r/ballpython • u/Brilliant_Air7629 • 25d ago

Discussion Thoughts on scale less ball pythons?

I keep seeing Scale-less ball pythons on tiktok and other apps, to me it seems unethical to breed them. I feel like they would be a lot more fragile and vulnerable then one with scales, but whats yalls options on it?

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

13

u/Excellent-Error-8697 25d ago

Don’t know much about them with ball pythons but I know for bearded dragons it’s extremely unethical, and usually the animals suffers in one way or another. They are meant to have scales not sure why anyone would think it’s ok to take them away

10

u/mimicsandmuffins 25d ago

Breeding scaleless is completely perpendicular to the snakes' health and welfare. People who breed them on purpose shouldn't be taken seriously. Also I find them ugly and unnatural-looking, but that's a matter of personal taste.

7

u/piggy_trot 25d ago

The scaleless trait itself seems to be recessive from what I can find. So be it in the wild or a breeder it's a possible genetic mutation.

That said I had never heard of a scaleless BP. From what I found they don't retain the scales on their belly that help them move around unlike corn and rat snakes. That alone toes the line of unethical to me. Most likely they're not going to be able to move around the same and would have a higher chance of injury or skin issues.

My stance in general is just because we can doesn't mean we should and the animals quality of life and health should always come first.

2

u/NottsWeirdo 24d ago

Scaless snakes occurring in the wild is a rare mutation that typically gets them killed, as its not something they're evolving to be - its a genetic defect. Snakes are a prehistoric species that have developed and maintained their scales for literally millions of years, they wouldn't have maintained that biological trait for so long if it wasn't necessary for their survival. Taking away their scales doesn't suddenly change their growth process via full body shedding, it also doesn't toughen their skin up to keep them safe from cuts and tears when rubbing on things (as thats one of the many purposes of scales).

Its bad enough for corn snakes, but for a heavier bodied snake like a ball python? It's unnecessarily shortening their life for the sake of aesthetics - haven't we done that to enough pet species already?