Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My son just bought a Spider Ball Python. I have 2 questions. 1) I have found conflicting info on whether or not this is a proven co-dominant trait. (for someone who hasbeen out of college many years that was a big statement!) and 2)Even I can tell spiders from looking at them but what "qualifications" are there so to speak to make them a good or quality Spider?

The trait is dominant I believe.

As for what you are looking for, this is from NERD's website:

This beautiful mutation shows a lot of variety - from light, burnished gold animals with high white laterals & thin pattern, to deep, rich coffee brown snakes with thick webbing & minimal white sides, not to mention everything in between! Spiders also possess slatey green eyes, black moustaching on the upper lip and funky head patterns that vary as much as each individual animal. Spiders tend to be strong feeders & strong breeders, and have what many keepers consider an outgoing personality that seems to be genetic. The Spider has also proven to cross extremely well into other color & pattern morphs, resulting in many gorgeous & popular designer combos, with new additions every year.

I am to understand that the spider is co-dom, but the super forms died quickly after hatching. I also herd that there could be a dominant spider out there that would throw all spiders when spiderXnormal breeding, but that it wouldn't look any different from any other spider out there and the only way to prove it dominant is to get all spiders 3 years in a row. ......idk.

Spiders are considered a dominant morph - meaning that their het form and homo form are visually identical. Tho it is questioned whether anyone really has a proven homo spider for this to be considered a fact - the probability is that there are some out there or that at least they have been knowingly produced but have died.

If you are planning on breeding your spider please be sure you are aware of the spider wobble issues.

As far as the visually appealing side of the morph - clean patterns and nice thin "webbing" - some people like high white some people prefer low white - wicked head patterns are also a plus. But really it's dependent on your taste.

Congrats on the new addition and good luck!
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Tosha
JET Pythons
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Herp Medicine does not equal a bottle of Baytril - Dr. Scott Stahl