Mojave with Wobble?

[mzh3de]

I think my baby BP has a bit of a wobble- is it possible this is just because he's young? If not there's a large chance the pet store I bought him at's temps were far too high and caused some neurological damage; mine are fine and not nearly as hot to the touch as those.

I'm not sure if I would ever breed BPs, but if I did decide to (years in the future), should I avoid breeding this particular snake? If there's any chance of him passing on this wobble I don't wanna risk it.

[Trisnake]

Mojave and BEL complex morphs in general do not usually have problems with wobbles unless a wobble morph gene is also present (like spider/champagne/super spotnose, HGW etc) or there was neurological damage done somehow. Things like excessive heat and exposure to toxic chemicals can cause this. Breeding him should not pass on the neurological issue if the issue was caused by a heat spike or chemical exposure.

What makes you think he has a wobble? What kind of behavior have you witnessed that has made you come to this conclusion? Good news is that if he does have a wobble from some sort of exposure to chemicals or high heat, I've heard it's not uncommon for youngsters to grow out of it.

Also, if you are quite convinced that the pet shop is heating their ball pythons to the point it is causing brain damage, you need to contact the store and make them aware of this and take steps to report the issue if not assessed and corrected. If the glass of the tank they're in is hot to the touch like you say it is then it is far too hot.

[mzh3de]

He wobbles faintly whenever he moves/lifts his head, and has missed several strikes when going for his food.

They keep them in plastic tubs at the store; if you think this is caused by the heat I'll get in contact.
He hasn't been exposed to any chemicals while I've had him, and the wobble was noticeable when we got him, so chances are it was either the store or the breeders they bought him from.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

High temperatures for an extended amount of time will cause neurological issues similar to what people call wobble in spider. It can be permanent just like it can be temporary.

Similar issues can also be due to chemical exposure or other things. Because wobble is usually a spider issue this does not mean that every now and than an animal will not suffer from neurological issues.

As for breeder I believe in breeding the healthiest animal possible, not knowing what cause the issue in this animal I personally would not and considering the price of a Mojave breeding a healthy one is not gonna break the bank.

[mzh3de]

Thanks- and yeah, I completely agree with breeding healthy. I don't wanna risk passing anything on.