Breeding For Something Other Than Color?

[patientz3ro]

So we all know that there's no limit in sight to the color and pattern morphs that BP's can produce, but what about going in a different direction... Has any ever heard of, or tried themselves, to breed for size? Think about it, how epic would a 10ft Coral Glow be?

Anyone else think that idea has potential?

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[satomi325]

Some people breed for size and like larger Ball Pythons. I personally don't because I like the current average size as is. Not too large, not too small.
Plus, it is their smaller size that is keeping them off Government restriction lists and the Lacey Act. Or at least for now.... Although, I do admit that a 10ft Coral Glow would be an impressive sight.


There is also a locale of Ball Python that gets uber huge. Volta region in Ghana seem to spit out snakes that can get 5000-8000g.

[Mr. Misha]

Personally, BPs size is one of their attractive features (at least in my opinion). I think most people who own Balls are happy their snakes aren't 12 feet long. Just a thought..

If you want to get into bigger snakes then I'd suggest Boas or Burmese.

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[Naom9Anne]

Yeah, I'll admit I went for a BP because they tend to grow to a smaller size. I wanted a snake but I wanted a manageable snake when it reached adulthood and corn snakes etc didn't interest me. When I saw and handled a BP I just knew it was the snake for me!

I do think a 10ft coral glow would be amazing though! Not sure I would be able to handle it but it would be something amazing to see!

[Pythonfriend]

i think for a different size, it makes much sense to just pick a different species.

but there are other interesting aspects people could breed for. like selecting for a nice docile character or for a good feeding response or for health and longevity or for large clutch sizes and good fertility. if people factor these things into their decisions to a degree, BPs may be even better pets in a few decades, like in 30 years or 50 years.

i suspect if its not about color/optics and morph combinations, what people mostly select for is good feeding response and fertility and large healthy clutches.

[MrLang]

Breed for size -> 10 foot BP gets out of cage -> BP get banned forever

GG

[Productmur]

If I bred for size, it'd be the other way around, for dwarfism. I think a mini ball would be adorable. :3 But it would take quite some time to establish a miniature population with selective breeding (instead of a dwarfism gene).

Like others are saying, I wouldn't breed for larger. While some like larger snakes, the popularity (and legality) of the ball is often based on its manageable size. I do want a larger snake, but for that, I'm looking forward to getting a boid. :3

[Raven01]

I agree with the current sentiment on breeding for smaller size. Being the only adult in my home comfortable with snakes(and in an area that I believe has a large snake and venomous prohibition) means that Retic's, Burm's and big Green Anacondas are not likely to ever be in my collection.
Now a Super Dwarf Retic, or a Tiger Python is entirely manageable, I just have to check on the local laws to see if they are acknowledged as separate animals.

What would be interesting though is a selective behaviour breeding program. Selectively breeding the least snappy juveniles. If you get a chance you should check out the Russian experiment on breeding foxes, one group for docile natures another for defensiveness. You could easily mistake the docile foxes for a common dog.

Edit: If you would like a larger BP I would seriously look at Angolans. There are only a few morphs atm so, you would be in on the ground floor and those bead-like scales are just so cool.

[satomi325]

Do you have a link to some photos, Raven? I wasn't aware Angolans had any morphs, yet.

[Marrissa]

I like their size. I remember when I first started researching BPs I thought 4-5 feet was big. Anything bigger and I probably wouldn't of went ahead with getting one. Good size for a starter snake and also a good size for having large collections of them. Now that I have had my male for nearing a year, I don't feel like the size is that big at all. I'm looking to get a RTB here soon if I see something I have I have at the LA expo.