As everyone else has said - find something you’re passionate about! The ball python market is incredibly hard to make a mark in, especially with the major players taking up a lot of the consumers who are looking for snakes. However, ball pythons ignited my love for reptiles, and after finding out how mistreated they are as breeders, as well as the use of wobble morphs and how much of an impact those can make on a snake’s well being, I wanted to become a breeder.
Plenty of research in hand, and a drive for change, I am working on building a collection focused on ethically kept snakes while improving genetic quality, physical structure, and overall quality of life for my snakes. With this in mind, it’s also hard to choose just one project to stick to! My best advice? Find a species you love, some genes you’re passionate about, and dedicate a piece of yourself to the betterment of your animals.
However, it’s also important to note that breeding is not the next step in keeping. I love seeing people with large collections who aren’t focused on breeding, but rather simply providing outstanding care for their collection. Take time to figure out if you can handle the ups and downs of breeding, talk with breeders, and possibly even mentor under several before “deciding” to breed. It’s a long, tough road, but it certainly isn’t the only option out there.
Disclaimer: While I have chosen to ixnay the use of morphs like spider, woma, HGW, ect. in my program, I mean absolutely no harm to those that do work with those morphs. I believe it to be a personal choice and every breeder to be free in choosing which genes they do and don’t work with.