Genetic Diversity in a Collection

[sorraia]

To answer the OP's actual question...

I have a couple of questions. The
first is, how do you as keepers typically maintain genetic diversity
in your collection of snakes (assuming that you breed them) or do you
pay attention to it at all? I know inbreeding happens in order to
prove out a new morph, for example breeding an unusual looking baby
back to its parent. Now, if your maintaining a small colony and
holding back a few babies as future breeders in an effort to save
money on new breeders, or if the baby has a gene that's expensive to
acquire by buying a new snake, at some point a lot of the snakes in
your collection will be related to each other. How does this impact
the snakes, or is there any measurable difference in the health of
closely related captive snakes vs their wild brothers and sisters?

For me personally, I am not concerned about inbreeding in terms of "good" or "bad". I think inbreeding is just a tool, which can be used poorly, or can be used well. For me personally, I have only received written pedigrees for 2 of my snakes (distantly related), and a verbal pedigree for 2 other snakes (according to this verbal pedigree, those 2 snakes are half-siblings). For my remaining snakes, I have to make assumptions, and I am assuming that if they come from the same breeder, they are in some way related. I have yet to produce my first clutch, though I did pair my first snakes this year (we'll see!!!). The possibility of inbreeding doesn't bother me. I intend to keep records on my snakes. If I see deleterious traits pop up in a particular pairing, that pairing will not be repeated, and depending on how serious that trait is, I might have serious reconsideration about breeding those two snakes ever again, even to different snakes. If its an extremely serious trait, I may not even breed any of the offspring. But if I have success, then I'll have no qualms against breeding those snakes again, or their offspring, to each other or to different and presumed unrelated snakes. I will keep records on my animals, which would include their health and temperament. I won't know the health of any animals I sell, unless the buyer keeps in touch with me and relates to me what happens to their snake (and keep that snake for life so I never lose track of it - let's face it, that doesn't seem to be what happens in this hobby, it appears that a snake can change hands multiple times throughout it's life), but I will at least know the health of the animals in my personal collection, and with that information I'll be able to make the best informed decisions I can for any future pairings I attempt. (Fortunately I also intend to keep my breeding to a minimum, 1 clutch a year, skipping years as needed to sell offspring, because I simply don't have room for too many snakes. This limited number of clutches per year will make it easier for me to keep such records.)

My second question is this; I have seen
people on this site mention receiving papers with a newly purchased
snake. What do these papers consist of, a pedigree as well as a
feeding chart? How do you guys keep track of the lineage of the
snakes you breed and sell? Or do you keep track of this at all?

For the most part, I've only received feeding charts. Only 2 snakes came with a recorded pedigree. I intend to keep track of lineage, feeding charts, and other important information, which I will supply to any buyers of my snakes.