Opinions on the scaleless head project

Don’t they require more humidity and have issues with being too dry and wrinkly? Stuck shed is a problem with them from what I hear. I have yet to see a super scaleless adult BP so I am wondering if they actually grow without health problems.

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I saw a video of a young adult one on youtube. I want to find out the exact proper way to keep them to improve those problems!

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Scalessness is not good. The animals end up injuring themselves more easily via burns from the heat source and cuts from slithering around which causes them to have to shed a lot more often. A scaless snake’s problems can’t be solved with sunscreen and little sweaters like a hairless cat. It looks interesting but not only is it more work for the keeper, it’s more work for the animal too. They shouldn’t be bred at all

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Both the problem you named can be fixed by changing its habitat. Of course it cant be kept the same as a normal ball python because it not a normal ball python it need special care, a hairless cat has problems as well and people adapted the animals care to make them good pets. So why should we not try to do the same with a python?

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agreed, they kinda freak me out :rofl:

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I think I’ve watched almost every scalesshead video on youtube so far! Thanks for the link! I’m trying to gather more then just a few youtubers who are breeding thems perspective on the project :slight_smile:

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In my opinion scale mutations are faults to the snake because it causes issues with shedding…

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Maybe not so much a fault, if you watch the videos @stewart_reptiles posted you will see it is very very easily taken care of. Just as easy as removing stuck shed from a normal pall python? I mean if your not checking your animal frequently enough to notice if its having a problem just not the snake for you! Totally understand your opinion

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Scaleless ball pythons are beautiful, and issues with shedding can be mitigated relatively easily, but for me it comes down to the fact that they don’t retain belly scales like colubrids do. Scaleless corns/rats still have belly scales as movement and heat protection, but since ball pythons don’t, I’m especially worried about safety in movement and heat regulation through the exposed belly. Not saying they’re bad at all, but I personally will need to see a lot more long-term evidence of scaleless BPs thriving before I consider getting into that project. And like with any potentially problematic gene (neuro complex, super black pastel, etc.) I think it’s the breeder’s responsibility to educate buyers on potential issues these animals may experience, and given how many people get into ball pythons and know nothing about spider/woma/HGW/etc. have neurological issues, I don’t have the utmost confidence that the necessary education would happen.

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I completly agree with that. That was one of my plans as well wanted to see if I could find a morph that retains its belly scales but has no back scales that is genetic! Probably not going to happen but would be cool to hatch for sure! I actually had no idea colubrid scaleless kept there belly scales! I think with the proper care they definetly can thrive. I’d much rather have a scaleless snake that needs extra care then one with neuro issues for sure. I’m not hating on those morphs I’ll probably own a spider one day because I love the way some of the morphs look but I dont know if I would breed them, I think scaless can have good quality of life with proper care but bad neuro issues can make a snakes life much worse. Just a personal opinion!

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Scaleless snakes seem wrong to me. But to each their own.

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Exactly I’ll never give anyone shit for the project they are working on unless it has been proven that the snake can not possibly live a good life with its conditions. Scaless ball pythons are a little wierd to me but at the same time I think there uniqueness is awesome and one of the reasons I want to work with them!

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Also just so you’re aware, you mentioned you may be hesitant on breeding neuro gene animals - champagne is also a neuro gene. So if you do want to avoid breeding neuro genes, a scaleless head champagne isn’t the place to start. Just in case you’re unaware!

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I was unaware of that!! Thank you for letting me know, is it as bad in champagnes as it is in other morphs? If so I’ll def be considering removing it from my breeding plans

It depends on the individual snake. 9 times out of 10 the snake will be perfectly fine and not have much wobble so long as they are kept correctly (low stress and lower temps at around 86-88°F). It is rare to have a snake with a wobble that actually affects them negatively. I would personally rather have a snake that may have a chance to have a wobble than one that needs to be treated like it is made of paper/exposed to higher humidity at a constant rate given the chance for RIs. The only scaleless snakes I am even slightly ok with(would never own one) are colubrids given they still keep their belly scales. Belly scales help an animal move and protects them so I find them having those being more important than aesthetic.

I have a champagne combo and he doesn’t show much wobble aside from the occasional shimmy at feeding time (doesn’t happen everytime). If I didn’t know what to look for I wouldn’t know he has a wobble tbh.


This is Akira, my Banana champagne pastel het VPI. He doesn’t even have a wobble when he climbs and holds his head out. Doesn’t have a head tilt either and is second only to my rat snake in how adventurous he is. He isn’t head shy and seems to like exploring too.

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It isn’t quite as severe as some of the others, but it is still present, and does get severe when bred with any other neuro gene in combination (as with all of them). And as for whether you want to breed it, it’s really personal preference. A lot of people say that wobble syndrome doesn’t negatively affect the snake, but I personally, having done all possible research, don’t see how that can be possible. I think it is inherently unethical to breed an animal knowing it may, at some point in its life, develop a syndrome that prevents it from balancing, eating, or moving correctly, however minor. Therefore, I will never breed a neuro gene animal for any reason, nor will I buy one from a breeder.

THAT SAID, this isn’t meant to start an argument on the ethics of breeding neuro genes - there’s a whole thread on that already. There are many people who disagree with my stance on that. And some people have a similar stance to that on breeding scaleless ball pythons, but are fine with neuro genes. It’s just a choice you have to make for yourself and your own breeding program.

I tend to err on the side of caution in all cases. I think scaleless ball pythons are beautiful and super awesome. But I, personally, want to see a long train of evidence that they not only live, eat, and breed, but that they THRIVE before I consider getting into that project. You may discover that the current evidence is enough for you to be comfortable breeding them. That’s for you to decide. :slight_smile:

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Some friendly Advice, breeding is super exciting, but I would start off with a simpler gene and setup just to get a feel and then start working your way up. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I’m not planning to produce scaleless snake for at least 2 years as the male and female I’m considering were hatchlings from this year. I’m going to start with ghi, mojave, mystic and a few others that I will later be hoping to put into the scaleless combo

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I completly agree with what you’ve said! I hope one day my breeding can help you either decide to or not to purchase a scaleless snake!

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