Is behavior genetic?

While I doubt there is any real scientific evidence, I wanted to get a general opinion from people who work with breeding ball pythons and see the parents, babies, and the babies' babies.

So lets hear your opinion, and maybe the reasoning for why you think so. Do you think the behavior (picky eater, very docile, avid hisser) of a ball python can be passed on to its offspring, or is it 100% based on the environment the bp is raised in?

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Originally Posted by stinker2009

While I doubt there is any real scientific evidence, I wanted to get a general opinion from people who work with breeding ball pythons and see the parents, babies, and the babies' babies.

So lets hear your opinion, and maybe the reasoning for why you think so. Do you think the behavior (picky eater, very docile, avid hisser) of a ball python can be passed on to its offspring, or is it 100% based on the environment the bp is raised in?

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This is something that science has no concrete answer for.

Personally I think it has to do with both genetics and how the animal is raised and treated. I believe that your genetics don't govern your actions, but instead give you a tendancy to act a certain way. However, I believe your experiences can overwrite what your genetics tell you to do.

Lets use a bit of an extreme example.

Lets say by nature, you're a dog person(not a person who is a dog, but a person who likes dogs... of course). So you've just always loved dogs up until you were 7 years old and you were viciously mauled by the neightbors 4 pound Chihuahua. Ever since you've been terrified of man's best friend.

This is an example of what I believe is happening. You have a natural affinity towards one thing, however an experience with that thing changes your viewpoint on it and makes you associate it with bad things.

Of course now you may be saying that we're not talking about humans here, we're talking about snakes! I think this is something that all animals have the capacity to do, even reptiles. I believe that anyone who has a snake can tell you that they definately have the ability to learn.

Nature versus nurture is an issue that has been debated for a long time. I believe that both play a role in humans as well as animals behavior. The ball python may have a predisposition to being a picky eater or nippy, but with proper care the he or she may never exhibit these behaviors.

I would bet there is some genetic link. There is for sure in dogs, though active socialization and training can correct most problems. I have several aggressive snakes, and as soon as I have what I need genetically from them morph-wise, I will be removing them from breeding and trying to pick out the docile offspring to carry on. If I had a few morphs in a clutch, and I only needed to hold back one, I would definitely pick the most docile one.

I definitely believe that proper care can get rid of any predisposition of an animal and can always lay stereotypes to rest. Pit bulls and rotweilers (sp?) get the worst of it all. I worked in a vet clinic for a little while and you'd could really see that its all up to how the owner had raised the animal. You would have 110 lb dogs come in and they were basically just massive teddy bears. But if two snakes are raised in more or less the same atmosphere (proper husbandry, similar handeling practices, and proper feeding) would genetics come into play?

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Originally Posted by stinker2009

I definitely believe that proper care can get rid of any predisposition of an animal and can always lay stereotypes to rest. Pit bulls and rotweilers (sp?) get the worst of it all. I worked in a vet clinic for a little while and you'd could really see that its all up to how the owner had raised the animal. You would have 110 lb dogs come in and they were basically just massive teddy bears. But if two snakes are raised in more or less the same atmosphere (proper husbandry, similar handeling practices, and proper feeding) would genetics come into play?

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My vote would be on yes, genetics would come into play here. Snakes will react differently to different husbandry styles. What is right for one snake might not be right for another snake of the same size, species or even clutch. While one snake would be perfectly content with its conditions, the other snake might end up being in a foul mood because the conditions don't meet its specific requirements.
Some BPs might never go to that 92 degree spot and would much prefer an 86 degree spot. While another snake would spend all its time on that 92 degree basking spot. Every animal is different and has its own quirks