It happens...

So unfortunately this happens sometimes. Never happened to me before until last year when we got one albino with it, she never would eat and had to put her down. Got two this year, one mild case and one pretty bad.

Basically looks like the lower jaw never fully developed properly in the egg. I have included some pictures. I'm sure any one who breeds ball pythons have their own stories of when things just didn't come out like you thought. 2 babies in about 200 is not a bad ratio for mother nature to do her thing.

Top picture of Pastel with "normal" rounded nose as reference.
Top picture of YB with pointer nose (jaw issue)

Bottom pictures of mild (Pastel YB) and severe lip deformity (YB from above).
Again, it happens...

Wow. Is this the result of inbreeding? I'm guessing they were both from the same clutch, I don't think I'd be crossing those two again.

I'm so sorry about your two babies That must be one of the difficult parts of breeding, even though if one breeds long enough, chances are that something like that will happen.

Do you plan to try to get these ones to eat, or do you think the jaw deformity makes it impossible? Since the bottom jaw is so sunken, I wonder if the breathing tube could even extend far enough to allow ingestion :s. That's really unfortunate, it reminds me of a cleft lip.

Originally Posted by MCMB-2

Wow. Is this the result of inbreeding? I'm guessing they were both from the same clutch, I don't think I'd be crossing those two again.

Nick, this is not a result of inbreeding. Both parents were adults when I acquired them from different breeders, same with the pair that produced the Albino last year. Albino pair breed several times previous with no issues.

Originally Posted by Lucille

I'm so sorry about your two babies That must be one of the difficult parts of breeding, even though if one breeds long enough, chances are that something like that will happen.

Lucy has hit it on the head...

This was basically the reason I posted, "it happens". I know others have had it happen too. Some people don't like to talk about it or show it off because they worry about others thinking something is wrong with "them", "their collection", "quality of animals" etc. It has nothing to do with any of it, mother nature creates differences sometimes...heck if not we would not be looking at all the different "morphs" either.

Originally Posted by MCMB-2

Do you plan to try to get these ones to eat, or do you think the jaw deformity makes it impossible?

I will give them both a solid fair chance to make it no doubt. I "think" that they won't. Even if they could eat, I worry about their mouths drying out and what that might do.

Yea I was thinking that too when I saw it. And I didn't mean to insinuate anything when I mentioned inbreeding, I was genuinely curious as I'm fairly new to this. I'm sorry if that came across the wrong way, I appreciate you putting the pics up as I've never seen it before.

Oh wow I'm sorry, I see how that would have been read. I meant both of the baby snakes with the deformities were from the same clutch, not the parents being from the same clutch. That's the problem with typing, YOU know what you mean to say, but of course it can be read entirely differently -.-

So how would one go about putting down a snake? Does CO2 work like it does on rats?

Originally Posted by MCMB-2

Oh wow I'm sorry -.-

No worries at all Nick, everything is good!

Originally Posted by Reptile Frenzy

So how would one go about putting down a snake? Does CO2 work like it does on rats?

Mark, this is a great question. I know various methods exist and people will debate forever over what is more humane, etc. I personally put them in a freezer bag and place them in the freezer.