This shows how we end up with multiple genes that are the exact same thing ( since they come from the same clutch) but end up with different people who prove them out and name them. Usually the best one at marketing wins
It also shows how common a lot of morph genes are in wild populations. I knew spider was extremely common in the wild but I didn't realize how many others are as well. I saw a few unusual genetics in the temple pythons too.
For context on my spider comment. Specimens, like really old ones I first looked at in college as well as black and white photos included them to the point I assumed it was officially documented as a natural morph. I was very surprised when I found out how long it took for live ones to make it to the USA
Eeeh those poor babies all piled up like that...tossed around like they are oranges at a grocery market or something. I'm excited for the green one...."African Olive" ball python... unless it's green green...I don't know. But I'm glad for the ones you are bringing home. They will be in good hands.
As much as heaps of baby ballpythons sounds like a dream, I find it hard to watch how they're treated. What happens with all the "normal" (no oddities) normals, is there enough demand for those? How many baby snakes die in those facilities? Also sceptical about the sustainable harvest. Sure, they release the female back into the wild but it still cuts down on the number of ballpythons in the wild when those babies are sold off instead of being part of the next generation living in the wild.
Genuine question-could you explain how the captive farmed ball pythons are more sustainable? I’ll need to rewind a bit to confirm, but if the hunters are picking up gravid females (even if they’re returned to the wild after laying), I don’t see how that would be ecologically sound. Leaving breeding-sized adults in the wild probably wouldn't help the wild populations much when their entire clutches (thousands of hatchlings!) are being removed. The new potential morphs are pretty, but even if ball pythons aren’t currently endangered, rapidly decreasing wild populations to bolster the pet trade isn’t great.
@WiredPyro I’m of the same opinion, but I thought I’d at least ask in case there’s something I’m missing here. My best guess on what might be “sustainable” about the ranches is that captive born (but not captive bred, of course) snakes might be slightly less stressed during the exporting process than wild-caught adults? But that still doesn’t cover any of the environmental concerns. As cool as new morphs are, aesthetic should never be prioritized over conservation.
It's something you learn in ecology called "sustainable yield" or "sustainable harvest"--google those terms to learn more. As a salmon ecologist, I can give you that example. A Pacific salmon lays a couple thousand eggs but there is only habitat for a limited number of juveniles in the stream to hide from predators and keep from being washed downstream in high flows. Ones that can't find good habitat get displaced downstream (where they die) or get eaten. Then there is a limited amount of good spawning habitat (nice oxygenated gravels of certain size) when the adults return, so if double the number come back to spawn, there will still only be enough spawning habitat for a fixed number of eggs to survive--the rest spawn in poor habitat where the eggs may die, or they spawn on top of other nests, killing the eggs in that nest. Lots of other eggs just get eaten or washed out in floods. A pair of animals only needs to replace themselves for the population to remain stable. So fishermen taking millions of salmon a year from the ocean are taking the excess number that would die anyway. The only thing affected by removing the ball python babies would be animals that eat ball pythons, but if those predators eat a variety of different things, not just ball pythons, they aren't affected either. I'm sure Dav will give a better explanation, lol. It makes sense when you are 60 years old and studied salmon ecology, but that's why we go to college to study ecology---it's complicated and fun!
You gotta understand that he is a visitor so it would be weird to go in and tell everyone they’re doing stuff wrong, they might kick him out and also he is not the one doing it, he was only trying to do good for all of us by finding new morphs
@@Moonlight_Monsters He doesnt need to go there to import snakes. He shouldnt be importing any more snakes, finding new morphs is worthless, you dont need new morphs, no one does. That obsession is a cancer to the hobby and should be shamed.
Green?! GREEEEEEN?!?!!!! Now THAT is exciting! I’d love to have one but I don’t breed mine so it’s better for someone who does breed to have them, since that’s your intention. I had missed feelings watching the facility footage. I love my BP’s so much and it was difficult for me to see a bunch of balled up (scared) babies dumped out of a bag. I’m too sensitive I guess. I’m so excited for the Ball Python movie!!!!!
They were beautiful little things, but like you said there was definitely something unpleasant about seeing so many babies. It was very much a business, which I suppose is the reality of breeding for profit, but it doesn't sit well. I have 2 17 year old corns at the moment. I don't think I'll have reptiles when they're gone. I'm sure lots of snakes are not bred like this at all, but I found it something I didn't want to be part of.
@Jo Talbot if you’re not getting imports from a huge breeder, you won’t be getting snakes from a situation like this. The huge majority of ball pythons (and other snakes) in the US and Europe are captive born and bred, meaning they were never in a situation like this. You just have to know who you’re buying from.
If you think that's bad, I am a pet rat lover! So I could never keep a snake even though I love them. I have that hypersensitive empathy to animal stress too and it has only become more acute the older I get (I'm 61), but I actually didn't get too sad seeing the big bags of baby pythons. I try to think of it from the point of view of what that particular species senses and is comfortable with in nature. The people handle them casually, but hurting the snakes would only negatively affect them financially, so although they are crowded temporarily, as long as they are being fed, kept at their native temperature and humidity, and not injured, I'm not sure it's that stressful for them, but I know how you feel. I worry more about when they are kept by someone who neglects them or just sets them free outside when they are tired of them. It's kind of admirable that the locals have a way to make a living from nature in a sustainable way that doesn't hurt the snake populations or habitat or kill the animals. Pretty rare business model in this world we live in. If you ever get a chance to go to Africa in your life--take it! Places like this look a little chaotic, but the people are so friendly and there is so much more nature than in our "civilized" countries. I spent a day walking alone along a river backwater and every five minutes a giant Nile monitor came flying out from the shade of the shrubs, crossed in front of me and dove into the water and disappeared. I kept trying as hard as I could to see one BEFORE it saw me, but they were so camouflaged, it was impossible! Maybe for the best because I really wanted to touch one, lol. I love reading comments by people like you on Dav's channel. It's very hard to go through life being sensitive to suffering--things other people think are funny can ruin your whole day. But you are the best of peoples!! Hang in there and spread the love.
@@jotalbot2719 You have some lucky snakes! I was impressed that they only collected the eggs and released the adults back into the wild. I am having a hard time thinking of another business that "exploits" a species without killing them, hurting their populations, or destroying their habitat, especially in a poor country. They are treating the snakes casually, but actually mistreating them would hurt them financially, so it probably looks more stressful than it is. A snake mostly wants to be warm and fed and not eaten or injured itself, so they may not mind the crowding or occasional toss into a pile as much as we think. I am sooo sensitive to animal suffering myself, so I know how you feel--I am glad there are people like you on the planet to care for the little guys.
@@scrubjay93 The reason that certain animal populations are destroyed or mistreated is because they are in black markets. If you allow the free trade of every animal, the populations would increase, not decrease.
I have to admit I was a bit freaked out about sooo many snakes but the dark ones, WOW 😍 can not wait for the movie too, these little clips have already been so informative!
Awesome video Dav!!! I can’t imagine being able to go through all of those hatchlings! It’s also really awesome that you brought some back to sell and help freshen up the gene pool here at home! I’m really looking forward to the ball python movie!
Hopefully you picked out some rippers for yourself! Would love to see you discover some new genes. And if you don’t name one the Kaufman special you’re missing out on a golden opportunity
Dave your a true trend setter , one of a kind and an essential vertebrae in our hobby’s spine ! I stand by that 💯! Keep doing what you do bro , you don’t know it , but your influencing our next Steve Irwin !!! God bless you big dog 🤙🏻
I would love to do this. I would be good to see a video on the process of applying for cites, connecting with farming facilities and then shipping. Looking forward to your ball python movie!
Is anyone keeping track or documenting where the specific morphs are found? Scientifically? Are the females that are taken to lay eggs returned to the same exact spot they were found?
Wow I can't wait to see the green one Dav. What a great adventure video again... I bet you felt like a kid at a toy store looking a pokemon toy to see which character you want when you was picking out them Ball Pythons 😆 have a nice day be safe
This is the coolest thing I have ever seen and I breed ball python morphs. I would love to get my hands on some of them babys to try and prove them out.
Dav, you are so beyond cool to be doing this and giving people the opportunity to work with these snakes and not just thinking of yourself and the money you could make. I'm a retired wildlife biologist and don't keep reptiles as pets (at least not right now), but I am so curious about the evolutionary reasons behind the variation in the coloration of this species. I keep forgetting to google and read the literature to learn why this is the case, so maybe I'll just wait for your documentary! It's easy to understand why the various colors and patterns wouldn't be selected *against* because they are all good camouflage, but the sheer number of mutations/variations seems ridiculous! Evolution is endlessly interesting. I have been to southern Africa and hope to go back at some point, possibly for good. Your episodes in Africa just remind me of all the reasons I love it. I remember driving into towns on roads like that where it seemed there was no rhyme or reason to where you were supposed to drive--makes me laugh all over again. Can't wait to see your green python---but....no blue or purple ones? Are you slacking off? 😉 I really wanted to see a rock python in the wild, but never did, so I loved your video on finding that giant. What a thrill.
Thank you! I really appreciate that. I touch on at least some of the folklore of why there are so many morphs in the upcoming ball Python movie but the truth is nobody really knows
@@davkaufmansreptileadventures Reminds me a little of Tanganyikan cichlids--dozens of locales with different colors within one species. But sexual selection certainly a factor there and not in snakes. But shows that the genetic potential for color mutations must be so high. Then again, there are hundreds of breeds of domestic pigeons, chickens, dogs and even rats now come in dozens of colors from Siamese to Russian Blue, curly hair, rex, hairless. Now I'm too curious not to start googling. 🤔
I saw your Morph Market listings! Figured it made sense since you had been in Africa haha. Glad we get to see behind the scenes too! Super cool. Also, very pretty little orange babies :) Edit: Actually, I am in the market for a couple males and another female.... ;)
You picked some amazing ones for yourself, cant wait to see what they end up producing for you..theres so much beauty and variation in normal ball pythons theyre still stunning to me.
I didn’t feel so great by seeing them in a bucket, but at least the modern process is more sustainable. I thought that the young eat nothing before they are exported. At least so it was in the past.
I'd really like to find out what happened: how they survived the trip back, what some of them that you shared looked like, how easy it was to get them to settle, not to mention green! So wish there was a follow up video. Though I did enjoy your main film of what you found out in Africa.
Great video and an amazing journey that most of us will never live. Thank you sir for sharing your tour to the land of Ball Pythons!!!!😎🏆🤙🏼💪🏼 You are the Man!!!!!
Talk about living your best life! I'm picking up a couple of these for sure! Thanks for going over there and doing this and I can't wait for the ball python movie!!!
Can you please alleviate my concerns and tell me that so many snakes in one bag aren't at risk of being hurt or crushed? I doubt that they would put them all in one bag if they were going to be killed but I wanna be sure
They’re not going to die but it’s obviously not ideal to store them like that. I doubt they’re kept like that because how would you ensure they’ll eat? Especially if there’s potential high value morphs. Every snake is profit
I agree 1000%! I couldn't believe.! Those poor little things looked so stressed out! And Dave just Said, " I'll have to put you in the REJECT PILE!" Now I see why they "Ball up"...God this is just made me mad! and what is an "Alien head"?
@@susanmartin3762 alien head is the pattern on the side of the ball pythons. The reject pile only meant those that he wasn't taking. It had nothing to do with them just being rejected and not going to be cared for. Those snakes aren't stressed out snakes will pile up in nature to keep from being stressed.
I’m very interested in knowing what this whole process costs. From the CITES, to the trip cost, to the balls purchased. Do you have other exporting licenses or anything? Would love for there to be a video or if you can give us a break down of how much this cost in total and other costs.
Great video! It was nice to see that you made sure to get ones that were sustainably sourced and looked over each one. I can't wait for the movie to come out, I'm really excited to learn more about their natural habitat.
How many are available to us the public very interested and I love the movie it's super neat seeing the other side of ball pythons and get a bigger picture of them in the wild
Shoooot.. if I had the space, I would have had you pick up one of those GORGEOUS "normals"! Some test breedings involve normals, and some of those were VERY well marked!
If the first one in the second bag turns out to be a solid gene it should be named coco or gogo since it looked like it had those letters all over the dorsal xD
I'm a patreon, how much to smuggle one into Australia.😁 These will be interesting projects for you and other lucky people. Shame the dark ones lighten up.
Did all the babies sell out already? Hopfully im just early. I went to your morphmarket and didnt see any😞 would love to add one to our breeding program.
I did a highschool report on Togo. Tiny country, but rich in minerals. It's main one being phosphate. Also has gold, diamonds, and uranium deposits. Ball pythons weren't in my report though! I'd like to make a pied out of one of the dark ones!
Hey man lol! I know that I'm already watching the free video you made for us, but I was just going to ask you to please make a video on Kenyan sand boas in the wild?! Of course you should expect that request to come from Mike Holloway Jr lol! Nephew of Jeff Holloway lol
It is healthier for breeders in the USA to continue importing wild to keep the lines fresh. If there aren't fresh lines then eventually they will all be related like the lemurs here as breeders for captivity.
I'm really hoping someone figures out how to get something similar to the cow morph that retics have in a ball or some other manageable sized snake, it's gotta be my favorite morph. But that caramel one is gorgeous. There's no way we don't get some cool babies from these guys.
Hello and greetings from finland again 🙏😇🤟✌️!! I woud love To get few/one Off those darger ones 😍🙏😇!! But yeah nice pics Dav and cant wayt To see the ballpython movie 🙏😇!! Pleasy show is the Green one Dav 🙏🙏🙏😅!!
I looked in see u only have 3 up on morph market now are u putting more up later in are u going to sell all individually or are you going do Pairs now that being said have to say love this video in love ball python movie u did it's awesome
Sean Bradley told me stories about the “old days” of importing BP’s. Crazy stuff with the corruption, and the back stabbing among breeders when a possible new gene was found.
Omg Dav thank you for showing all those babies! But…am I the only one that still loves the species but never wants to hear “ball python” spoken out loud again? 🤣🤣🤣
The gene I am working with is recessive. If you would like to check my credentials please let me know and I will put you in touch with breeders in the USA who know me.
Man I can't wait to see what is produced from some of these! I loved the one with the circle patterning on its back. Probably my favorite I seen in the video!
The long awaited video! We've been waiting for this one for a couple of months now! What are you gonna call the green BP if it proves genetic? (too soon for this question, I know) Go Dave!
Great video & information. Can’t wait til your full BP movie comes out. Me personally, I would pick a lot out the bucket of darker babies and those orange ones look nice as well.
Dāv I thank you gonna have a good interesting thing going here! Good eye. But sure keeping some treats under your toop! Will keep an eye out on morph just checked dont see any! What a incredible trip! How was the Food?! Rattle On! And Always More COWBELL!!!!
