ALL Ball Python breeders, STOP posting photos with no info about what you posted

[dr del]

Hi again.

If the breeder proved out a new unknown gene they literally control the market, they are setting supply and demand with the progress of the project. That really hardly ever comes up. Also on that same point, what fool spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on a project and then keeps it a secret? Does that even happen? What's the plan for making the investment in time and money back?

If it is a single unknown gene then not letting on gives them more time to spread it into other gene combo's. If there is also something unusual in it like wobbles, kinks, some odd sex linked thing, then it also lets you explore that and see if it can be countered. Basically silence lets you always stay one step ahead of the customers ( now competitors ) for longer.

If it is a combo that produces a simply amazing snake however then you have to worry people might bypass buying from you completely and just make their own if they know what is in it. Again staying quiet on the genetics lets you get a generation or two ahead and makes more money for the breeder in the long run. Ralph Davis used this recently with the Flatline - a combination and a new gene all at the same time ( I think - I have no special info or anything ). If it is then when it finally comes out it will raise the price of the new gene tremendously compared to him just going "Ta-daaa! it's a ..... " In the meantime he can produce more and have them sitting in his racks ready to sell at the new, higher, price.

Occasionally rumours surface about unexpected things like allelic genes as well that could muddy the market. For ages there were persistant rumours that toffees and candys were allelic with lavender albinos - it turned out they aren't but are allelic with regular albinos. Now, if that had come out at the start, how many people would have bought a pair of toffees when they could have bought a het toffee and a, cheap as chips, albino and produce an animal that looked almost the same?

That also raises the spectre of dishonesty - an unscrupulous breeder could have sold toffinos as toffees and nobody would know until some of that animals hatchlings don't colour up as they age. By which time some of them could have been sold. It certainly put me off when thinking about getting into the project once it all came out.

How many people bought Deserts not knowing the females couldn't breed? Would they have bought them if they had known?

So as I see it there are a few reasons, some honest and some not, for secrecy in the hobby.

Not pleasant to think about but there it is.


dr del