Does anybody know what the state of wild ball python populations is like?

[panthercz]

This topic is covered in the VPI Pythons of the World Vol 2: Ball Pythons.
http://www.vpi.com/pythons_of_the_world_vol_2_0

You can also check out this book and video series:
http://www.stevegorzulapresents.com/

NERD's book and website also bring up this very issue:
http://www.newenglandreptile.com/CareBall.html

All in all in some countries ball pythons are collected with care and done responsibly, in others there is little regard to how many are collected.

Bottom line though is, don't worry about. Far more are probably killed for meat and leather than are collected for the pet trade. Besides that, if they banned the import of ball pythons into this country then all those pythons will just end up in Asia as food. They will be caught and sold no matter what, whether it's as pets or food.

[nixer]

This topic is covered in the VPI Pythons of the World Vol 2: Ball Pythons.
http://www.vpi.com/pythons_of_the_world_vol_2_0

You can also check out this book and video series:
http://www.stevegorzulapresents.com/

NERD's book and website also bring up this very issue:
http://www.newenglandreptile.com/CareBall.html

All in all in some countries ball pythons are collected with care and done responsibly, in others there is little regard to how many are collected.

Bottom line though is, don't worry about. Far more are probably killed for meat and leather than are collected for the pet trade. Besides that, if they banned the import of ball pythons into this country then all those pythons will just end up in Asia as food. They will be caught and sold no matter what, whether it's as pets or food.

id also like to add that not as many wild caught are imported most are farmed or ranched babies and some are even captive bred. if your interested in the actual cites quotas check here http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/quotas/index.shtml

[wolfy-hound]

Not to mention all the new morphs that are showing up each year. Some are actual WC, but a lot are breed in the CH facilities.

Anyone gonna say "Oh there's no new morphs coming in anymore"? Look here, on KS forums, on most BP forums, and you'll see people with new stuff every year. The latest has been the extra speckledy ones, that turned into the "Camo" and "Paint" balls. Calicos came in not that long ago, and check out the super calicos now. Shoot.. even YBs weren't all that long ago.

The studies I've seen(I believe referanced above) say ball pythons are mostly thriving. You have to understand that wild areas in africa are being turned to farmland, which increases rodent populations, while removing most large predetors. This makes an ideal place for ball python populations. Too small to be considered a real threat, and valuable as either food, leather or exports, Ball pythons should not be considered threatened in most areas of Africa.

[Ash]

This topic is covered in the VPI Pythons of the World Vol 2: Ball Pythons.
http://www.vpi.com/pythons_of_the_world_vol_2_0

You can also check out this book and video series:
http://www.stevegorzulapresents.com/

NERD's book and website also bring up this very issue:
http://www.newenglandreptile.com/CareBall.html

All in all in some countries ball pythons are collected with care and done responsibly, in others there is little regard to how many are collected.

Bottom line though is, don't worry about. Far more are probably killed for meat and leather than are collected for the pet trade. Besides that, if they banned the import of ball pythons into this country then all those pythons will just end up in Asia as food. They will be caught and sold no matter what, whether it's as pets or food.

Thanks so much for the references. I've been meaning to get those books, maybe I will ask somebody for it next Christmas. But I certainly wasn't suggesting we should ban the importation of pythons, I would never want that. I was just curious is all.