Have an Albino ball python born with a small kink near the tail. Do yall charge a small fee to make sure it goes to a good home or just give it away at shipping price. Eats and poops fine just not sure what to do. I would love to hear what other breeders do. Thanks a bunch
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Personally I do not sell any animal that has a defect regardless of how small.
By charging a low fee for pet only it often guarentes that the person will breed the animal especially if it is a higher end gene. (Some people love get into new projects for cheap even if that mean breeding animals that are not perfect.)
So since I don’t believe in breeding less than perfect animal nor do I want to contribute to it, I usually keep the animal until I found a suitable home where I know the animal will be a pet. (Takes time to find the right people)
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Just starting breeding this year and hopefully I won’t need the advice for a long time, but I really like that idea so thanks for letting us know what you do @stewart_reptiles! I never really thought about that situation either, so thanks @jodrma for asking the question!
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I have been fortunate enough not to have encountered this issue as yet and hopefully my run of luck continues for a good long time to come. However, I have considered my options should such a scenario occur.
I’ve been in the hobby (although not breeding) for a good 25 years, if not longer, and have gained many friends that I trust immensely. My first choice would be to keep the animal myself and give it a good life as nothing more than a pet however, if any of said friends expressed an interest in taking on the care of that animal, I would not hesitate in letting them do so. I know they would only have the animals welfare in mind and would not be looking to make a fast buck so to speak. If they did, they would be excommunicated faster than a really fast thing travelling at full pelt. But, I’ve known some of these people for almost as long as I’ve been in the hobby so if that happened, I would be VERY surprised.
I wouldn’t charge them for it but if they insisted on making a donation it would (as all my money is) be poured straight back in to enhancing the life and well being of all the animals in my care.
Hi everybody. Not to stir up controversy but this seems like an interesting topic for discussion. I should start with a disclaimer….I am not a breeder and currently I just enjoy keeping snakes as pets. As a breeder and if you avoid selling animals with small defects like the one mentioned, do you also avoid breeding animals with known issues like spider or any other morph/combinations that have known issues? The reason I ask is because I am on the fence with breeding morphs with known issues. I currently have a spider and she is great, would I buy another? Absolutely! Would I breed her……I don’t know? How do you determine that a defect justifies being held back or sold as pet quality only and do you still breed morphs that have known issues? Is it better to avoid breeding certain morphs altogether or is it better to inform and educate the buyer and let them decide? I know the answer is always going to be personal preference but ……I am on the outside looking in and trying to learn from people with experience. My spider and I would like to thank you in advance. She has an acoustic guitar for a head stamp.
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Here is the thing with spiders… is there a neurological issue yes. Does it affect quality of life ? In 99% of spiders no it does not. I have quiet a bit of spider in my collection. They are some of my best feeders. I reduce any risk to them by feeding frozen thawed. They shed perfectly. They breed like machines. They do everything my non wobble snakes do. The issue with other morphs some do affect the quality of life. Take for example super black pastel or supper cinnies… they can produce animals with kinks. Kinks so bad that animal will never be able to take a meal or even pass the meal through the kink. Like a kinked neck. That is the difference in my eyes. Do I wish spiders didn’t have a wobble absolutely. Do all my spiders feed , and live like my other animals yes they do. The only time I ever really see a wobble in my spiders is dinner time. It’s the excitement. I keep mine in a low traffic low stress condition, and they don’t give me any issues. It just comes down to you, and what you want to do. I love spiders shame they get so much hate. Far as I know I always heard the first spider was a captured wild male. If he lived in the wild with the wobble I’m sure living in captivity being worshipped is a cake walk lol.
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Thanks for sharing @scosta56. It sounds like your experience with breeding spiders has been a positive one. I appreciate when breeders divulge information both good and bad. I have much respect for Kevin McCurley’s knowledge base on these animals and appreciate when he shares information but confused on why he didn’t divulge the wobble earlier. Maybe he did and I just missed it. The oldest mention I can find for the spider wobble came from Ralph Davis in 2005. I also really appreciate @owalreptiles taking the time to compile a list known morph issues. The internet can be a great source for information but it can also be riddled with bad information and a lack of information. Example: Scaleless BP’s. I can buy one on the market today. I have spent the last week looking for husbandry information and found very little information from actual breeders. Instead, I find he said she said horror stories. I know big and small breeders are busy but a little drip feeding of information on new projects being released and failed projects would be really beneficial for the hobby. People like me want to buy your snakes but we don’t want any uncommunicted problems. Thanks again.
Just picked this little darling up recently…….
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Oh yah……all most forgot. Communicating issues doesn’t mean people like me won’t buy your snakes. We just need to know what we are getting into. I like a good challenge and find it rewarding. Deepens my understanding…of myself and of the snake. 
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Anytime ! I try to share everything I’ve learned over these last 10 years keeping. I’m still learning myself. Whether it’s about genes or new and improved husbandry practices. I have to for the animals in my care. I wish I had the answers for you about the scaleless project unfortunately I do not. It just wasn’t a gene I got into. Back in the early 2000s information wasn’t as easily passed as it is today. We have countless platforms to share our experiences where as back then they didn’t have a fraction of today. Mostly forums which not everyone was apart of yet alone knew existed.
Beautiful pick up by the way ! I hope you two enjoy many years together.
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dfc112 had a really good question but i would like to ask one about spider wobble. do the offspring that appear normal with out the spider trait have the wobble or is just those that are spider. I have a killer spinner and I am planning to breed her . I have yet to see any wobble in her but was wondering if it would pass on to offspring that aren’t spider.
@landshark1074 The wobble is a neurological disorder that gets passed onto any offspring that has the spider gene, pure spider or not. The degree of wobble can vary and change throughout the life of the snake. In most cases the wobble doesn’t affect the spiders ability to thrive. If the offspring do not carry the spider gene the neurological disorder associated with the spider is not present.
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The spider Gene being dominant all offspring that don’t express the spider pattern wouldn’t have the spider gene and therefore wouldn’t have the wobble. The head wobble is then specifically connected to the spider gene.
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