Do you think normal's are heartier than morphs?

[Serpent_Nirvana]

In a way, I think you're asking two different questions here.

One is your post title: Are wild-type animals "heartier" than morphs? To me, this question implies a more "generalized heartiness;" what I read this as asking is, are wild-type ball pythons better feeding, (maybe) bigger, and less prone to illness -- overall "better doers" -- than mutation animals?

In my experience, when it comes to python and other snake color mutations, the answer, overall, appears to be "no." Though I have heard rumors of some nebulous associations between ill-health and albinism, I think these are poorly founded or perhaps founded more in coincidence, or extrapolation from the mammalian albino condition, than in true causative association. For example, I have one hobbyist veterinary book in which the author observes that he has never seen an old albino snake. His implication is that there may be some sub-clinical health issues inherent to albino snakes that cause them to have a shorter longevity than wild-type animals -- but I wonder if it's truly that, or the fact that most albino specimens haven't been around long enough to REALLY be considered "old."

In my personal experience, my mutation animals are just as healthy, hearty and "good doers" as my wild-type animals. Judging by the number of mutation BPs for sale, anyway, it would appear that they're just as fertile, too ..!

Your second question, as I see it, is: Is it ethically acceptable to breed animals with KNOWN defects associated with the mutation -- caramels (despite the kinking), spiders (despite the neuropathy), etc. -- provided they are capable of living a fairly normal life despite their defect. As far as I see it, that's pretty open to opinion. I can appreciate the argument that as long as the defect does not interfere with the animal's quality of life (which neither minor kinking, nor mild neuropathy, *appear* to do as far as we can assess); I can also appreciate the argument that we, as breeders, have an obligation to produce only those animals that are as close to ideal (health-wise) as possible.

That was all horrifyingly wordy, so here's as photograph to balance it out :