Which is better? Different morphs of 1 species or collecting multiple species?

[nachash]

Okay, so I figured I would see what everyone thought about this particular question. When it comes to collecting reptiles there are two goals; having multiple morphs of one species (like say, ball pythons) or having multiple types of animals or species. I suppose some people just collect snakes of various kinds, while others try to collect all kinds, or even all kinds of reptiles or even animals in general.
For myself I kinda care more about having multiple varieties of animals. I know my signature doesn't present as so, but I have 2 balls, a corn, 2 ribbon snakes, 1 leo, 1 crested, 1 pinktoe, an sideneck turtle, and a tiger salamander. I don't want to get any heat for this because it's just my particular goal in reptile keeping, but I like species variety over morph variety. Don't get me wrong, if I could have a "money is no object" animal collection I would have everything...literally. But considering my means I have to limit my animal overhead.
I know many on here love having multiple morphs of the same species so I just want to get a talk going. What do others think about their collections and what they like in terms of the the animals they have? Do you care more about covering the bases in terms of morph or species diversity? Or, maybe someone out there collects only one morph of ball python. Who knows?

[KMG]

I like to have an assortment of animals but have a concentration of bloods that I hope to breed one day.

[dr del]

I think, ultimately, your interests govern the makeup of your collection.

Initially I was interested in a lot of different species and areas but the more I found out and kept them I gradually decided to cut back on the number of species simply because space is limited and ball pythons really were the ones I couldn't see past.

I still get my head turned by nice examples of other species at times but, realistically, I can only house one to be able to breed the morphs I want to own personally.

[Daybreaker]

I get what I like, and I like a lot. I have 11 different species right now and I'd like to add another species of carpet and two boa constrictors, but I am focusing on bulking up my bp morph load for me and my bf's projects.

[liv]

Good topic-- I often battle myself on whether I want more balls or other species.

I think ultimately, for me, I like a somewhat diverse collection. I have mostly ball pythons, but also some leos, a crestie, a boa and some colubrids. The other species spice up my routine with their different temperaments and requirements, and the balls give me the predictability (and adorableness) that make a nice backbone for my collection.

[UltraViolet]

I just have 1 ball python at the moment because it's all I can afford to equip and feed right now. My next snake will be a rainbow boa because I just love them. I used to have an iguana, but I had to give him away because my ex was terrified of him and wouldn't allow him out of his tank which was rapidly getting too small. I am totally enamored of the idea of having a large dinosaur-looking lizard roaming around my house and would like to get another one. Thats about all the responsibility I can handle, so I'd have to stop there.

On the other hand, there's some really gorgeous bp morphs and I would love to have babies... So I might change my mind someday.

[JaGv]

I like all types of constrictor snakes but when it comes to owning one I stick to ball pythons because of their smaller size as adults and how docile they are.

[notmyfault]

I think its up to personal preference what you like to keep.

My girlfriend and I have a fairly diverse collection, 13 BPs, 2 Boas(BCI and BCC), 4 Leos, 3 Cresties, 1 Leachie, and 1 Beardie. Also can't forget about my feeder roach colony which I care for as well.
I find each animal we keep fascinating each with its own personality. The day to day care for each makes for a very interesting experience and I find that there is never a dull moment when keeping them. I take great pride and joy in keeping each species and learning more about them through each interaction.

I know some people like to focus on one specific species, and that's awesome too. The diversity of animals you can keep as well as the different husbandry requirements need to keep them make for endless ways to keep yourself fascinated and interested in the hobby. Whatever floats your boat I guess.

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[meowmeowkazoo]

I think if you only have one room to keep everything in, it's in the best interest of the animals to keep species that have similar husbandry requirements. For instance, I keep ball pythons and boa constrictors because they have similar heat and humidity preferences. I would like to get back into colubrids, but I feel it wouldn't be fair to stick them in a climate that is far too warm and humid for them to be comfortable.

[nachash]

I know this is about personal preference, but there also has to be some more reasoning behind these choices. I mean, this isn't picking different flavors of ice cream; these choices on what animals to keep are usually long term commitments.
I guess it might also stem from what excites the given individual the most about reptile keeping. For me, I like watching reptiles eat, especially snakes (although the meanest animal I have is the turtle, who is a sadist to crickets (ha)) So when I have different types of animals I get watch all different kinds of eating behaviors. One of my favorite examples is with crested geckos, because they'll lick crestie diet right off your finger and it feels like a mini-cat tongue.
Then again, I'll go to a reptile expo and see a table with an assortment of ball morphs and wish it was my birthday all the time forever.

I would love to have a monitor and watch them pile through bugs though. Then again, a chameleon would be spectacular to watch eat.

But that's my take; people have the animals they have because those animals best match their main attractions to the hobby.