Quote Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion View Post
But, the same can be said of normal ball pythons--they're far more likely to wind up in the hands of someone who doesn't know proper ball python care, than a morph would be. Should we refuse to sell them, due to this? I don't see a reason to borrow potential trouble. Once we sell an animal, it's out of our hands, and in the hands of the person who buys it. At that point, it's up to them to behave ethically, and ensure that anyone THEY sell the animal to, knows what they are doing.

The best we can do is try to ensure that we make information available, and promote that information as much as possible, to help reduce the chances of neglect or mishandling. I don't think Desert females are necessarily at higher risk than normal males, though for different reasons. I know it's not enough reason to prevent me from working with the desert gene in the future, if I have the opportunity.
I wonder if a spay procedure could be developed for them?

I am a vet (as of this past Sunday -- yay!!) so spaying before selling them is definitely an option that would be available to me. It would be interesting, too, to see what their reproductive tract looks like on a macroscopic scale, and even to send in some sections for histopath ... Hmm!

I can see your point regarding normal males. That's actually an interesting consideration, and it is definitely something that I often give thought to (the fate of "not for breeding quality" individuals of the various species that I work with).

I think that right now, desert propagation falls into that "ethical grey zone" for me personally, similar to spiders ... Difference being, of course, that I do currently own spiders (and have a clutch in the incubator ), but don't have any deserts.