spider problems

so im thinking about getting a male spider ball python for my female pastel. but i was wondering if some one could explain "wobble" to me. how common is it? how badly does it affect the snake? what does it do exactly?

thanx

I have not really seen many in person with it. My male at this point does not do it. Some say it happens more as they age, I am not sure on that.

Doesnt really effect the snake much as far as feeding and such from what I have heard, and a guy here local says with or without the wobble doesnt mean the babies will or wont have it.

Hope this helps some. Maybe Adam or Tim or someone can jump in here and get more detailed on this.

I wrote about my views on spiders in my blog almost two years ago ...

http://forum.8ballpythons.com/blog/?p=5

Those are only my opinions, nothing more ... and we all know what opinions are like.

Hope this helps and good luck with whichever path you take.

-adam

good write up Adam. Now go post more youtube vids i need my youtube fix lol have a good turkey day

Since all spiders show some signs of spinning (going off of 8ballpython's blog here) is it ethical to keep producing them? A snake that constantly spins in circles probably isn't 100% right in the head.

Do the more intense spinners feed well, poop well, etc. etc.?

I'm not saying its not ethical, I just wanted to hear some thoughts on it.

And I know people love doing animal to animal comparison's so here one is...If a breed of dog showed the same behavior wouldn't people react more negatively to it? I know if both of my dogs started spinning 24/7 I'd be extremely worried about their well being and I certainly wouldn't breed them knowing that their offspring would show similar traits. But then again pure bred goldens are prone to hip problems, bull dogs end up slowly suffocating themselves to death, etc. etc. So...thoughts? :)

Actually, I've heard that Spiders are great eaters wither they spin a lot or a little.

what exactly happened that STARTED showing the wobbling or spinning, how did this defect pop up in the first place? was it from loads of inbreeding or what?

to me its a defect that is not normal....its a shame cause i think spiders are BEAUTIFUL and i would love to have one :(

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Originally Posted by Hapa_Haole

Since all spiders show some signs of spinning (going off of 8ballpython's blog here) is it ethical to keep producing them? A snake that constantly spins in circles probably isn't 100% right in the head.

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Well, on one hand people are knowingly producing animals with a genetic defect, but on the other hand they still seem to live normal lives as far as eating, breeding, shedding, etc. Based on the ads on KS and Fauna it doesn't seem like too many people have a problem with producing them. I don't think I'd buy one myself even though I would really like to have a bumblebee. Probably just get a pastel woma instead.

are spiders able to live as long as the other morphs or normals without any major illnesses or physical probs?

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Originally Posted by boachick

what exactly happened that STARTED showing the wobbling or spinning, how did this defect pop up in the first place?

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As I understand it, the first spider wobbled, and each one produced since has had a case of the spins. If I'm wrong on that, someone correct me.

I have an 06 female spider and 08 male albino spider. Neither show much if any wobble. Maybe just a slight head waver when they are getting ready to strike at prey.

All four of mine show some sign of wobble. You can see it a lot in pictures of spiders too - the head cocked a bit to the side.

This is MY theory - that it's not a neurological problem, but rather an equilibrium problem that's linked to the spider gene.

Because spiders are a dominant trait - they are one of the most out-crossed mutations, and people have been trying since spiders first came out to breed non-wobblers consistently.

Slight wobblers have been reported to throw train-wrecks, and train-wrecks have been reported to throw slight wobblers.

I've not seen that it's affected my spiders' ability to eat, poop, shed and grow. One of the girls loops a bit when she's exploring the top part of her enclosure (like she's lost her balance) but the minute you open the tub, she stops. You hold her, and she acts like any other ball python. But if you sit and watch her exploring the top of her tub, it can be a bit disconcerting.

Mine do not wobble...havent looked for the head leaning though...young right now too.

I have seen adults that dont wobble, I have been told some will as they age and I have been told some never have. I have never paid a lot of attention to an adult setting still though. I will next time and look for the head tilt.

Thanks for the blog link Adam, good read, makes a lot of sense.