Does anyone not like morphs.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

Wow, so this is an incredibly interesting thread. I always found it strange that there were people out there that honestly had something against breeding two color mutations together...


Here's my shake on things: I think people are doing to the BP that they have done to dogs and cats. Dogs started out as wolves, right? Breed a couple wolves together because you like their colors, breed a couple together because they're smaller... and somewhere down the road you end up with a German Shepard and a Chihuahua.

While we're a long way away from the Chihuahua Ball Python, we are seeing the beginnings of creating a new everyday "household" pet. We are breeding animals that---let's face it---will not survive without human intervention. Put a normal BP back into the bush and he might make 10-20 years, if he's lucky. Put a BEL out there... he's a raptor sandwich on day two (same goes for the Chihuahua, actually, lol).

Someday, it's going to be normal for someone to have a BEL sitting in a tank in their living room. But I still wouldn't expect to pay $50 for it... you wouldn't pay $50 for a purebred German Shepard, would you??? (Who knows? Maybe the normal BP will take the way of the wolf... people will still keep them, but it will be a pretty select group of people :D )

Does this make any sense... it's at the end of my work day and my brain's a little fuzzy.......

---

While you have good points, I think your comparison looses strength when you begin to compare a domesticated animal with a wild animal. Dogs were domesticated over the course of tens of THOUSANDS of years and the breeds we have today are the result of human intervention, in breeding these dogs to do certain tasks, for looks, etc...

I guess the question you are posing is, are we 'domesticating' ball pythons through the selective breeding for color and pattern mutations?

I think the answer to that question would be "no," but I could be wrong...ask again in 10,000 years and see what captive ball pythons look like then. ;)

Not saying it's going to happen overnight... not at all (guess I shoulda said someday, a thousand years down the road :) )


But I do think this is how domestication begins... breeding for traits that are desirable to the human eye and mind.

Everything started out as a wild animal. BPs can still be considered as such... but I don't think that will be the case a ways down the road (and I am talking large scale here... not in 20 years :P )

Affording one when you can is and can be an option. If you want to, save up!

No one NOT going to sell you one due to what you do.

Prices are what they are due to the availability and the demand for them as they are amazing and beautiful creatures.

I also work in the community in several different ventures, but when I want something, I make it a goal to acheive it.

Nothing should stop anyone from achieving their goals, no matter how big or small.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

While we're a long way away from the Chihuahua Ball Python.....

---

May this forever be true. :please:


dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

I run a business just like a car dealership or wal-mart so my answer to that person would be I can't do that for that price. However I can set you up with a payment plan that will work for your budget. Some wiggle room is ok but 80-100 bucks for a morph maybe pastels next year but I don't see that for anything anytime soon

---

Thats how I would do it too. I am 15 years old, and have a super hard time making money for a normal, let alone a morph, so I feel your pain.

But I love the fact that morphs are so excpencive, because it gives me something to set a goal for. Save up for, etc. Understand?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stangs13

But I love the fact that morphs are so excpencive, because it gives me something to set a goal for. Save up for, etc. Understand?

---

Which brings up another interesting question: if morphs weren't so expensive, would they still be in such high demand?

If it's easily attainable, it's not necessarily desirable anymore :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

Which brings up another interesting question: if morphs weren't so expensive, would they still be in such high demand?

If it's easily attainable, it's not necessarily desirable anymore :)

---

No, they arn't exspencive though, just in high demand, so people raise the priceto make money from them,but the money goes back into the snakes!! So its all used in one way or the other, for snakes.:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by elevatethis

While you have good points, I think your comparison looses strength when you begin to compare a domesticated animal with a wild animal. Dogs were domesticated over the course of tens of THOUSANDS of years and the breeds we have today are the result of human intervention, in breeding these dogs to do certain tasks, for looks, etc...

I guess the question you are posing is, are we 'domesticating' ball pythons through the selective breeding for color and pattern mutations?

I think the answer to that question would be "no," but I could be wrong...ask again in 10,000 years and see what captive ball pythons look like then. ;)

---

Actually, it would be your argument that loses strength. To say that dogs are "domesticated" and snakes are "wild" is, indeed, correct, it is also incorrect as well. *Both* are "wild* because *both* are "instinctual" animals. A dog, left to its own devices will do what it would instinctively do, hunt, dig, chase, bite, growl, fight, etc. as will a snake. Can a snake be "domesticated" in the same fashion as a dog, of course not, they are two entirely different creatures with different brains but instinct is instinct and, at the risk of probably getting into semantics, dogs are only as "domesticated", IE "tame" as we, their handlers, teach them to be. The same holds true with snakes, just to a lesser degree.

I want another mastiff as well as a doberman but I *won't* get them from BYBs and thus, each will cost me an average of $2000 to $3000 to acquire one from a reputable breeder. Is that too much? Not in my opinion because, like snake morphs, I'm paying for "quality" not "quantity".

Heck, I would LOVE to have a spider but I don't have the $$$ to realistically spend on one right now and I might never opt to set the money aside to get one (don't tell Aleesha that, she'll come down here and kick my butt :D), but it's the point. If you want Gucci, you're going to pay for it, if you want Wal-Mart, you're still going to pay for it. They're both hand bags; the difference is quality in creation, quantity created (assembly line vs. hand crafted) as well as design, thus, the price goes up.

Quote:

---

I would hope they would do their jobs. But I fail to see how this relates to the prices breeders charge for morphs. Unless your trying to make some correlation between your volunteer and "deserving" an expensive morph.

---

I am not trying to make some correlation of my volunteer and deserving a morph. Reason being i'm not a one man band. I wasn't the only one there saving the animals or the building. But when the end of the day was over at that fire, I don't even recall us getting a "Thank You" from the owner of that place. Even with the building being considered a "Save". Also I started complaining that prices were way to high well before I brought in the fact I am a volunteer fire fighter. I know it is getting off topic, but as you said you would hope they would do thier jobs. As I mentioned in the last post the way we are trained is our safety comes first. if it is considered to dangerous we are to pull out and just try to contain it.

If we are going in a pulling animals out and have no clue what is there, then we are outside and above our jobs. We are risking our self even higher and with disregard of our own safety. What if there were Hot's in the building and I went to grab one and got bit and was able to pierce the turn out gear. then now I'm battling and will need someone to save me. So rescuing the animals is viewed as an ill advised risk but is not our job or duty. But to some it is a risk some are willing to take. And yes when someone does go above and beyond like that it is nice to recieve acknowledgement and recognition. Not saying we want free stuff. But a least a thank you and to show you appreciated our efforts is nice.

Quote:

---

While I have the utmost respect for emergency service workers and other public servants, it rubs me the wrong way for you to justify your deserving of a luxury item just because of your public service. We live in an economy where those that put the most on the line are compensated disproportionately less than those who put less, and while that is unfortunate, welcome to the real world.

---

What rubs me the wrong way is you assuming that I am trying to use my status as a means for a discount or freebie. As someone said to me in a post prior "You're reading into this too deeply". Read above to what I just said.

Also what rubs me the wrong way from experience is those that can live in luxury are also the ones who are the last to lift a finger to help out a person. At least in my area those that have money always seem stuck up like they are better then the next person. Like they are gods gift to the world and you must bow to them. They are the type of person that if someone dropped right in front of them they would even attempt anything because heaven forbid they get thier hands dirty. But if they ever need help then you are either not quick enough or good enough for them.

Does living a life in luxury give anyone the right to be a snob, stuck up, and not be polite or show any manners?

When we do save a house or a life, it is always the ones that can barely float. The ones that can barely afford food on thier table for thier family that sends us not only a thank you but also is willing to donate money, usually more then they can afford, to our company as a token of thier appreciation. While the ones that are living life on a silver platter we see nothing from them. usually if we do see anything it's nothing but a complaint like you got my rugs dirty now pay for them or you trampled my flowers, forgetting we just brought back to life thier spouse or kid.

As I mentioned earlier what I do is volunteer. We are a volunteer company. A not for profit organization. Over 80% of the fire departments in North America are volunteer. The members do not get any money. We do not get a paycheck of any sort. Any taxes paid by the residents of a community does not go to the members (company). All they go to is district, which provides us with the equipment, tools, and gear we use to help us provide the service.

Every year the company side (members) run a fund drive to help make money for the company, for the members. the money raised helps us buy food for the hall and it's members so we can rehab after a long hard fire. But it also mostly goes back into the community when we have open houses, easter egg hunts, halloween for the kids, and any other community events we throw throughout the year for the community. You would probably be surprised to know that we get squat from most of the businesses in our district. Even the ones that on a regular basis we are continuously woken up at 3 or 4 in the morning to respond to thier faulty fire alarm going off. And for the well to do ones, when we attempt to seek a donation they threaten us and insist we leave and get off thier property.Just something to think about for all those who live and are protected by a volunteer service. Like I was once told, Treat others the way you expect to be treated.

Again I know this is way off the topic header but i'm just frustrated and aggravated.

I applaud and thank you for you work in the community. We need people like you in this country to show future generations that service has its own reward. I also can feel your frustration with the attitude some people have taken.