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RE: The truth on female Deserts

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Posted by: dwherp at Tue Mar 8 12:58:49 2011   [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by dwherp ]  
   

T,
You sound like a passionate and reasonably intelligent person. Suppose that we ignore the fact that we don't even know who you are, and entertain the notion that you are speaking honestly. Allow me to provide you with a set of alternate conclusions based upon your alleged observations.

You said that these skinny females you observed were all from one of the two known Desert lines. It also seems obvious that you are not talking about the Pro Exotics/Chiras line. From the many responses you received from those of us having fat and healthy Desert females, it is also clear that the scenario you describe is an isolated event, one that if we are to believe you, is happening in one population of one line if Desert.

There are many things that could cause skinny snakes, some genetic, some not. From the non genetic side: Firstly, they must be provided with sufficient food to maintain good health. Secondly, conditions within the snakes environment must be kept within certain general parameters or the snakes will not thrive. Then, there is always the possibility of contagious disease. Failure to adequately address any of these issues would eventually lead to unhealthy/skinny animals. And yes, skinny females rarely reproduce. When they do, the result is a very small clutch with a high probability of duds.

On the genetic side, and I'm certainly not a specialist in the field, there are also some viable alternate scenarios that that could account for said alleged observations. The first thing that comes to mind, is the fact that there are millions, if not billions, of bits of genetic code that are responsible for creating a ball python. You are focusing all of your attention on the one mutant bit of code responsible for the Desert trait, while ignoring all of the rest! When you realize that the two lines of Deserts each separately originated from single founding animals, you can see how one line could easily suffer from a genetic anomaly that the other does not. You make BIG assumptions, and yes, by jumping way ahead, and not merely presenting an observation, but quickly arriving at your own, probably very bias conclusion, you threaten to unnecessarily hurt a wonderful project... and lots of people.

I, for one, am disgusted by your cowardice. Such an attack, made without the courage to stand up and be accountable is pathetic at best. I'm wondering, if we knew who you are, might we also know the reason why you are so passionate about this cause? Do I sense a grudge?

Dan Wolfe

   

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