One thing I'm wondering about is the potential for selective breeding to overcome the few drawbacks I'm reading about (slow growth, small adult size, hoppyness, and biting). Lab rats have been selectively bred for many many generations and captive ASF's are in their infancy. Maybe with our high feeder cull rate ball python breeders can work together to create improved lines. Like the breeder with the big tame male swap some babies with someone who always feeds the hoppiest babies off and keeps the easiest to catch ones for breeders against the natural tendency to do the opposite, etc.

Of course we'll need to be careful not to loose the good points they already have like high reproductive rate and low smell. But with agreement on what to work toward and careful observations (maybe weighing and recording for the fastest growing babies to keep for breeders) and swapping stock to combine and proliferate the best traits we might make some fairly quick progress.

A big impediments is shipping and quarantine but maybe doing swaps at regional shows and all maintaining high health standards can overcome these.