Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In the photo gallery someone brought up that they don't like the craze over bp morphs because of the genetic weaknesses created by imbreeding. I am curious how breeders feel about this statement. Is anyone concerned about creating weakend genetics through this type of breeding?

Do most breeders breed within their own blood lines, or is there enough trades and arrangments between breeders to dispell this opinion. I am not a breeder, but I wonder what we will learn if the genomes of bp are mapped. Is anyone doing research like that? Are there any known negative traits that seem to accompany proven morphs?

They get outcrossed alot with normal CH or CB females that are unrelated. I think the people saying that they are inbred just don't like morphs of any kind, so why not pick on the morphs that are doing the best financially? They are jealous that the animals they work with are always the same old animals (in looks).

JMHO
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CB

The only morph I have heard of to have problems is the Xanthic, but I don't think it is from inbreeding.
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CB

Just curious, what is the associated problem with xanthics?

There was something in a previous post about kinks (possibly) being genetic also.

Are there any pics of kinks so I could see what they look like?

Yes, the problem is alot of them are kinked. I have seen pics of it, but can't remember where. I believe I read that Ralph Davis has seen kinked ones in Africa, and thats why I don't think it is related to ibreeding.
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CB

I had a 50% het piebald male die of constant constipation. My vet did a necropsy and said the muscles associated with the colon where underdeveloped like a genetic condition in cats called magacolon. Of course that doesn't prove it's genetic in snakes and as a 50% chance het he was outbred at least one and probably two generations (might not have ever been inbred as recent as the pied mutation is).

I knew corn snake breeders who talked about inbreeding lines for many generations and claimed no problems. Still, I try hard not to inbreed just in case.

Two points:

Inbreeding is not inherently bad... it can go both ways to weaken a line, OR strengthen it. Extensive indiscriminate inbreeding is most likely detrimental.

The high price of the ball python morphs has made the purchase of multiple animals prohibitive to most individuals. Therefore, extensive outcrossing to wild caught/farm hatched animals have been essential. Ball python morphs have not been extensively inbred... as a general rule (especially the codominant and dominant morphs).