I've recently been searching for morphs and I finally settled on a breeder that's been in this awhile, has reasonable prices (not cheap but not top end), satisfied customers and overall good ethics in regards to breeding. Ball pythons are relatively new to me in the regards to ownership but not research and knowledge. I have a lot of experience with working dog breeds and I'm well aware of the way show breeding has ruined many working dog lines. I recently was presented with a situation in which the breeder made a very sound decision. I had settled on a certain bumblebee but was made aware that they didn't feel the python should be used in a breeding program. The snake had several issues that meant he was going to hold it back or sell it for a greatly reduced price as a pet only. This was the breeder admitting that the animal would not have met my standards. I was very impressed with the professionalism and decision the breeder made. This is a perfect example of a professional in my opinion. I've seen videos where you can barely tell an animal has an issue and I've seen animals with issues so apparent that in my opinion they shouldn't exist. I've read many posts on this forum where someone doesn't make that same logical decision. Responsible breeding means culling animals that should not pass on their genetic traits. We have a responsibility to keep the animals healthy for following generations. Culling does not necessarily mean killing. A cull could also be placed in a guaranteed pet home where the animal will never be bred. My animals health and the ones I produce should be top notch or else I'm not doing my job. I do things right or not at all. That's just the way I was raised. When I eventually sell pythons I will guarantee the genetic health of my animals the same way I would guarantee a working dog has the tools to work. My questions below are from a professional and curious standpoint presented for professional breeders, hobbyist breeders, and pet owner to reflect and answer. I am by no means calling anyone out or trying to start a heated debate so lets keep this clean and professional.

Would you buy or have you bought pythons with known issues?

Would you breed a snake with known issue(s) regardless of the potential negative outcome?

Do professional breeders cull their lines to make sure the best representations of not only looks, but also health and longevity are achieved?

Would you cull an animal from breeding due to known genetic health issue(s)?

Thanks for your time in advance! I'm really looking forward to hearing thoughts from professionals, hobbyists, and pet owners. It should be an interesting conversation if nothing else.

Regards,

B