Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 620

1 members and 619 guests
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,916
Threads: 249,118
Posts: 2,572,199
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, Wilson1885
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19
  1. #1
    Registered User Jester's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-11-2012
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    Posts
    10
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts

    Ball Python Spiders

    From what I've been told is that spiders have a wobble in their genetics. Why is that? I just got my first one today and was a little surprised about the wobble because I was unaware of ths. He is a beautiful snake and I love him and not complaining. Is there anything that I should be looking for as He gets older?
    Ball Pythons are like Crack!

    1.1 Pied
    0.1 Bell Line Caramel Albino
    1.0 Spider
    0.1 Black Pastel

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran The Serpent Merchant's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-15-2011
    Location
    Orlando, Florida
    Posts
    8,193
    Thanks
    1,504
    Thanked 3,300 Times in 2,344 Posts
    Wobble is a neurological issues that is connected to the genes that create a spider. they all have it to some degree. I feel that the wobble issue is blown way out of proportion most of the time. very few Spiders have a wobble bad enough to negatively effect their lives. My Spider for example loses a little motor control when he gets really excited... he eats fine, and lives every day just like my other (non-spider) BP's.

    Wobble can show up or go away at any time with no warning, as long as he can eat there is nothing to worry about.
    ~Aaron

    0.1 Pastel 100% Het Clown Ball Python (Hestia)
    1.0 Coastal/Jungle Carpet Python (Shagrath)
    0.1 Dumeril's Boa (Nergal)

    0.1 Bearded Dragon (Gaius)

    1.0 Siberian Husky (Picard)
    0.1 German Shepherd/Lab Mix (Jadzia)

  3. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to The Serpent Merchant For This Useful Post:

    angllady2 (05-16-2012),heathers*bps (05-17-2012)

  4. #3
    BPnet Veteran satomi325's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-15-2011
    Location
    In a galaxy far,far away.
    Posts
    6,423
    Thanks
    2,429
    Thanked 3,969 Times in 2,446 Posts
    Images: 5
    It's a neurological disorder. Every spider has it. Some can go unnoticed, while some wobbles will make an entire snake corkscrew. Spiders still thrive and feed fine.

    Age may intensify a wobble. But it also may not. Same goes for excitement.

    As long as your little guy is healthy and eating fine, I wouldn't worry about anything.

    EDIT: Aaron beats me again!!!

    Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk 2
    Last edited by satomi325; 05-16-2012 at 08:12 PM.

  5. #4
    BPnet Lifer Skittles1101's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-21-2011
    Posts
    4,946
    Thanks
    2,057
    Thanked 2,250 Times in 1,511 Posts
    Images: 20
    All spiders come from the first one that was imported (by Kevin McCurly I think...). That spider had a wobble, and it since proved to be genetic in all other spiders and spider combos. It's not a big deal, I think of it more as a quirk, as long as it doesn't prevent them from eating, drinking and defecating and still having a good quality of life. It can get better or worse with age, and spiders with minimal wobble can pass on a very strong wobble to offspring, and vice versa. It's completely random as far as we know, and there's no way to tell how it will be as an adult. I love my spider, wobble and all
    2.0 Offspring, 1.1 Normal Ball Python, 1.0 Pastel Ball Python, 0.1 Albino Ball Python, 0.1 Pinstripe Ball Python, 0.1 Banana Ball Python, 1.0 Pied Ball Python, 1.0 Normal Hognose, 0.1 Veiled Chameleon, 0.0.1 G.pulchra, 0.1 P.metallica, 0.1 M.giganteus

  6. #5
    BPnet Senior Member Slim's Avatar
    Join Date
    11-17-2008
    Location
    Gainesville, FL
    Posts
    7,739
    Thanks
    3,258
    Thanked 4,252 Times in 2,630 Posts
    Images: 1
    All Spiders carry a genetic trait that makes them a little dingy in the cranium. It's part of their charm.
    Thomas "Slim" Whitman
    Never Met A Ball Python I Didn't Like

  7. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Slim For This Useful Post:

    heathers*bps (05-17-2012),Skittles1101 (05-16-2012),Steve-J (05-16-2012),Vasiliki (05-17-2012)

  8. #6
    BPnet Lifer Rob's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-20-2012
    Posts
    4,653
    Thanks
    1,692
    Thanked 2,646 Times in 1,686 Posts
    Yep it's part of what makes them awesome!

  9. #7
    BPnet Senior Member WingedWolfPsion's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-27-2007
    Location
    Plattsmouth, NE
    Posts
    5,168
    Thanks
    124
    Thanked 1,785 Times in 1,134 Posts
    Images: 1
    Womas also wobble, though it's not usually as severe as it is in spiders. I believe that some supers of some of the other morphs also wobble (Powerball, for example).

    Any animal with the spider or woma gene as part of its makeup can wobble, but this doesn't, thus far, appear to produce any other adverse health effects or concerns. They don't appear distressed, and show no signs that they're under extra stress. They eat and breed just fine.
    --Donna Fernstrom
    16.29 BPs in collection, 16.11 BP hatchlings
    Eclipse Exotics
    http://www.eclipseexotics.com/
    Author Website
    http://donnafernstrom.com
    Follow my Twitters: WingedWolfPsion, EclipseMeta, and EclipseExotics

  10. #8
    BPnet Lifer MrLang's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-13-2011
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    2,530
    Thanks
    726
    Thanked 1,456 Times in 831 Posts
    Images: 8
    I got extremely freaked out when I took my bee home and discovered the wobble. As others have said here... take a deep breath and realize it's fine. They thrive in captivity.

    For mine I have found if he's wobbling bad it's usually because temps have changed, he's about to shed and I'm bothering him, or he's extremely hungry. I consider it a positive for me that he shows a clear indication when one of those things is 'off.' It got a LOT less pronounced once I got my husbandry perfect.

    They're definitely happy and healthy animals and once I realized that, the spider debate was over for me. In another time and place, a similar behavioral trait would be bred intentionally all individuals. Take a look at a ferret and compare it to the wild version.

    Look at domesticated dogs to see how humans have no problems breeding out otherwise negative traits for their own enjoyment. My St. Bernard is going to die at half the age of other dogs and I nor the breeder he came from lost any sleep about it. It's just what a St Bernard does. Spiders wobble. It's all good... and in this case the spider actually doesn't seem to lose any life expectancy, have chronic pain, or anything like that.


    Can we raise the thread from the dead where the guy claims the spider wobble is a superior genetic trait and that spiders have evolved in the wild to catch birds using their head as bait, similar to caudal luring? I liked that one.
    Dreamtime Exotics -- Check it out!
    Ball Pythons, Monitors, Saltwater Reef, Fancy Rats, Ferrets

  11. #9
    BPnet Senior Member Slim's Avatar
    Join Date
    11-17-2008
    Location
    Gainesville, FL
    Posts
    7,739
    Thanks
    3,258
    Thanked 4,252 Times in 2,630 Posts
    Images: 1

    Re: Ball Python Spiders

    Quote Originally Posted by MrLang View Post
    Can we raise the thread from the dead where the guy claims the spider wobble is a superior genetic trait and that spiders have evolved in the wild to catch birds using their head as bait, similar to caudal luring? I liked that one.
    Oh man! I'm sorry I missed that thread!
    Thomas "Slim" Whitman
    Never Met A Ball Python I Didn't Like

  12. #10
    BPnet Lifer h00blah's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-17-2009
    Posts
    5,686
    Thanks
    4,011
    Thanked 2,570 Times in 1,769 Posts
    Images: 2

    Re: Ball Python Spiders

    Quote Originally Posted by Slim View Post
    Oh man! I'm sorry I missed that thread!
    Here ya go ! Please put your 2 cents in! I thought it was a really good read . Very interesting

    http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t=spider+trait
    Quote Originally Posted by reixox View Post
    BPs are like pokemon. you tell yourself you're not going to get sucked in. but some how you just gotta catch'em all.

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to h00blah For This Useful Post:

    Slim (05-17-2012)

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1