Are Ball Pythons Semi-Arboreal? (Video)

Pythons Ball Pythons
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Ok… I saw a post on here highlighting a video where a YouTube channel stated that ball pythons are semi arboreal!!!

This is actually true… For males during growth stages and breeding seasons… MALES!!!

I started to watch the video with an open mind and the papers that the YouTube channel was using to make their points I have also read and there is a lot more in those papers than the channel disclosed.

The papers were not up-to-date and gives an account of the species in the wild, not captivity.

I left the channel a very positive comment and I believed after watching the video that the channel was just trying to educate… But then I watched it again and quickly realised that he was, in parts of the video attacking breeders by saying phrases like ‘ramming a rodent down its mouth’.

when you listen to the commentator it sounds like he has an issue with breeders. :man_shrugging:t3:

So I decided to watch a few more of his videos.

He did a video on ‘feeding a Mexican black kingsnake a ball python’ … Then I quickly realised that he was not educating reptile keepers but in fact using titles of his videos to attract viewers and to try to build a platform.

Mexican black kingsnakes and ball pythons on nowhere near each other in the wild so a Mexican black kingsnake would not be eating a ball python and in his video about all pythons been semi arboreal he seems to attack breeders for wanting to feed their ball pythons rodents as he claims that the papers that he used as evidence suggest that males would also eat small birds and baby birds as part of their natural diet…:thinking:…

eating small birds I can agree on, but why talk about natural diets if your feeding your king on ball pythons???

Channels and videos like this I believe are made to spark a debate, to which the video will get a high number of views and the channel will gain subscribers… It’s not about educating the community nor educating new keepers. It’s about numbers!!!

I have been a keeper of ball pythons for over 15 years including keeping them in Viv’s and I have the data, for keeping in captivity and I know what works for me and most importantly what’s best for the snakes health… Happy ball pythons = feeding ball pythons… Feeding ball pythons = breeding ball pythons :+1:t3:

we as a reptile community have more success in captive breeding than any zoo in the world.

I would like to close this article with this paragraph…

We must use all sources available to us to help improve where needed our understanding of animals and not take anything as proof unless we have tried every aspect of keeping and breeding of a species.

Everything I put out on my channel is my own own data from over the years of keeping and breeding ball pythons in captivity.

Thank you for reading and have a great day
Gavin
Balls2u

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This sir is 1000 correct and doesn’t get acknowledged enough. I’ve watched and enjoyed your video’s for years. I would like to personally thank you for the information you provide for all keepers! This is what we need more of in our community! When I first tried my hand at breeding snakes 20 years ago all I ever heard was that I would never be able to get wild caught short tail pythons to breed in captivity. Not one soul lent me any advice. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place idk. But in today’s age of information all keepers and breeders should be sharing information for the good of the hobby! Keep up the good work sir!

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Gav, you know I love you man, but I am going to add one other small caveat on here to make your statement more accurate: ‘This is actually true… In a forested habitat, primarily for males during growth stages and breeding seasons… MALES!!!’

That habitat mention is important because, over their entire range, balls inhabit many different habitat types, many of which lack trees for climbing in.

Not trying to be pedantic, just going for the whole picture because, as you say, it is about education :+1:t4:

Cheers buddy

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So youre saying if my BP is eating every week without a problem then he is most likely healthy and happy?

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I want to throw a small clarification here. Speakeasy did NOT call me a virus. What he said was that this community was suffering from the same “virus” that infects social media sites. Which is to say, the mentality of “I am only going to look at this superficially (e.g., the headline) and not look beyond that and if your opinion is different than mine, I will disregard everything you say as a lie”

Yes, he made the statement in reply to my answering a quote of his, but it was not really about me. Or at least not directly and entirely me.

I appreciate the support everyone here has shown for me. It really means a lot :relaxed:

And while my reply to Speakeasy was done under the umbrella of me as just a forum member, I am now going to request, under the umbrella of me as a Mod, that we as a community quit replying back to Speakeasy as if he had directly attacked me while also proving him incorrect about this community being no better than other social media sites by continuing to have coherent and spirited discussions, even if we disagree with one another.

Cheers all

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I agree :100: with Travis.

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I have never claimed to know it all. I think I have frequently admitted I’m not an expert on everything.

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Instead of throwing out insults, maybe you should try to be constructive in your criticism. Goes a long way.

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…

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That does make sense. Blue on some light colored morph would look amazing.

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I didnt watch the video. Three or four sentences was enough to know there is an agenda from the videographer. I have read a similar paper though. It leaned heavily on dimorphism and evolutionary ecology and biology. The authors belief was that males being smaller, less able to compete for shelter and protect itself will move into shrubs and low lying trees as a means to remove itself from predation. The behavior was displayed by juveniles, not adults. I dont think that necessarily means they are arboreal. Dogs swim, doesn’t make them aquatic. Birds can walk on their feet, they are still avians. If given an enclosure with a branch and a small hide bps are going to spend 99% of their time in the hide. Just my 2 cents

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I’m with you. Dudes word is straight gold until proved otherwise. I would love to have 10% of his knowledge, Deb and Tom as well. I’ve stopped asking questions. I just read what they have to say here and other forums.

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I think there is a lot to be learned by a lot of people on here. I’ve been doing this a long time and I’m constantly learning new things. As long as everyone always keeps an open mind there’s always things we can learn and improve on. As with anything in life keeping a open mind will always get you farther imo. I love the fact that this hobby has such a diverse group!!! The love of reptiles is what we all have in common and what will only make our community stronger as long as we are willing to listen and learn from each other!!!

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I just passed the 1 year date of my first bp. Some of the staff on here have been huge in helping me up my game. Not just with direct advice here on m/m but also in other forums. Deb has a digital footprint of thousands of posts over the last decade. I couldnt guess how many hundreds of hours I have spent researching bps in the last year. Definitely grateful for everyone who has shared their knowledge and experience. My 11 bps and I are definitely better off for it.

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I spent a vast majority of my snake keeping days working with blood pythons. I’ve been working with balls for quite some time now but I also spent a lot of time reading things Deb wrote over many different forums. I have learned a lot from the things she has shared over the years. And still learning a lot about genetics and how it really works from Travis and Hillary.

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Yeah ya right. I plan on completing my bp collection by the end of this year. A pair of T- Blood Pythons is next on the list. Followed by Bamboo Rat Snakes. This hobby aint cheap tho. Put almost 9k into the industry in 2020. This year will be about the same.

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No but it is also necessary whenever you buy a new snake or gene odds are the person you buy it from paid more than you for it! Without people making money we wouldn’t have near the amount of morphs and captive bred animals. Before the captive breeding boom most people were just collectors the animals we bought were wild caught and not always the healthiest. The expansion of captive breeding provided everyone with access to healthy bred in captivity animals in all different morphs. This also alleviated the effects of collection on wild caught populations.

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Truth. Throw in racks, rat colony and mice colony, extra tubs, etc. Hell, I still havent gotten an incubator, hatchling rack, packing and shipping, all sorts of expenses still due. I will be about 30k in and well overprepared before I ever get a hatchling, and Im just a hobbiest/enthusiast. Lol. I manage bars on Bourbon st as my “job”

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I knew nola was New Orleans Louisiana!!! Been many times!!! But I fear we have gotten a little of topic! If there is ever anything I can help you with don’t hesitate to ask. And glad to have you as part of the community. Unfortunately no 3 for 1 specials on reptiles lol. Best of luck with your future breedings! Be sure to post pictures of your bloods when you get them!!!

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I…see were I should responsibility. @speakeasy_serpents my comment about you calling t_h_wyman a virus was wrong. I obviously as I reread over the topic as a whole, that is not want you meant. I would like the opportunity to be forgiven by you for assuming that you were being negative, and calling you out on something that was not even what you said. Again I am sorry to you @speakeasy_serpents.

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