Quote Originally Posted by Isshinharu
Maybe this is a noob question, but... does breeding a female shorten her life span? I have one now and have thought about breeding her in a couple years when she's ready, but she's one I'd like to keep (nice pattern... almost like a jungle, but i don't think it's a true 'jungle'). I would eventually like to acquire others for breeding, and maybe get into morphs if funds are available.
Not as far as anyone has proven. There are many breeders now that have adult ball females well into their late twenties that have been breeding for the last decade with no signs of slowing down.

As long as your animals are in great physical condition prior to being bred and their health is monitored, there is no reason why breeding would shorten the incredibly long lifespans that ball pythons have.

-adam