wild-caught ball pythons irritable sick disease starvation

[zina10]

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't really expecting any, especially one this prompt and thorough.

Your question re why someone would want WC vs CBB. It's one of those things where if you have to ask the question then you probably won't understand the answer, but anyway here goes: I don't like snakes of unnatural appearance. We see that MorphMarket has "119 different genes and traits" (probably 120 by the time I click send for this message) of Ball Pythons, but to me there are only 2 categories: Normals and Abnormals. Evolution and what it has created are beautiful, far more so than what artificial selection can "produce." I find the subjective paint jobs of today's Ball Pythons blasphemous. I like having dinosaurs in my house. Was that of any help? I can't articulate it any better.

First of all, like I said, English is my second language and sometimes I have a hard time getting a point across the way I intended. So, I will say in advance, my reply means no offense.

That said, I find your answer puzzling. Why wouldn't anyone that asks that question understand your answer? Opinions are like you know what. Everyone has one. There could be many reasons why some people prefer WC over CB. Normals over Morphs and visa versa. I think we all "get" the different reasons. Might not agree with it, but certainly understand the point.

Morphs are not abnormal. They all originated in the wild. None were created by mad scientist in a petri dish. Granted the COMBO'S thereof would most likely not happen in the wild, due to the rarity of color morphs.

However, taking 2 normals out of the wild and breeding them in captivity is really not ethically any different then picking 2 morphs out of the wild and breeding them. The result is the same. CH Ball Pythons. Some are different colored.
I can understand that some people prefer the "normal" coloration. Of which there is a wide variety as well, one must note.

Honestly, I find the subject of importing WC Ball Pythons far more off putting. Having seen first hand how these animals arrive. For each that arrives "alive" there are probably 20 that died during the process of being collected and arriving in our country. I find that sad. Not to mention out of the ones that did arrive alive, how many ended up in good homes that got them thriving? No, for me, that is WAY to much collateral damage done. Especially since there are so many Ball Pythons captive bred and born. Healthy, unstressed animals. Many of them "normal" colored, if one isn't into "morphs".

I had 2 Volta females. One was 4500 gr. the other 3700. They are majestic animals, quite different with their HUGE head compared to other localities. However, the whole process of importing gravid animals also don't sit well with me. All that stress.

Well, I really just meant to say, I GET your point. I don't agree with it. I get liking "normals" better then morphs. But I don't agree with the idea of WC being preferable over CBB animals, for reasons I mentioned above.

The only real market left for WC animals is the one where people sift through them looking for "new" dinkers. Or for the gravid Voltas. For each of those, many others die. That, is just a fact.

She was collected gravid. That she laid a clutch and is incubating it is not necessarily a indicator that she doesn't have some parasites. It means her parasite load hasn't reached critical limits yet of making her sick enough to die. Usually wild animals live quite alright with a load of parasites. It is when they come under intense stress, such as being collected and exported, that their immune systems take a hit and the parasite load overwhelms their system. They are forced to travel in bundles, feces and urine intermingled, germs passed between each other. One thing leads to another.

The only way to know for sure is to get a fresh fecal to a vet. Without her eating, that may be a problem. Some vets can extract enough material to put under the microscope, but you would have to bring her to the Vet. Which you wouldn't want to do while she is on eggs. You say that maternal or not incubation isn't up for discussion. So be it. But if that were my animal that I cared about, I would get her off the eggs, wash her down real good and start on getting her 100% healthy in every way. Then start on getting her feeding. Whatever it takes. Leaving her on the eggs just delays the process.

I know I'm being long winded here, but I DO very much care about those animals. I treated many WC, some on the verge of death. I've had captive hatched, WC, normals, morphs. And I loved / love them all.

I wish you good luck with your endeavor, I wish the best for your female and her hatchlings.