Breeding morphs?

[laciiejay]

Hello everybody, I have a few questions I am unsure of the answers and I would like some experienced handler opinions. I currently own a normal ball python (as of now unsure of sex) and am in the position to get an additional pinstripe ball (male or female) or a 100% Het pied ball (also male or female). Assuming i figure out the sex of my current ball which new snake do you think would be the better choice if i plan on trying to breed in the future. I am unsure of the genetics in breeding snakes to produce morphs. I know it's a roll of the dice on what you would get out of a clutch but what I really don't know is if you need a male to pass certain genes or a female to receive. Hopefully you catch my drift and will be able to provide assistance.

THANKS!!!

[infernalis]

I think I know what you are asking.

if you breed a "normal" (Het for nothing) to a 100% het for anything you will get a whole clutch of normal looking snakes with about 50-66 percent chances of some of them being het.

it would take several generations of line breeding to produce any morphs.

Also since there is money to be made in the "het game" be sure you know your breeder, in other words a well known breeder is less likely to lie about a snake being a het than a person you never met.

there are people who will sell $20 normal baby pythons as $300 hets without even flinching.

Simply showing you a "parent" snake, either in person or via photos is not enough to convince me (when dealing with strangers)

What I am getting at, stick with reputable well know produces like (for instance) Pro Exotics.

good luck with your project.

[laciiejay]

Also just to clarify, I am not paying for the new snake.

Does the whole male/female thing matter with genes?

[infernalis]

gender does not matter.

recessive or do-dominant genes do.

try Google searching ball python genetics, I'm sure there has to be a guide out there telling you what to expect ;)

[laciiejay]

Maybe my best bet would be to just get the pinstripe then so I have a morph right from the start. I tried watching some videos on youtube to figure out how to sex my ball but none of it worked for me. Any suggestions on that?

[infernalis]

sorry about the delay, my neighbor had some great fireworks, so I went out to watch.

I suck at sexing snakes, I don't dare shove probes into their vents.

[laciiejay]

Well, I just talked to the guy I am getting the snake from and i decided on a male pinstripe. Hopefully a good decision on my part. I tried "popping" my snake and determined, to my best guess, it is a female. Either way i can get another in the future if they both prove to be male to start breeding. I want to get one clutch one of these days. I have a feeling it will be very fulfilling.

[infernalis]

It is, I love baby season every year. Even if they are not pythons.

[lhoward96]

Well, I just talked to the guy I am getting the snake from and i decided on a male pinstripe. Hopefully a good decision on my part. I tried "popping" my snake and determined, to my best guess, it is a female. Either way i can get another in the future if they both prove to be male to start breeding. I want to get one clutch one of these days. I have a feeling it will be very fulfilling.

Be careful with popping. That can damage them if you are inexperienced. Probing is the best way. I went like 6 months thinking mine was female after I got it. Just today I probed him, and figured out he's just a very large male.

[citysnakes]

probing can also cause damage if done improperly. its best to learn from an experienced keeper before attempting either sexing method.

[Nafun]

One of the balls I just rescued got sexed the old fashioned way.

His cage mate (/facepalm) laid eggs. They hatched.

[infernalis]

Been there done that.....

Luckily with garters the difference is apparent within a short time..

The ladies get huge compared to the boys.

When I found my eastern milk I thought for sure it was a he, then she dropped a nine egg clutch.

My first ever snake delivered 28 live babies....

Here is how I sex my snakes, I take the males out of the deli cup labeled "Male" and I take my females out of the deli cup labeled "female"

that works most of the time ;)

[emseeKAY]

Here is how I sex my snakes, I take the males out of the deli cup labeled "Male" and I take my females out of the deli cup labeled "female"

that works most of the time ;)

imagine if snakes were be parthenogenetic ;) then it would really send you on a loop :D