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I have been thinking a lot about this since Brian posted the statement earlier and I have this question. If "Burm-disease" was a genetic disorder like the myth states and was originated from inbreeding, then why is it not seen in the Ball pythons. The Ball pythons have been line bred a heck of a lot more than the Burms. Everytime a new morph is found it is line bred and thus following the same principles should create some form of "Ball Disease", Just looking for some others ideas on this. Todd

You'd think that if they had anything at all good to report that they would have posted it. Makes me wonder how many young animals they may have lost. Gives me the impression that they have something they want to hide. I'm just glad that Rob posted what he did. It demonstrates a positive pattern.

Does the myth state that the disease is a genetic disorder caused from inbreeding? I never read up on it, tending to believe what I see more than what I read, but it was my understanding from the bits of information I have heard that it is in fact a virus that is passed on to the offspring and lies dormant for several years only to surface and kill the snake. The things I had heard about anything genetic concerned a supposedly weaker immunity system due to inbreeding. There are a lot of factors about this subject I am sure. While my common sense tells me that this makes perfect sense, I am also aware that I have seen no evidence to date to support this. I have also heard from numerous reliable sources (without a vested interest in the reptile market) that a number of generations of inbreeding is not detremental in reptiles. I never believe anything wholeheartedly without conclusive data or evidence to back it, but I certainly listen when I hear things and keep them in mind until I learn the facts.

>>I have been thinking a lot about this since Brian posted the statement earlier and I have this question. If "Burm-disease" was a genetic disorder like the myth states and was originated from inbreeding, then why is it not seen in the Ball pythons. The Ball pythons have been line bred a heck of a lot more than the Burms. Everytime a new morph is found it is line bred and thus following the same principles should create some form of "Ball Disease", Just looking for some others ideas on this. Todd
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"If I had 365 enemies it would only take a year out of my life to settle all scores." Mia Miselfani

I have no particular information on whether burm disease in genetic or not, but I think you misunderstand the theory. The reason inbreeding tends to cause problems in most animals (someone correct me if I'm wrong here) is that it brings long dormant recessive genes that already exist but are almost never expressed to the surface. If ball pythons don't carry a gene for something similar, no amount of inbreeding will make it appear. We can probably assume that balls might carry other latent genes that could cause different problems, but maybe just not that one...

>>I have been thinking a lot about this since Brian posted the statement earlier and I have this question. If "Burm-disease" was a genetic disorder like the myth states and was originated from inbreeding, then why is it not seen in the Ball pythons. The Ball pythons have been line bred a heck of a lot more than the Burms. Everytime a new morph is found it is line bred and thus following the same principles should create some form of "Ball Disease", Just looking for some others ideas on this. Todd
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Larry D. Fishel
Side effects may include paralysis
and death but are generally mild.