Quote Originally Posted by Snake Judy View Post
Are any snake breeders really looking at temperament when pairing animals, though? It seems to me like it's low on the priority list, but I'm not in the breeder circuit so I don't really know if that's being taken into consideration. Is there really a notable difference between a captive hatched python and a captive bred one? The placid nature of ball pythons is one of the things that made them so popular in the pet trade in the first place. I don't think that can be called domestication.
That is an interesting question. I know I have thought about the possibility of breeding my remarkably tolerant and even tempered pastel. I doubt I ever will, but it has crossed my mind that his temperament is so fantastic that it would be marvelous to carry on his calm disposition into a new generation. I assume that temperament is something that can be continued and refined through genetics, though I admittedly have very little knowledge when it comes to breeding. That being said, I agree with you that the focus seems to be on the morph and not their personality. I have never seen an ad discussing the parents disposition, but see het _____ all the time. I would sure love the opportunity to meet and interact with a wild ball python. I think it would be fascinating to observe what differences, if any, they have in behavior when compared to their CB relatives. Do you suppose they would be just as docile as the ones found in the pet trade?