Spider wobble

[zina10]

I'm not one to promote breeding animals that cannot live pain free, or where the chance that the offspring has a fatal defect is high...just to get that one special one.

That said, (hey, that's becoming a favorite thing to say, LOL) MOST of nowadays morphs wouldn't survive in the wild. Simply because they can't camouflage very well. So should we breed none ? Or only the ones that look mostly normal ?

Lets take this further, what kind of dog breed would survive in the wild ? Even the ones established hundreds of years ago ? How about English bulldogs or flat nosed breeds and their breathing issues? Genetic heart issues in some breeds ? Extremely tiny dogs with holes in the skulls that won't close, extremely large breeds that don't live long because their hearts can't support that mass for long? How about all the other breeds in between ?

How about our "domesticated" birds ?

And please, lets not get into what "breedings" would be moral or immoral in human beings, that is a very slippery slope. Many people that have some genetic issues still want children, even though sometimes there is a small chance the child will inherit it. Who am I to say only perfect specimen can "breed" ? How about only pretty people? Strong ones ? How about we forbid those obese people to breed, there is a genetic factor and we all know they aren't the strongest and prettiest. Yes, I know how that sounds, and I'm being sarcastic.

Point being, esp. with Ball Pythons, the entire "morph craze" did nothing but good things for that species, really. They used to get imported by the hundred thousands. For each one that actually made it to the US alive, there were probably 10 that died between capture and getting here. The ones that made it, sick, stressed, parasite ridden, fearful ...Let's just say the majority didn't live very long. It was a huge throw-away industry.

Thanks to the morph craze there are now so very many captive bred and healthy BP's that there is no need to pick them off and import them in those huge numbers. So if anything, that will have helped the wild population.
And normals aren't going away anytime soon, should we ever need to breed to re-introduce into the wild. As a matter of fact, most species die out BECAUSE their wild is declining. Their habitat is shrinking. There is nowhere for them to go. So keeping a healthy captive bred population is a good thing.

Most morphs are very pretty and unique. I find many Normals prettier then some morphs, too, though. Beauty is truly in the eye of the Beholder. And it is fun that there is so much to choose from.

Honestly, I find that most opponents to the spiders are those who have never owned one, or only seen the bad ones. Its simply the most known about and recognizable issue with BP's. It is also actually the least bothersome to the snake, unless you have a severe one. If you keep those snakes for many years, you tend to learn a bit about them. You learn to recognize stress. Or when something is wrong with them. They can be tense, relaxed. Hiding, cruising. Cruising for food, cruising for stress. Be curious, be fearful. Some people see a sweet snake, when really it is a terrified and shy one that doesn't dare to move.

The spiders I've come across personally, and even owned for 7 years, were absolutely awesome snakes in all regards. Would have been a shame had they never existed. I never owned any of the other morphs that can have genetic issues, so I can't say how their quality of life is affected.

To me that is what it comes down to, quality of life. Pain free.

Some could say flat nosed dog breeds shouldn't exist or be allowed to die out. Or all the dogs that wouldn't make it in the wild.

Opinions are opinions, though. And everyone is entitled to their own