More aggressive=better breeder?

I was told tonight at our local reptile place, Scales and Tails, that the more aggressive of a female bp, the better she will be for breeding. Is there any truth to that?

No, Attitude doesnt make a female more or less likely to be a great breeder and lay perfect clutches.

Its all health and genetics and if the female is ready or not.

That is a pretty random assumption lol. Was that the store in Denver or the Springs?

So basically the guy is full of it?

Normally aggressive snakes IMO means better feeders.

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Originally Posted by spitzu

That is a pretty random assumption lol. Was that the store in Denver or the Springs?

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Englewood. Doesn't surprise me. Same guy told me that 2 yellow bellies will make a piebald.

Lol. Sometimes it is best to just nod and smile.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Normally aggressive snakes IMO means better feeders.

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She does eat like a champ. Except for when she's in shed of course.

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Lol. Sometimes it is best to just nod and smile.

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Yeah, I'm getting that same feeling. That is why I come here when I have questions.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Normally aggressive snakes IMO means better feeders.

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I also believe this to be true.

I'm wondering if im the guy that told you about the aggressive part(i don't work there). In my experience, you leave your ball pythons alone never handle them they get aggressive of course. To me leaving them alone is as close as them being free in a way. I've seen them thrive better, eat better, overall do better. I don't think I've said that your gonna get a great amount of eggs or nothing of that sort.

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

I'm wondering if im the guy that told you about the aggressive part(i don't work there). In my experience, you leave your ball pythons alone never handle them they get aggressive of course. To me leaving them alone is as close as them being free in a way. I've seen them thrive better, eat better, overall do better. I don't think I've said that your gonna get a great amount of eggs or nothing of that sort.

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Says who, hope this is based strictly on your collection and no one elses. As that statement is false in so many ways in so many species.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Says who, hope this is based strictly on your collection and no one elses. As that statement is false in so many ways in so many species.

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+1

the only thing I've noticed with aggression is a better feeding response in my collection.

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

I'm wondering if im the guy that told you about the aggressive part(i don't work there).

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Then it wasn't you.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Says who, hope this is based strictly on your collection and no one elses. As that statement is false in so many ways in so many species.

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I guess I am talking about my collection and I'm only talking about BP because that's all I own. I don't understand why we tell people to handle there BP to calm there aggression then??? Does this mean they weren't handled b4 I don't get it???? That's why I said that statement and in my 0.02 it's been true. In some cases though some balls are just over all calm and scared easily. When you get your balls from a breeder with 2000+ animals you can't really hope you get the most calm ball when he rarely attends to that ball right? But I'm just saying. Sorry.

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

I guess I am talking about my collection and I'm only talking about BP because that's all I own. I don't understand why we tell people to handle there BP to calm there aggression then??? Does this mean they weren't handled b4 I don't get it???? That's why I said that statement and in my 0.02 it's been true.

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Ball pythons aren't aggressive species. So handling or not handling will not make them more aggressive. 99% of the snakes that are aggressive is due ot hunger or poor husbandry. NOT due to handling being non-existent. I barely ever hold my BP collection and yet i never get bit from them.

And i never tell people to handle there snake to make them less aggressive nor has any other experience keeper said so as well.

And yes most hatchlings you buy arent handled often if at all. Their only fed well then shipped out.

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

I guess I am talking about my collection and I'm only talking about BP because that's all I own. I don't understand why we tell people to handle there BP to calm there aggression then??? Does this mean they weren't handled b4 I don't get it???? That's why I said that statement and in my 0.02 it's been true. In some cases though some balls are just over all calm and scared easily. When you get your balls from a breeder with 2000+ animals you can't really hope you get the most calm ball when he rarely attends to that ball right? But I'm just saying. Sorry.

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I handle all of my ball pythons on a regular basis, trust all of them 100% with my 4 year old son, they are all calm and very friendly (with the exception of one, he's a little paranoid and head shy). All of them with the exception of 1 are aggressive and great eaters and put on weight quickly. They are all in excellent health and from what I can tell, are very happy with their environment. I don't know why anyone would recommend "leaving them alone" when they can thrive just as well being pets.

I guess I can only speak on my experiences though. You can't expect every BP to be the same I guess.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

I handle all of my ball pythons on a regular basis, trust all of them 100% with my 4 year old son, they are all calm and very friendly (with the exception of one, he's a little paranoid and head shy). All of them with the exception of 1 are aggressive and great eaters and put on weight quickly. They are all in excellent health and from what I can tell, are very happy with their environment. I don't know why anyone would recommend "leaving them alone" when they can thrive just as well being pets.

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Im sorry, never meant like leave them alone never feed them or something lol. I just think it would be hard to handle 2000+ snakes in one day.

I handle some of my snakes more than others but all of them are pretty mellow. I know that I can ignore (barring changing water and dropping a rat in the tub) some of my snakes for weeks upon weeks and when I reach in to pull them out, it's no different from other snakes that I've handled on a more regular basis.

Snakes, just like any other animal, are bound to have their own personality quirks. Some are born little spit fires that never seem to settle down and consider everything that moves around them a potential threat. Others start out as defensive babies and grow in to laid back adults. Others still are born without a care in the world and don't seem to mind being handled at all.

I don't think it's fair to assume that every snake will react to a given scenario in the exact same way. Some, like mine, don't really care whether you handle them regularly or not. Others may become more defensive over time if no direct attention is paid towards them. And, of course, you'll always have the spit fires that really don't care how often you want to try to handle them. They'll try to nail you every time. :P