Morphs, Health & Temperment

[zina10]

Temperament wise, morphs are no different then normals.

I think there is a myth going around, how morphs can be more "aggressive". I think that back when we mostly had "normals" a lot of them were imports or captive hatched. They were usually immensely stressed and very shy. They were often kept in less then ideal setups.

What was really and truly "shy and timid" was looked at as "sweet and calm". Over time, with GOOD husbandry and the correct care, some of those animals over came the stress and fear and with regular handling were still sweet, and not just timid.

Nowadays you have many more "captive bred and born" animals. They have not been put through the ringer like those other ones were. They are healthy and act more like a normal hatchling snake should. Somewhat defensive/curious. While BPs are actually a very shy/timid species altogether, the healthy babies do have a bit more "spice" at times. Which is actually a good thing. They will more readily eat and are overall healthier animals that will get used to a new home far quicker.

They, too, will calm down and turn "sweet" (trusting) over time. But it is important NOT to over handle in the beginning, because you want to turn it sweet and used to humans. They really need time to acclimate and feel safe. They need to eat a few times in their new home before handled at all (aside from any needed maintenance). Also, handling should be short and sweet in the beginning. There is no rush.

Of course there are still some differences from one snake to another. Some are "more" curious, some less. Some are feistier then others. The very rare one stays somewhat aggressive. I have yet to come across one that stayed nasty, though...

Long story short, if you want a young one, there is no short cut. Buy from a good breeder, that is the most important part. Get a healthy one. If you want one that has calmed down a bit already, buy one with a bit of age and weight on it, a juvenile. One that has been handled for regular maintenance and isn't deathly afraid of that anymore. One that isn't prone to strike and bite each time you reach for it