Neurological issues poll

[Will0W783]

There are certain genetic morphs in snakes that will ALWAYS have some degree of neurological deficit. The spider ball python and all combos of the morph, and the jaguar gene in the carpet python are just a few examples. I have had jags and a spider ball python, and they were healthy and ate well. They got a bit wobbly when excited (i.e. when food was around), but were otherwise healthy. I had intended to breed them, but they both were sold when I downsized the collection.

I think that in cases of these morphs, breeders have to look at the overall condition of the animal- as far as I know the neurological condition is not completely heritable; a wobble-free snake can have severely affected offspring, and a severely wobbly snake can produce normal babies. I think that we as breeders must be careful and responsible when creating new morphs to lessen the risk and impact of potential deficits.