pretty much. Big companies like NERD and Markus Jayne sell their animals with papers and they carry weight with the reputation of the company. Smaller breeders will often give you a file (I do) with parental and clutch information and often include photos.
Where as domestic animals are monitored more by the government, with regulations and permits.. snake breeders don't face the same restrictions.
Ball pythons in particular, carry many recessive genes that lay dormant, so the more proof you can gain from the seller, especially when dealing with hets, the more confident you can be about your future pairings.
Personally I don't deal with hets outside of people I trust, and companies that are known for their integrity. Papers mean nothing if there is no reputation behind them. So as a new breeder trying to introduce your animals into the market, the only way to make yourself more credible is by keeping your records precise and accurate, and passing them on with the animal.
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