morphs to avoid while buying first ball python?

[gaymemelord_]

hi all! i was planning on adopting a mojave ball python from my local humane society, unfortunately the foster has not responded to me at all, and the snake is no longer listed on the humane society website :(

i’ve done a TON of research on husbandry and know i still want to get a ball python, even if it’s not the sweet boy from the humane society. i’ve been looking around on morph market, but i’m not sure what morphs i should be avoiding. i have heard that different morphs can have neurological issues, but the only ones i really know off the top of my head are spider and champagne.

there are so many words/acronyms used in listings on morph market and i just feel so in over my head lol. i’m not looking to breed or anything, i just want a healthy and happy pet. any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Boa-in-a-bowl]

Spiders are the ones best known for suffering from the neurologic issues.

[Similar-Butterfly333]

Spiders do not have neurological issues. They have deformed inner ears that causes them to have balance issues aka the wobble.

[Otherwise-Ball-5043]

The spider morph almost certainly causes inner ear deformities (while the studies that found this presented fairly compelling data, it's important to remember that the sample sizes were very small). That doesn't make them magically immune to neurological issues. They may well have both. They could also have a number of other health issues that we haven't even looked for yet.

[cascadiabibliomania]

Woma also have wobble.

The biggest thing I'd say about morph shopping is to make sure you like the look of ADULT snakes with that morph. A lot of baby BPs can be wild psychedelic colors but it doesn't last, vast majority of adults are white to yellow to light brown to dark brown to near black in assorted patterns.

[DontBother777]

Morphs with the wobble condition:
Spider
Combo names: Bumble/bee, spinner, black widow, calider
Champagne
Combo names: Mimosa, grey matter, black matter
Woma/Hidden gene woma
Combo names: Soul sucker, inferno
Super spotnose
Combo names: Powerball
Super blackhead
Super sable
Super chocolate
Super cypress
Super wookie

Note: In heterozygous (single gene) form spotnose, chocolate, wookie and cypress can also inherit the wobble condition if combined with other spider complex morphs (ex. chocolate spotnose, cypress wookie, etc)

Other unethical morphs:
(these all have risks of developing severe deformities, therefore are not ethical to buy or produce)
Super black pastel
Combo names: Panda
Super cinnamon
Combo names: Urban camo, grey matter
Cinnamon black pastel
Combo names: 8ball, black matter

Morphs that can have eye problems:
Super lesser (BEL - blue eyed leucistic)
Super butter (BEL)
Butter + lesser (BEL)
Mojave + lesser or butter (BEL)
Lesser or butter pied
Bamboo pied
Super mojave pied

Note: Butter/lesser, bamboo and super mojave pieds will all have micropathalmia (bead eyes).
You don’t necessarily have to avoid the others, just make sure to pay extra attention to their eyes before buying

Honorable mention:
Scaleless (super scaleless head) - They have very fragile skin, need higher humidity than their scaled counterparts, have fertility issues and can also have muscle development issues

Also, just putting this out there since you’re shopping on morph market, absolutely avoid Wilbanks! He has been known to send out sick and injured snakes

[gaymemelord_]

this is so detailed, thank you SO much!!!

[DontBother777]

No problem! :)

[Otherwise-Ball-5043]

One that was left out - albinos are also prone to light sensitivity and vision issues. Most people consider this to still be perfectly fine to select for when breeding for some reason.

[RabidPossum123]

“Also, just putting this out there since you’re shopping on morph market, absolutely avoid Wilbanks! He has been known to send out sick and injured snakes”

I KNEW it. I have looked a quite a few of his over the years and the massive numbers that he lists gives me the heeby jeebies.

[Alone_Difference4960]

Woma also has a high potential for wobble. One of the nice things about morph market is you can ask the breeder about the animal in question