Breeding for personality

[bman]

In the 1970s, Bud Cale developed some new strains of honeybees bred especially for docility. I bought some of these Cale queens and they were wonderful. I worked my hives with no veil in tshirt and flip flops. It seems like some of the snake breeders would breed for behavior as well as color morphs. Just wondering if this has happened yet?

[Stefan-A]

Not to my knowledge, but in all probability, we're doing it unwittingly.

[guidofatherof5]

Not to my knowledge, but in all probability, we're doing it unwittingly.

Indeed.

[gibble888]

Most people breed for a certain trait then inbreed and backcross etc. but along with that trait comes all the other traits which will be personality,color,size....on and on.....you can get what you want it will just take some to many generations.

[bman]

Thanks for the inputs. I'm sure when selecting breeding stock, you would also select for personality inadvertently, but you could accelerate the process purposely.

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks for the inputs. I'm sure when selecting breeding stock, you would also select for personality inadvertently, but you could accelerate the process purposely.

Explain, please.

[Eddie]

I treat all of my garters exactly the same way from the day they are born. As generations go by I always notice the same thing. Some garters are psycho and some are not. They seem to stay true to form from birth till death.
Just an observation.
Ed

[Stefan-A]

Thanks for the inputs. I'm sure when selecting breeding stock, you would also select for personality inadvertently, but you could accelerate the process purposely.

I would see it more as a consequence of some snakes responding less well to handling than others and how that might affect how soon the owner detects illnesses and injuries. The more you handle a snake, the sooner you notice a problem. And the sooner you can start treating it, the better the animal's chances of survival are, which means longer lifespan, more clutches, bigger clutches and higher survival rate among the offspring.

Perhaps.

[chris-uk]

As garters have a good capacity to learn behaviours whether you can selectively breed for a calm temperament depends a lot on how much of a snake's behaviour is nature and how much is nurture.
Siblings treated in different ways would make experiment design relatively easy. However the duration of such a controlled experiment would make it difficult to conduct.

Anecdotal evidence would suggest that some species are calmer than others, and would support there being a genetic link. Keeper behaviour probably does inadvertently select the nicer temperament, after all who'd want to breed from a bitey female? On the other hand, breeders tend to be more interested in visual traits, so that bitey cow of garter would probably get bred regardless of temperament if she looked pretty.