The effects of ball pythons on the reptile community

[wolfy-hound]

Having just read this thread, I want to comment.
Many of the objections given by people against ball python keeping are things that are opinions.
Some hate anyone that might dare to attempt to make money off any animal. They don't care if it's profit, or if the animals are well taken care of, and loved. It's simply evil to them to try to make money off the animal. I'm not sure what they think would happen if selling was outlawed, since many breeders couldn't afford to breed if they had to give away the babies. I guess they believe it would be good, since there would be fewer pets. Or they simply do not think that far.

Other people hate morphs. They believe any morph is a genetic mutt and a defect, and should be culled. These people will be especially against the ball python boom, since it's so focused on the variety of morphs. I've seen people claim that all albinos are inbred, and go blind, etc. All morphs are inbred, despite proof to the contrary. All morphs are defective, despite proof to the contrary. Etc. You can't really argue with people who refuse to be distracted in their opinions with the facts. I don't mind if someone prefers normals, but don't make up facts, just becuase you dislike morphs. These love the spider wobble, pointing at that as the absolute proof that all morphs are defective culls.

Many people hate anything that becomes extremely popular. They feel ball python owners are touting THEIR species over any other species, and calling all the rest worthless, becuase they say ball pythons are the best. These are the ones that get angry if a singer gets popular, and call people who like that singer fakes, just because they were not exposed to the singer before he "made it big". So everyone who comes to ball pythons NOW, are just "jumping on the bandwagon" instead of only being exposed to an animal they truely like, and didn't think about owning prior to having them everywhere at shows, etc.

Then there's who are convinced that if there are that many ball pythons being sold, that they must be going extinct in the wild. Ball python habitat is actually expanding, as the clearing for farms creates the perfect place for rodents and thus ball pythons. Their natural predetors are fewer(not that this is a good thing) but again, don't confuse them with facts. Especially don't try to mention that most of the snakes sold at shows seem to CBB now. Yes, we still import a high number, but they don't overwhelm the show numbers. I have to shake my head when I overhear someone pointing at a group of albinos and pastels on a table of a big breeder and declaring that "See, they're becoming extinct in africa, because people keep importing them". Hmm.. yes...

Now you have those that are merely angry that ball pythons are a fairly easy to keep species, and thus worthless to any "serious keeper". As if the animal being kept HAS to be extremely difficult or it's just not worth doing. These are people who look down their nose at people who ride their bike around the park on a weekend, instead of competeing in the mountain biking races held overseas with the latest and greatest equipment. It doesn't have to be hard to be fun and fullfilling to do.

Maybe they dislike that ball pythons are 'lazy boring' snakes? They don't move fast, and don't do a lot. This is what attracts a lot of first time keepers TO balls. Fast moving active snakes can overwhelm a new keeper, when they can't contain the animal, and it is not content to be handled or just hang out. I LIKE that they just sit around, honestly. They seem placid and calm, as opposed to my cornsnake who leaps to escape any time there's a crack available.

All these are not aimed at any particular person, especially not anyone on this board. But it's various arguments I've heard, discussed or overheard, mainly at shows dominated by ball pythons and their morphs. I'll hazard a guess that leopard gecko fans were treated somewhat the same, to a lesser degree, when they first started really breeding all the various morphs there.

All in all, just opinions, and yes, the ones that are in it Just For the Profit, will move on when the craze dies down. Yes, some of those will flood the market with cheapo versions, and scam folks with false hets and morphs. Just like people selling fake Prada bags, people sell fake hets. Something else will grow popular, and ball pythons will not be on top anymore. Those of us that appreciate the species for it's good points will still be around, and still discussing why others don't prefer them.

All of the above is just my own rambling and should be taken as such, not as scientific study, nor as proven facts. Any attempt to use such ramblings as such will be laughed at tremendously.