The effects of ball pythons on the reptile community

I understand your points Jo, but I think that there is more to it than just those issues.

Here are some quotes from experienced keepers on other forums.....this is how people feel about 'the ball python boom' influence and just the general progression of hobby level keepers....these focus mainly on housing....

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How can one enjoy watching and observing, or learning from their captives when they are housed in dark, opaque plastic containers in shelf-systems? If these people were truly concerned with providing optimal conditions for their captives (and not just 'getting by' in order to breed their animals for money), why are $20,000 snakes being kept in $20 setups?

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For the life of me I can't figure out why anyone (other than large-scale breeders) would keep their animals in a rack system, how utterly pointless. Just the name-"rack system" sounds like a mid-evil( I know, wrong spelling) torture device, wait come to think of it, it's a fitting name.
Why are we as a group ( herpers) so against progress?
Seriously? what is the problem?

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Most people who breed balls keep them in excurciatingly small enclosures, certainly the space that was used for one pair of burms producing 50+ eggs can house enough balls to match that output.
The "ball python" age (as you call it) has brought nothing but shame to our hobby, exposing the fact that most care very little for these animals, reducing them to commodities , disregarding their natural history and natural beauty. Treating any animal as an "investment" is, in my opinion sick and wrong. This has stimulated nothing but greed, nobody is helping to stop the trade in wild animals or helping to reduce habitat loss. Most people who sell these designer animals don't even mention where these animals come from or the problems they are facing in the wild

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These quotes are a good representation of the type of opinions that I have heard concerning the ball python community and the hobby progress in general.



In my opinion, the reptile community is split up over so many issues these days.... housing issues, feeding issues, business issues, ethical issues, care issues....the list goes on and on....if we can ever reach a point where the reptile community puts aside differences and stands as a whole.....the hobby will progress forward by leaps and bounds.

I can understand about the gripes people have with the way people house ball pythons.

My neighbor's girlfriend is convinced I'm an evil animal hater because I lock the poor snakes in a dark rack with nothing but a water bowl and a hide and feed them a live rodent once a week.

Its no secret that people tend to dislike what they do not understand.

If I had the time and resources to keep every single one of my ball pythons in an enclosure that would accurately mimic their natural environment, I would - but that is simply IMPOSSIBLE, even if I had only one ball python.

What I do know is this - from what I've seen, ball pythons raised by even newbie keepers in rack systems are by and large healthier than the average ball python in the average home with the average keeper in the average setup. Something has got to be said for that.

Some animals need a lot of space. Ball pythons do not. Applying universal rules to a hobby where there are so many different species and care requirements, there's going to be conflict. The people who say that keeping ball pythons in rack systems is cruel don't have a clue about what they are talking about.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

My neighbor's girlfriend is convinced I'm an evil animal hater because I lock the poor snakes in a dark rack with nothing but a water bowl and a hide and feed them a live rodent once a week.

Its no secret that people tend to dislike what they do not understand.

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When I first started getting bps I told my boyfriend that I wanted a rack system and he told me it was mean and to use tanks.

I kept one in a tank and the rest in a tub. The one I kept in a tank wouldn't eat, was always moving around, ect. I moved him to a tub and he's since started eating and does what balls should do which is hide.

My boyfriend now said I was right and we should not use tanks anymore because he clearly didn't like it.

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

My boyfriend now said I was right and we should not use tanks anymore because he clearly didn't like it.

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Women are always right ... he'll learn. :sweeet:

-adam

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

That is what I am trying to get too.....Where is this 'ball python owner' sterotype coming from? Why are some people so set in their opinions that people that own ball pythons are 'no good' or 'trouble to the community'?

I really don't understand it.

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Daniel I think it gets back to just hateing the fact that ball pythons are by far the number 1 attraction in the reptile biz. I'm not saying that there aren't certain concerns but I think it's mostly the latter.

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

I really don't understand it.

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They're all just jealous cause ball pythons are the best.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

They're all just jealous cause ball pythons are the best.

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Yeeeahh!!

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Women are always right ... he'll learn. :sweeet:

-adam

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when will all the rest of the guys learn ? :P

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Originally Posted by joyful girl

when will all the rest of the guys learn ? :P

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Tazers help! :(

-adam

imo, on the setup deal. even if you had a musuem quality habitat built, i'd bet some money $$. you would find a ball crammed in a hole/burrow or under something. most of mine are a little shy and like to hide out! :D



vaughn