Spent a good half hour reading this thread and have a few comments.

First: its the most amusing thread I have read in awhile...some unknown claims a certain breed/morph of ball pythons has negative features (ie skinny, doesn't produce well) but has no true facts to back up, just alot of type.

Second: Robyn's deserts look a good weight for their size/age and being only 2 years old, I am not surprised he hasn't had any eggs from them...Most books I have read and care sheets about ball pythons recommend females to be at least two years old before being bred with three or older being better. Too many breeders, both big and small, rush their snakes into breeding...just because they can produce eggs in their second summer, doesn't mean its good for them to do so or their yields are best. From most posts I have looked through in this forum year after year..I have noticed larger clutches with higher hatch rates come from females who are over 3 years old.

I can understand people who buy high end morphs, spending a lot of money will want to breed a year sooner...to get their money back asap, even if they just get 2-3 eggs to hatch...instead of maybe twice as much if they wait another year. Competition in the 'ball game' to produce the next new morph or combination, certainly pushes rushing the snakes.

Personally, I rather wait an extra year or two, and feed snakes on a more sedate feeding schedule. But that is me and I haven't successfully bred my ball pythons (when I had some that is)....though the reason was because the 'female' I thought I Had and tried to breed to a proven male pastel...turned out to be a male too...

Third Point: The 'big breeders' have no say over which posts are pulled from Kingsnake.com or any of the online hobbyist sites, that is determined by moderators who (to my knowledge as I don't know them all personally...but among the reptile ones I have met) are not big breeders. Posts are pulled if they do not comply with the Terms of Service, the rules for having the privilege of posting here. This is a private website, all posters are here by the site's owners/moderators discretion. Violating TOS will result in posts being pulled, temporary or permanent bans, on a case by case basis.

Everybody who creates an account must accept and abide by the TOS...its part of the registration process...by agreeing to it, you are expected to follow the TOS...if not, then measures will be taken as indicated above.

Note: the term 'You' does nor refer to anybody in particular, just all posters in general.

Fourth Point: In the past, breeders have posted negative traits of morphs and have not been torn apart over it. I don't know who was first in posting the spider wobble issue...whether it was present in the first spider taken from the wild, or came to light in subsequent breedings..but spiders are well documented here as having a head wobble.

Fifth Point: Debate is more than welcome in these forums, just remember the TOS. However it is strongly suggested if you are going to make a claim, back it up with some form of proof...pictures and videos are both acceptable methods. Afterall, anybody can create an anonymous account and state a claim...

Hmm thought I had another point but I think I said all I wanted to say about this thread.
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PHLdyPayne

Forum Princess

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