Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it possible to breed a ball python with a burmese

Truth? Not very likely. Besides being two entirely different breeds, they mature at different rates. The Burmese being a bit larger at maturity would probably show no intrest in the much smaller ball. I supose anything could happen, but it just seems to be one of those.....not.....kinda things.

I don't believe that Python regius (ball python or royal python) and Python molurus (Indian/Burmese python) can reproduce successfully and here's why:

The animals must be in the same genus to successfully produce offspring, which they are (both species belong to the genus Python). However they are not from the same species (regius and molurus) and are not 'closely' related.

When you mate different species from the same genus, weird things happen...

Parents who successfully breed produce a hybrid. If this hybrid is able to reproduce, then both parents are from the same species and/or subspecies (such as a shi-poo [[bleep]zoo/poodle]) and the offspring is considered still part of that species.

If the hybrid is sterile (unable to reproduce) then the parents came from 2 different species (such as a mule [male donkey/female horse]) but were closely related.

Python regius (ball python or royal python) and Python molurus (Indian/Burmese python) are not closely related species.

Clear as mud!

LOL I thought I said that. Well ok, your explination was a little more in depth.

It is not always a hybrid will be sterile and many time the female hybrids are not. Even excluding the many cases of female hybrids be fertile, you have time when it is even common for sterile males to be fertile. I do not know if a burm and a ball could cross under the most perfect of sizes in each and conditions but I know there is no reason for it.

agreed