Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi im 17 and looking to get into ball python breeding as soon as i can when my parents let me or i turn 18 and move out. during all my research and reading the forum i havent seen anything about it but what is thee deal with inbreeding? is it ok to breed two snkes out of the same litter? Cold any problems occur from it?

Well, as far as I know it's O.K. as long as neither has a kinked spine or stuff like that. Actually you want to to keep the line the same(line breeding) by breeding siblings together, it will purify the bloodline! But thats not from actual experiance just research.

Thx alot.

You should have quite a bit more experience before attempting to breed them. Also inbreeding is only used as a last resort, when it is used to purify a line it is because they have only found one of that morph and want to reproduce it. Try at all costs to avoid inbreeding, it will not cause imediate problems, but will perpetuate any ggenetic defects in the snake.

I thought breeding ball pythons was as easy as corn snakes? They need heat, humidity, food, and then a slight drop in temp. correct?

i would be raising my pair b4 breeding for at least a year and i have other snakes my parents wont let me get "Big" snakes for a stupid reason and i know a very reputable breeder that is a docter in my imedeate area. but if i want to breed a super pastel line inbreeding is ok but if possible you would want to get a say male from another line thats super for a female that you already have thats super to get supers with the best results,right?

That'll be SUPER!!!

It is still best for everyone in the long run if you avoid inbreeding at all costs - especially in well-established morphs.

Inbreeding is unfortunately a very common practice, and there are arguments both for and against this practice.

Most people get into snakes in some way or another to see a return on an investment. *NOTICE: I NEVER say "ALL people"* Consider this scenario: In order to do see a return on their investment, many people will buy one animal with a trait (or that is just heterozygous for a trait), and something to breed it to. They then save back all of the offspring, and breed them back to the parent with the trait.

As it was brought up earlier in this thread, yes, this can be done to propogate a trait that is extremely rare, however it is commonly used to make a quick buck.

So what happens to the genetics involved here when the offspring bred back to the parent yield offspring that the breeder wants to sell? A lot of times those animals will be bought by someone who similarly wants to make a quick buck, and buys the animal in question and something to breed it to, saves back all of the offspring from that mating and mate them back to their orignal parent animal with the trait... and so on.

The argument that was brought up against inbreeding here, was the mention of genetic defects that could be harmful to the animals. Any good geneticist (or anyone who has had a good class on genetics) would see a problem with the scenario I've illustrated - which has gone on in the reptile trade for DECADES.

Some scary bad genes are carried by all species. You know how people make fun of each other with the "that's what happens when cousins marry" kind of thing? The point it that is you mate related individuals, any of the strange recessive genes that they share (because they are related) but don't express (because they are recessive, and rare) are much more likely to be expressed in their offspring (because both parents, being related, are more likely to carry the same weird scary recessive genes). That's why there are some seriously scary traits in humans that are usually not seen because it is usually unacceptable for relatives to mate or marry.

Basically, if you would have a problem accepting people of a certain degree of relation mating with each other and having kids, DON'T do it with your reptiles!! And if you wouldn't have a problem with human siblings breeding, or parents and children breeding, DON'T HAVE KIDS, and please still don't do that with your reptiles!!!

Just my thoughts on the matter here.
~Rebecca
-----
1.1 Ball Pythons (1.0 '05 Ghost, 0.1 '03 Normal)
0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40 lb darling lap dogs)

"Actually you want to to keep the line the same(line breeding) by breeding siblings together, it will purify the bloodline! But thats not from actual experiance just research"
If you believe that - you must be from the 'holler'

What was the "stupid reason" that your parents had? If you think, at 18 years so, you're going to have all this disposable income to buy snakes, you might want to reconsider your future plans.

And your id
-----
1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC