Do you have photos of all your snake's parents?

Just wondering what kind of papers and photo documentation, if any, you all keep. I got my vanilla cream from a very reputable breeder, but every time I asked for photos of the parents they said the snakes were busy breeding. They never did end up getting the photos to me, although they did say they would try. I think things just got too crazy and they weren't able to get to it.

Just curious if I've totally blown it in regards to breeding him now because I don't have those photos or records.

I don't have any pictures of my snake's parents. Breeding BP's isn't like breeding dogs. Not much in the way of pedigrees for snakes. As long as you can ID the gene or genes in the snake, your usually good to go.

Thanks for the input. I wasn't sure if it was something people just like to have or not, but this does make me feel better.

I like to have photos of the parents of all my snakes as well, but like you have had issues getting them from the larger breeders. I am mostly interested in them for my knowledge. Except with my two 100% het pied females and my male coral glow. With these girls I was very clear that I needed pictures of the parents. I am not sure I will be breeding both of them down the line so a little extra proof will certainly not hurt. I really wanted pictures of the coral glow, but being from a larger breeder it didn't work out. Also he is a male maker and I plan on breeding him down the line. In your case with both genes being normal incomplete dominant there should be no issue.

I could get some pictures of the parents, but to me it still doesn't mean much. I bought a couple het pieds at reptile shows for 50 bucks, I only have the breeders word that it really is a het pied. If they showed me a picture of a pied and a normal locked, that wouldn't make any difference to me. I figure they either are honest and telling the truth or they're lying and they could easily just show me a picture of some other pairing locked up.

With ball pythons I just don't see much of a need for it other than being thorough and making some people get the warm and fuzzies from it. It's only really required for animals like green tree pythons, panther chameleons, etc. where the hatchlings don't look like what they'll look like as adults. I guess I'd care more if there was a morph that changed significantly as the snake grew.

it's nice, but not necessary. ihave a few pix of the parents of some of my BP's (lol some are here on the forum and youtube). personally, i just wouldn't buy an animal if i question its genetics, quality or breeder.

i think pix may be more important for certain morph lines to track lineage. i can't remember where, but ive seen playoff-style brackets tracking lineage, clutch and offsprings, etc.

Well, certainly having documentation and pictures does go a long way. It's up to the customer to decide whether they really want it. But the breeder should have it at the ready and offer it as his standard practice. It's known as a "paper trail" and goes a long way in a court of law.

Do I have them for the snakes that I have bought? No and to be honest I don't really care that much about it, I care about what the individual I buy looks like not the parents (now if I was in the market for a trophy carpet python that would be different)

Do I provide them to people who inquire about my animals, yes if they ask I am more than happy to provide them a picture of the dam or sire that produced their animal.

My breeder sent me pics when we were discussing which of her animals i might like. When i picked him up she gave them to me printed with some info; they were fliers that she had posted when she brought him and his litter-mates to a show. I put them on the wall next to his enclosure - you know - in case he's ever home-sick.

(He's actually in her belly in this pic)


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I don't keep BPs but I do have extensive lineage information on my carpet pythons. I think a reputable breeder should have this information available.

Not very important. I have asked for pictures of the parents before when I bought my axanthic pastel just to kind of judge how that line's silver holds up against browning out.

In this hobby paperwork really means nothing.
Honesty there is no point in keeping it either.
I have photos of my collection and provide them if asked. (Sadly you cant/don't want to send people photos that are not watermarked)

I've got "paperwork" on one of my snakes which is just a cue card with its name and sex and what supposed genetics are in the snake.

Ps it was supposed to be male according to the "paperwork". It's female. Do your homework and buy from trusted sources, especially with recessive animals.


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Except for het guarantee, i dont think paperwork is necessary either...I mean, you can clearly see what morph an animal is by looking at it. With hets, having some type of document with the breeders guarantee gives me a little peace of mind. Now, regardless of why someone wants pics of their hatchlings parents, a good breeder should be able to provide pics of them with no problem.I mean come one now...it takes just as long to take a few selfies as it does to snap a pic of two snakes.

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I keep records for all my balls. Where they came from, when they eat, when they shed etc. I think its always good to keep record of everything and its fairly easy to do.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

I don't keep BPs but I do have extensive lineage information on my carpet pythons. I think a reputable breeder should have this information available.

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Somewhere, I have pictures of my JCP's parents. If and when I get around to producing carpets, I certainly will maintain visual pedigrees. That said, right or wrong, breeding ball pythons and breeding carpets is not quite the same.

As far as snakes I produce, yes, I happily provide photos of their parents. And people do ask. The parents (name, year born, morph) are listed on a quick info sheet that I throw together for all babies. I think of it as just a nice reference. The parents names and year the clutch was laid form the clutch ID, so I can always keep the breedings straight -- that's more for me and possible hets/double het stuff than for a buyer -- and it seems like a logical way to label clutches for me.

I'll tell you a story about my first experience with paperwork in this hobby and my take on this topic.

A couple years ago I came across one of those "too good to be true" deals that you hear about but never happens to you. It was a steal of a price for animals that were said to have originally come from a very well-respected breeder. During the process of doing my homework, I contacted that breeder directly. He not only verified that yes, the animals did come from him, but he also provided me with paperwork for every animal of his that was to be included in the deal. Based on that information, i went ahead and pulled the string on the deal and added some fantastic animals to my collection. Was I the well-respected breeder's direct customer? No. Did he have to do any of that for me? No. Did he 100% earn my respect and business going forward? Absolutely. It showed beyond a shadow of a doubt just how much pride he has in his collection and how confident he is in the animals he produces.

I take pride in my record keeping and strive to provide my own customers with as much information/paperwork as they request. I don't think that's a waste of time at all.

It doesn't seem very important at all for ball pythons (can't speak for other species), just nice to have. If a breeder does have it, it really shows that they are a careful breeder.

The reason why pedigree is important for dogs is because it really determines almost all of the dog's adult temperament and how well they will excel at whatever it is their line is being bred for- whether appearance is in consideration or not. It varies vastly between breeds, but whether it is for herding, bitework, ratting, or showlines for conformation. There are working lines and there are show lines. From first-hand experience, 90% of a dog's temperament (nerves, drive, confidence, stability, etc) is genetic. Strong breeding and reputable breeders, knowing the parents, knowing the pedigree is extremely important in the outcome of a dog. Especially assuming you are getting a dog for a specific purpose... then you NEED to go to a reputable breeder with dogs with pedigree, meeting the parents, discussing the parent's temperament with the breeder, etc. Otherwise, it is a total crapshoot and you are taking a chance for dogs with no pedigree. It may turn out well, or it may turn out poor. Pedigree is much more than just knowing "this is a breeder with nice and recorded dogs".

Urr... end the info about dogs. I guess my point is that since there is no particular temperament necessity in ball pythons, since they are quite a primitive species with limited temperament variation to begin with... it is not really the single only of a reputable/trustworthy breeder or not in ball pythons. Though a very observational and careful reputable breeder may have records, which is just awesome.