Reptile & Amphibian Forums

....but ive noticed a sort of trend on this forum. I realize that this forum is meant to educate people on the keeping and breeding of ball pythons. That said I find it strange that a number of folks with websites offering balls for sale are often asking basic husbandry questions. Personally I think one should know every aspect of a species care BEFORE breeding them for the pet trade. I bought a ball 15 years ago, my first exotic snake, and only now am I venturing in to the breeding aspect of the species. My point is this, before you try to breed ball pythons, you should know how to deal with a problem feeder,a poor shed, mites, ticks, RI, etc etc etc.

Keep em healthy, Keep em happy, Keep em because you love to keep em, and then maybe you can make some cash breeding them.

Then you've missed the other trend. There's quick money to be made in ball pythons, or at least most people think so. And when there is money to be made, people throw caution to the wind.

I think that I see your point. If you're suggesting that it's a problem to begin a breeding business on a money-driven whim, I would agree with you. More people should think about this before making the investment. It would be better for the breeder as well as the animals.

However, I don't completely agree with the blanket assumption that anyone who asks questions should not be in the breeding business. I purchased my first BP six years ago. I still have him. And I am still learning about him. I think like most hobbies, interests, or crafts, this is a life-long learning process. New situations pop up all the time. New tricks are discovered. And new questions are formed. I think that if you wait until you "know every aspect of a species care BEFORE breeding them for the pet trade", then you are likely to never start breeding at all.

The basic care should be known -- temperature, humidity, lighting, etc. This takes five minutes and an internet connection. Anything else is a learning process and requires questions.

I agree that jumping blind and headfirst into a breeding business is unwise, but I believe that continuing on without asking questions is even more unwise.

Chris
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mean people suck

I don't think anyone ever stops learning in any worthwhile pursuit. One of the guys at work used to have a signature line on his e-mails that said something like, "If we could make full use of only 25% of what we know, we'd operate so well that we'd leave all of our competition in the dust." His point is that we "know" a great deal but often forget the particulars of how to use what we know or even forget some of the details of what we know. In many of life's pursuits, the secret to success is just reviewing the basics one more time.

I don't know enough about snakes to pass judgement on someone else's questions. I can see where people could easily become caught in the excitement of breeding and jump into projects for which they aren't well prepared. At times, I see some of the amazing animals shown on this board and doubt my own resolve to enjoy the two snakes that I have and focus on learning about keeping them healthy and happy. It's a tough balance to strike, and I'm not surprised that some people fall on the side of breeding before they've developed much experience.

I'm not trying to slam gabonica for raising the issue. The warning is worthwhile.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

After many years of owning balls - there are still new and different things that I find. Sometimes a posted question is not really about ignorance but a way to gather new or different ideas and opinions. It's always good and necessary to be able to question and share, and continue learning.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

10.35.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.1 Lizard rescued from feline
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer