 

I mean, first things first, I'm not against the breeding of ball pythons or the breeding of reptiles in general. None of us would have the pleasure of owning any if we didn't have good, reputable breeders in the community. However, I think anyone could agree that there are soooooo many breeders of ball pythons today, and this means there are thousands and thousands of ball pythons out there now, which can cause problems to pop up just in itself. 

Why so many breeders? Because ball pythons are the "designer dogs" of the snake world. You can create any colour or pattern you could think of, and they are still one of the most popular species of snakes that people buy as pets today because of their easy maintenance, their docile temperaments and just their ability to be cute as heck. This opened a gap in the market for reptile breeders, and you can make a nice bit of money on the side by running a few breeding projects. Some people can make it their career and make a nice living on breeding ball pythons, because it's not hard to find people wanting to buy them. 

Okay so lets get into the issues. 

The Wobble

The "wobble" is the common name for the main neurological issue that is found in certain morphs of ball pythons. It's a neurological issue which causes the snake to lose the ability to control the movement of their necks and heads - not totally lose control, but it's basically like a spasm of the neck and head, it wobbles from side to side and the snake can't keep its head steady. 

Why is this a problem? Well there are many issues it causes for the snake depending on the severity of the wobble. It can cause problems with their ability to eat, as the wobble can make it hard for them to aim properly when they strike. I've seen many videos of snakes with wobbles that have missed the rat by a LOT, and they've accidentally struck their own bodies, and because of their neurological issues they don't realise it's their own bodies they've struck, and they attempt to eat themselves because they think it's prey. It's insane to see, and it can be difficult for the keeper to detach the snake from it's own tail/body. I mean on top of the obvious danger that ensures, they've also injured themselves by biting themselves. 

Another issue is that because their heads are wobbling most of the time, they are constantly banging their heads into walls or the hard surfaces of their enclosures. Snakes don't look it, but they are quite fragile creatures. They aren't really built to survive taking a fall or bumping into things, they can really hurt themselves to the point where it can be lethal if they are banging their heads on stuff everywhere, and snakes have killed themselves through doing this. 

Spider Ball Python with Wobble

Spiders 

There are over a thousand morphs of ball pythons, there are so many. There are a select few that are connected to neurological issues such as the wobble, the main one being the spider gene. 

Spiders are truly a gorgeous morph, and what makes it a spider ball python is the cool pattern they have which has a spider web design. Look, I think they're cool as fuck, but I don't know if I'm completely on board with the breeding of them. Why? Because if you think "wobble" your mind immediately goes to the spider gene, because these guys are one of the most known morphs for having neurological issues like the wobble. They can also be born with kinks in their necks. 

Some info I came across back in the day when I was looking into the spider gene and the connection to the wobble is shocking, and completely put me off every buying one. If I were ever to own one, I would want it to be a rescue, as I don't want to support or encourage the breeding of them by buying one from a breeder. That's just my personal stance on it. 

Spider Ball Python 

Info I found out about: 

• Around 1 out of every 20 spider ball python eggs are stillborns due to undeveloped brains. 

• When the babies hatch, the majority of them will have difficulty eating due to the wobble. Then, breeders will apparently force feed the babies (which is very stressful for the snake by the way) to help them get through their first shed or two, and then they either die of starvation from the owners that may not know how to force/assist feed a snake, or they are culled because they're viewed as lost causes by the breeders, as they aren't going to waste resources on a snake that can't eat and won't have a great quality of life due to the wobble. 

• 4-5 of every 20 spiders that hatch will die due to the wobble defect. 

• Most of the spiders that make it to the juvenile stage will develop a more severe wobble, which, again, is gonna cause major issues with feeding. They will need to be assist/force fed which is very stressful for the snake, and most will either die from banging their heads or they'll die from starvation if they're given to a beginner or green keeper that isn't confident with assist feeding snakes. Also, assist feedings can be tricky because there's a high chance that the snake will regurgitate the meal, which can cause thermal burns in the snakes throat and mouth due to the strong stomach acid. 

• Apparently, when you see the spiders that have made it into adulthood, their wobble isn't too bad, and that's because the ones that had the bad wobbles or defects have already died either due to banging their heads, starvation, or stress. 

The other morphs that commonly have the wobble are the woma gene, hidden woma, super sables, champagne, powerball etc. The morphs that are known to be born with the most severe wobbles are Sable x Spider and Champagne x Hidden Woma combinations. 

Champagne Ball Python

Conclusion 

I just don't get why we as a community continue to breed snakes that we know are likely to have genetic defects that will affect the snakes quality of life. I don't understand it, and I don't get why we as a community continue to buy and support the breeding of these snakes. I feel like it's very unethical to continue breeding defective morphs. 

However, I do get, in a sense, why we continue to breed. I guess that if we were ever to find a way to breed out the defects and create a healthier version of the morphs, that's going to take more breeding. I suppose to create healthy bloodlines in any animal, you need to pick the healthiest adults and breed them and see if it creates healthier babies and so on. I suppose it's necessary to try and fix the issue in the morphs, but it's a double edged sword isn't it. I don't like the ethics of breeding these genetically defective snakes, but I understand that in order to one day remove that defect we need reputable breeders to continue their breeding projects and try. 

The breeder I got Sylvester from breed spiders and champagnes, and they mostly produce healthy babies, and I will always recommend them as hobbyist breeders because they do it for the right reasons, they're passionate about creating cool, healthy and beautiful ball pythons. But, although I would go back and purchase another snake from them in the future, I wouldn't choose to purchase one of their snakes that has the spider or champagne gene, because I don't want to support the breeding of them. 

All in all, I think spiders are gorgeous, I would totally own one myself but I would get a rescue, and I would make damn sure I was totally informed and ready to deal with any consequences of the gene that may come my way. 

If you want a spider ball python, or a champagne, or a powerball or any of these morphs that often are born with a genetic defect, just do your research. Both into the wobble and what you may have to do to give the snake the best life possible, e.g. Assist feedings, make sure you also find a reputable breeder and ask lots and lots of questions. Try to purchase the healthiest snake you can, ask if the snake has the wobble, ask how severe it is, go and see the snake before you purchase it so you can see for yourself how bad the symptoms of the defect are, and then decide if you can provide the best care for a snake with special needs. 

Do your research, and enjoy your snake. 

Bye!