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Ok, this is half prove me wrong and half a rant.

I don't think there is a such thing as a "Cape York" Spotted Python (at least available outside Australia). I think these are just regular Spotted Pythons and are called Cape Yorks as a left over of the days when they were all Children's Pythons.

How can you guarantee (legally) that the snake you have is from Cape York? Who honestly knows how many generations removed our snakes are from wild ones.

I got into a discussion with someone at a reptile show. He was looking for Cape Yorks and I had 3 "regular" spotted pythons. I was told CYs get bigger and keep their spots. Well, bigger than what? And don't all spotted keep their spots? Now this is true if the CYs are compared to Children's pythons.

Ok, that's my rant...if someone can post pictures side by side showing me the difference between a Cape York and regular spotted python I'd love to see it.

"Cape York" spotteds are a locality species from the Cape York peninsula in Northern Australia and yes, I do believe they exist and can be found if one tries hard enough. The Barkers of VPI fame used to breed these locality morphs and the colors were "different" from what I would call "regular" spotteds. The background color was lighter but I do not remember reading anything about being larger or more (or less) spotted than other maculosas. I found some info at AustralianAddictions website and some nice representative pictures. They say they are from the Barker animals. I've attached a pic of their male here. Just as in all snake species, locality morphs can have slight (and sometimes radical) color and pattern differences. The snake posted is different looking from my spotteds.

That being said, I have seen hundreds of "Cape Yorks" sold at higher prices than "regular" spotteds and they look exactly the same. They were likely sold a "Cape York" pair and, as such, feel they can sell the babies for more money. Personally, unless I was buying from a trusted source with an impeccable reputation I would hesitate buying a "Cape York" at any higher price than the usual cost for a maculosa. Unless, of course, there was something unique or unusual about it. Proving they're "Cape Yorks" now would be difficult due to the ban on exporting reptiles from Australia. Plus, not all spotteds living in the Cape York area look alike. Some look just like "normals". This is just like Okeetee cornsnakes. You can find animals that are "representative" Okeetees in the area with bold colors and borders and find others that are muddied, drab animals. Yet they can both be considered Okeetee corns.

If someone wants to sell me a "Cape York" spotted python and not jack up the price unless there is something unique about it, I'll buy them. But I'll likely sell them as "spotteds" for the beautiful animals they are

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Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

Here's a pic of my male that was purchased as a "Cape York" spotted python. I didn't pay anymore money for him and he's simply beautiful but not representative of pics I've seen of "true" Cape Yorks so I'd feel kinda funny asking more money for the the babies - hopefully due anytime! They are super sweet snakes!

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Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

The Barkers had pure Cape York spotted pythons. There are a few breeders from these original animals around. Unfortunately, many people have called normal spotteds Cape Yorks, or may have inadvertently bred a Cape York with a normal spotted and messed up the lineages. We got ours from a guy that got them from a Barker line breeder. They do get larger and have a different pattern than common spotteds. Raymond Hoser, an Australian herp guy, has also proposed giving them subspecies status. He's kind of a "hoser" for a lack of a better term, but he makes a valid argument with the Cape York spotteds, aka blonde macs. There are some fantastic blond macs in Australia. Do a google image search for Cape York spotted and you will see many pictures. Here is the exerpt from the abovementioned Ray Hoser article:

"ANTARESIA MACULOSUS BRENTONOLOUGHLINI subsp. nov.
HOLOTYPE

A specimen at the Australian Museum from 16 km east of Coen, Queensland (R16772) (Lat. 13° 55' S, Long. 143° 11' E).

DIAGNOSIS

Known in herpetoculture as "Blonde maculosus" this subspecies is the (usually) large light coloured form from far north Queensland.

In the absence of reliable locality data and DNA data, both of which separate Antaresia maculosus brentonoloughlini subsp. nov. from Antaresia maculosus maculosus this newly described subspecies can be readily separated from other Antaresia maculosus by it's greater preponderance of light colouration relative to dark blotches on the dorsal surface. Normal Antaresia maculosus maculosus have roughly half to half (50%:50%) dark versus light blotches. For Antaresia maculosus brentonoloughlini subsp. nov. the ratio is generally at least 60% light colour to 40% or less darker blotches.

Antaresia maculosus brentonoloughlini subsp. nov. is also on average a larger subspecies, with specimens attaining 150 cm being fairly common. This size is relatively rare in normal Antaresia maculosus.

Antaresia maculosus brentonoloughlini subsp. nov. is known only from Cape York in Queensland to about as far south as just north of Cairns. In the region from about Cairns to Townsville and inland from here, specimens are in many respects intermediate in form between Antaresia maculosus brentonoloughlini subsp. nov. and Antaresia maculosus maculosus, but are probably best assigned to the form Antaresia maculosus maculosus on the basis of their smaller adult maximum sizes and the fact that their dorsal patterning is generally more like that of normal Antaresia maculosus maculosus.

Antaresia maculosus brentonoloughlini subsp. nov. is a hardy captive and common in captivity in Australia. A number of NSW breeders of snakes breed large numbers of Antaresia maculosus brentonoloughlini subsp. nov. (as of 2001-2002). Husbandry requirements for all Antaresia maculosus subspecies appears to be identical in terms of how cages are set-up, incubation of eggs and treatment of common ailments."
AAR

The Barkers did have pure cape york spotted pythons. If my memory serves me they got animals from the oklahoma Zoo who imported legally 2.2 Cape york spotteds. They are very unique. They average a larger size larger blothches with less of them on a much more yellow background color. We are currently working with 2.4 and we got our original breeders dirrect from VPI when they got out of them. You have to be carefull who you buy them from as many people have knowingly bred the two forms together over the years. Its a shame that it is that way but its worht doing your homework to get pure ones as they are very cool and fun to work with. I will see what I can do for pics.

Thanks Ryan Young
www.inlandreptile.com

someone once told me one of mine is a cape-york spotted... but i dunno
I bought both my male and female as spotted pythons
And as for keeping spots, from what I understand is all spotted pythons keep 'em, but children's pythons loss theirs as they age.
the top's my male(Hotdog) and the seconds my female (Shoelace)

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1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (Rex- "normal" orange fire)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (Glutany- German Giant Mix)
0.1.0 Okeetee Corn (Okatee)
1.1.0 Spotted Python (Hotdog and Shoelace)