If you got the eggs you were shooting for and hit prefect on the odds, what would be your most exciting ball python produced this season?

I'll start it off. I think my most exciting pairing is Spider Het Lavender -vs- Het Lavender and hitting on a Lavender Spider male would be the grand poo pa of my season..:master::master:

:cheers:

Wow that would rock anyones season....

Mine... I'm hoping to prove out a bunch of het pied girls... Nothing major, but cool for me!! Next season though.... oh man I'll be pairing my bumblebelly with my lemon girl... Thats gunna be hard to top for me...

I'm crossing my fingers for some albino girls.

Well we only have one pair so "tater tots" would be cool LOL

Pieds Or Spiders Het Albino.....Normals would ROCK just as much :yessir: Being my first year :)

I think my most exciting this year will be POG's and some spider het axanthic's and pastel het axanthic's. Yeah, not too exciting here this year. Next year should be sweet, though.

Nothing much here, but hoping to pair this guy
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/FloridaHogs/Ball%20Pythons/100_5253b.jpg

with this girl
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/FloridaHogs/Ball%20Pythons/100_2366.jpg

and get some very reduched striped spiders....at least I hope...

For me I have a couple of things my Enchi is getting plugged into so that's exciting. I'd like to see me some super pastels.

Very striped spider that one, should be nice spiders out of the clutch.
My first year breeding balls I hope to produce a Mojo bee. If everything goes well and the odds are in my favor that is.

Thanks Danny!

kingpins. :rockon:



CHeers,
Kat

Fireflies:cheers:

I'm hoping my Pewter gets it on with a Pastel girl or 3... :)

Spider mojaves, bees and hopefully a pied if my poss het proves.

my most anticipated projects are cinny het ghost x het ghost/hypoxspider hethypo/piedxalbino and pied x pinstripe

In the 06/07 season I produced my first clown -- an unfortunate moving accident the week before they were to hatch and I ended up loosing him. My het female wasn't back up to size last season but is a decent size this season -- my het male is doing his job well (my best breeder in this awful season) and I hope to produce my first living clown -- fingers crossed for a couple girls to hold back.

Aside from that I'm also looking forward to hopefully producing a sable spider -- I fell in love with it at first glance -- I know it's not one of them awesome awe inspiring snakes but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Then there is the Superstripe project which we are still waiting to see if the little guy will figure it out.

It'll be a mellow season for sure - but I can use the break.

Aiming for some lithium balls this year, but insted of butter x cinni I did lesser x cinni. Either way I should have a pretty good assortment of morphs this year :)

According to Bill the Lesser X Cinny is not called a Lithium. It has another name.

I don't have an exciting ball project going. I can't actually think of a ball project I would find exciting.
I may produce some more clowns, or some bees, but I just can't get excited about the big lazy slugs this year. I'm just putting them together and the rest is up to them. I don't know who's bred and who hasn't, I guess I'll find out when I start seeing eggs.

Wow thats a depressing outlook. Why do it then?

Because they're here and they provide me with the means to purchase things I am really interested in.
I like balls, don't get me wrong. I'll always have a few, I've been keeping them for nearly 20 years. I've just grown tired of them on a larger scale since they've become the biggest fad in herpetoculture.

I think to label ball pythons with the term 'fad' is to mischaracterise them. Ball pythons have a lot going for them. They are excellent animals. They make great pets, they possess great disposition and they are of manageable size and many morphs possible for all levels of sophistication. Add all that up, and it becomes quite clear that they should be popular; their popularity is quite predictable given these desirable properties. A 'fad' has an ending and would be something that is popular for reasons not stemming from solid, long term qualities. Albino burmese pythons, are one example. Those, were a fad.

I'm circumspect when I hear how overall popularity drives an individual's disinterest in herpetological (breeding) projects after they have begun them. Yes, I know, at least one well known person has publicly indicated he has this tendency, during an interview on the radio show. The pattern seems to be that interest in a project diminishes when either popularity or success diminishes a previously perceived high profile. I'd suggest that there is a relationship between these factors, the underlying dynamic clearly not being passion, but perhaps egoistical enslavement to audience.

I think for me the most exciting are the few dinker projects I have going, see if they prove out or if anything at all different comes from something. The not knowing part is what I find exciting.... :yessir:

I'm hoping my Pewter gets it on with a Pastel girl or 3... :)


Luke Im having the same problem my 07 male Pewter wants nothing to do with the females....

As for this season....Clowns,Ivories, and some Fire combos...
Kevin Stoltz

Pieds and black eyed leucistics.

Got a few nice pastels in with some light girls that will be cool but my main goal is to get some possible het pieds :rockon:

BEL, Bees, Caramel Albinos, Hypo Mojave, proving out (or not) some weird ones.

Smogs,(spider mojave orange ghosts) Mogs, (mojave orange ghosts) Pogs (pastel orange ghosts) Hypo super mojos, Super mojos, Jigsaws, Damn, I have to many that I'm excited about. I think these are equally my most though..

BEL, Super Pastels and my first Bee

Most excited about, shot at a pastel pied this year, next year, pastel clown:cheers:

Rich

me some spiders het for albino

me some spiders het for albino

Sounds good to me man! :cheers:

Purple Gargoyle's AKA The Purple People Eater!:devil:

http://www.monstersnakesforever.com/forumpics/gargoyel4.jpg

With This!

http://www.monstersnakesforever.com/forumpics/purplePE2.jpg

Crap I just saw this was the ball section :welcome: Sorry guys...

Crap I just saw this was the ball section :welcome: Sorry guys...

No biggie man.... good luck with those!

I'm most excited about some mojave het caramels and some poss het toffee's.

Just want some eggs...:)

NORMAL MALES!!!!!!!! I'm gonna crash the market with Normal Males!!! ;) But seriously, some Calico Dreams, Caramels and Killer Bees....Hypo Lucys will have to wait til next season =(

I think to label ball pythons with the term 'fad' is to mischaracterise them. Ball pythons have a lot going for them. They are excellent animals. They make great pets, they possess great disposition and they are of manageable size and many morphs possible for all levels of sophistication. Add all that up, and it becomes quite clear that they should be popular; their popularity is quite predictable given these desirable properties. A 'fad' has an ending and would be something that is popular for reasons not stemming from solid, long term qualities. Albino burmese pythons, are one example. Those, were a fad.

You are right, "fad" isn't the correct term. I'm not sure what word would be adequate in expressing the cult like following they have acquired once the mutations began to be discovered. All the BS and baggage associated with the entire ball python craze has tired me out on it all and I'm just not interested in being much of a part of it anymore.
They do indeed possess all the qualities you mentioned, but they have one other quality for me, they are simply boring snakes. By that I mean they pose no challenge to keep beyond the occasional finicky feeder. That however is just my personal opinion. I get far more enjoyment working with my feisty Savu pythons than the balls.

I'm circumspect when I hear how overall popularity drives an individual's disinterest in herpetological (breeding) projects after they have begun them. Yes, I know, at least one well known person has publicly indicated he has this tendency, during an interview on the radio show. The pattern seems to be that interest in a project diminishes when either popularity or success diminishes a previously perceived high profile. I'd suggest that there is a relationship between these factors, the underlying dynamic clearly not being passion, but perhaps egoistical enslavement to audience.

My interest has not diminished for those reasons. I've never had a high profile with the ball pythons to lose, nor have I ever sought to achieve one.
There are other factors for me. One being that the greater the popularity of a given species, the easier they are to care for and breed. I'd be willing to say there is no easier python than balls. For me, that translates to a general lack of any feeling of accomplishment on a personal level. I like a challenge, working with a species where not everyone that half way tries can actually reproduce them, then succeeding myself gives me that personal feeling of accomplishment.
I like projects where a fair amount of knowledge remains to be discovered. Pretty much all that's left with the balls is just more morph combining to see what different looking snakes pop out.


I got my first ball python 18 or 19 years ago. I still have her actually. I've always enjoyed having two or three in the collection because they are great little snakes. The enjoyment of having two or three though is not multiplied when I have 30 or 40. They have just gotten to the point that they are preventing me from working with species I really enjoy, that pose more of a challenge, and opportunity to learn something new about them.
Having so many balls makes it impossible for me to truly focus on the others enough so that I can figure out the details of their reproductive needs. That's the main reason for my diminished interest. They have become a hindrance to the areas where my real passion lies.

One question I always enjoy asking people who are hard core into balls and have a large collection of them is if there were no morphs at all in that species would you still have that many? Would you have any?
The answer reveals whether they really do like the species just for what they are or if they like them for what they can be to them.

Your contradicting yourself first you say they provide you with a means to work with the species you really like. Now your saying there a hindrance and there holding you back. If you are so tired of them dont pollute this particular forum with your disdain for them as anything other than a good snake to have a couple of around. Anyone who keeps animals to breed them is doing it for what the animals give to them. No one breeds balls for the fact that they are helping to propagate a species. The only place that is happening with the more difficult species is in zoos and a few private collections...very few.

Of course everyone here is entitled to there own opinion but coming on a thread (about breeding no less) and saying how bored you are with breeding these "slugs" seems pointless.

Your contradicting yourself first you say they provide you with a means to work with the species you really like. Now your saying there a hindrance and there holding you back.

No contradiction at all. I said they provide me with the means to purchase the species I want to work with. Purchasing them and adding them to the collection is merely the first step to understanding them and truly focusing on succeeding with them. It's the latter where having a large number of balls to care for is a hindrance.

If you are so tired of them dont pollute this particular forum with your disdain for them as anything other than a good snake to have a couple of around.
(snip)
Of course everyone here is entitled to there own opinion but coming on a thread (about breeding no less) and saying how bored you are with breeding these "slugs" seems pointless.

Yeah well, that's how sh!t goes ain't it. Always got to be somebody paddling up river aggravating everyone who is trying to go with the flow. :devil:
I actually originally opened this thread meaning to respond completely differently as Samhain did, but I noticed the specification of ball python project before posting then figured I was already here, I'll give my opinion anyway. I had no expectations it would be appreciated by anyone else.

The only ones up to size here are our pied male and het pied female ....so...a pied female would be great !
Next year we will be trying to unlock the identity of the BEL we bought . his origin is unknown and he looks different from the knowns . He is ch ...so yes I did when we started building our collection .
Next yr lav het x lav het (sired by excalibur)...
and more .
Toni

My interest has not diminished for those reasons. I've never had a high profile with the ball pythons to lose, nor have I ever sought to achieve one.


You're the one who cited external circumstances regards your diminishing interests in them.



There are other factors for me. One being that the greater the popularity of a given species, the easier they are to care for and breed. I'd be willing to say there is no easier python than balls. For me, that translates to a general lack of any feeling of accomplishment on a personal level. I like a challenge, working with a species where not everyone that half way tries can actually reproduce them, then succeeding myself gives me that personal feeling of accomplishment.


Interesting, however the biology of the ball python has not changed, that I'm aware of; it is the same before they were popular, as is after.



One question I always enjoy asking people who are hard core into balls and have a large collection of them is if there were no morphs at all in that species would you still have that many? Would you have any?
The answer reveals whether they really do like the species just for what they are or if they like them for what they can be to them.

Well this is a little circular, as morphs have already been cited as a facet of their attraction. Different facets attract different people, and combined interest comprises overall popularity. However, setting aside the nonexsistance of morphs strawman-- One person responding and saying no, they would not keep them were there no morphs is as equally non-probative as another who says just a normal specimen is kept.

Let's try and get back to the original topic question....

[QUOTE=Clay Davenport;58062]
I actually originally opened this thread meaning to respond completely differently as Samhain didQUOTE]

LOL I actually had a few shots last night and jagged it off :lol:

I know what you are trying to say about finding species thet present challenge but I honestly think many here really love all snakes and can find something worthy about all spicies. Being a Retic guy I am hard to impress with smaller species or thats what I would be working with but I love looking at some of this stuff these guys post like Brocks Champagnes or Larry's Lavenders! How could any snake fan not just drool?

If my lil lesser boy gets it going.. black pastel x lesser, and woma x lesser.. If not blk pastel x pin, and mojo x woma.. But it's my first season I just hope to get eggs!! Good luck on your special projects everyone..

Alan