This is clearly a case of putting an animal’s looks before their quality of life. The argument against the continued breeding of spider ball pythons is obvious. In fact, a sizable number of spider ball fans consider the “cute” spider wobble to be one of their best features. The most desirable and rare “designer python” morphs can fetch anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars.
Their primary draw is their aesthetic appeal, the endless combinations of stripes, spots, chocolate browns and banana yellows that make up each snake’s appearance. Unlike dogs or cats, pythons aren’t particularly interactive pets. The spider is only one of hundreds of ball python “morphs” -artificially bred variants of a single python species, Python regius, with notable color or pattern qualities. There is no way to “cure” the spider wobble without removing what made the variant so beloved in the first place. What is for certain is that the spider pattern and wobble are inexorably linked. Some spider balls struggle to feed themselves because of their lack of motor control, while others wobble so imperceptibly that their owners aren’t even aware of the condition. ” The severity of the spider wobble varies greatly between each snake. Spider ball pythons are born with a central nervous system disorder that causes their head to tremble, known in the reptile-keeping world as the “ spider wobble. It turns out that the genetic mutation responsible for the trademark spider patterning has unintended neurological consequences. The controversy stems from a single issue. Many snake veterans saw this as an assault on their hobby from outsiders, and many outsiders were appalled by the culture defending spider ball breeding. Petitions to outlaw the breeding of spider balls appeared left and right, as did response articles to those petitions. As the controversy inflated in size, it spilled out of the insular world of snake husbandry and into the general public. Heated arguments both for and against the decision flooded online forums, reptile magazines, and YouTube videos. The news sent shockwaves throughout the reptile-keeping world. In 2018, the International Herpetological Society (IHS) prohibited the sale of spider ball pythons in their shows. So why do so many people want to ban it?. Many in the reptile community celebrate the spider ball, not just for its contribution to the hobby, but also their livelihoods.
Virtually every snake breeder sells at least one spider variant with many offering their own hybrids. The end of its tail curls into a distinct “C” shape as if to show its owner’s demure character.Īfter its introduction by breeder Kevin McKurley in 1999, the spider ball exploded in popularity and remains one of the most in-demand pythons. A fractal crown adorns its head, shaded with a subtle gradient of browns and blacks. Its cream-colored body is splattered with dark veins in the style of a Jackson Pollock painting. The spider ball python is an exquisitely beautiful snake. The “spider” morph is a popular variant of the ball python (Python regius) (Photo Credit: )
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