Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK - I don't mean to get off on a rant here - and this is directed an no one in particualr - but it's been knawing at me so here it goes....

Why is every ball python with some extra black speckling called a paradox???? OK scratch that - if it was a normal with the same speckling it'd still be "just a normal" - so why is it a "Paradox" if it's a morph?? I get why an albino or lucy variation paradox would be a paradox - because it's not supposed to be able to produce melanin - yet there it is - that is a paradox. Random extra speckles is what ball pythons do - call it dirty if you will - IMO it's not really a paradox.

OK I'll get off my soapbox - I guess it really doesn't matter - but it bugs me.

LOL.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

Insert Silly Quote Here

BECAUSE EVERYONE WANTS TO THINK THEY HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL AND/OR UNIQUE!!!
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Joshua A. Mills
2.1 Pastels
1.0 Yellow Belly
0.7 Normals not including the babies
MySpace.com/JAMillsreptiles
www.JAMillsReptiles.com

As the originator of the name "paradox boa", I couldn't agree more with Tosha.

As far as I am concerned, a "paradox" anything is a T neg albino with black speckling or markings.

Everything else needs to come up with a new original name

I agree. Paradox should be reserved for cases where it is "supposed" to be impossible.

Aberrant seems a much better fit for the rest.

While we are on the naming thing...

Hypos are NOT Ghosts. A Ghost is a Hypo x Axanthic. This cross has not been produced... yet. When it is, the name "Ghost" has pretty much been secured for it. Don't believe me? Look at boas, corns, and nearly any other reptile species morph list.

There are "normal" colored balls with abnormal "paradox" markings.
For instance...a "normal" should not exhibit albino, axanthic or melanistic charateristics.
Yet some do.
Look at the paradox axanthics....reverse paradox albinos, black pieds/inkspot balls....each of these snakes are obviously outside of the "normal" catagory.
Perhaps some will prove genetic...perhaps some will not.

We all know that a couple dark flecks does not make the snake a paradox...or even a granite.
A paradox is something obviously out of the ordinary.
Something that anyone would say...Hmmm.... that is certainly NOT a normal snake....and then explore the genetics.

It can also sometimes be subtle....a good example of an atypical trait that is often expressed in a subtle way might be something like the Shatter Pattern Balls.
I have seen shatters that look almost normal...yet they are certainly not normal...and it is also inheritable.

All these different genes sure do keep the future looking fun.

But, I have to laugh....it does sometimes seem that some people WANT to see something "special" in their fairly common snake.

The flip side...Yellow bellies made a lot of people roll their eyes before the super form was seen.

I think its good to look for new charateristics or possible marker traits...as long as you do not go overboard.
I guess it's hard for everyone to be realistic.
Human nature...Everyone wants something special.

I think I will call it the Copper Head Ball!!!!! Yeah!
People name stuff or look into things WAY TOO MUCH! Look at this, a penny fell on my snakes head, so it must be a morph! LOL
Everything is a normal until you can prove it or everyone can see it. I was just trying to make you all laugh.

Isn't Leucism a simple ressesive gene. How do we breed two co-doms together & magicaly create one>?

FLMAO!!

Copper head, and nice flames too. I'll take one. LOL

LOL

Thats great.

Now when people ask you the market price of that animal you can give them a firm and confident answer!

"They will be selling for one cent higher than a normal."

And the price should remain very stable....as long as the US Dollar does not fall any further in value!
LOL!

Actually I posted that as what she was sold to me as and that was that if someone would like to contribute a new name for a phase of bubmble that hasn't appeared yet for anyone else then by all means please do. She was tagged and bagged tittled paradox so we need a new name any takers?

Your bee is a good example of what most people would consider being a paradox. There are large patches where the pastel trait is missing, revealing the spider trait by itself. I don't know if Toshas post was refering to your animal in particular, because again it really is a nice example of a paradox. Congrats on such a nice pick-up.

Your animal certainly IS A PARADOX.
No questions there.
A really nice example too.
Nice photo work as well.
That will be a fun animal to work with.
Good purchase.
Best Wishes,
Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!
970-245-7611

hey thanks I hope she just pumps out awesome killers and who knows what else hahaha.

Here is a paradox lesser. So you don't consider this paradox? Also here is a photo of a paradox pastel. Thanks David

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www.Snakebstr.com -- Remember the Name it's in the Game!!! the Ball game that is

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WRONG !!!
WRONG... The only time I was WRONG is when I thought I was WRONG but I was really RIGHT.....LOL...LOL...LOL

The reason is ignorance, lol. They don't know the definition of "paradox". They see an albino with black patches on it being called a paradox and they think that anything with black patches means that it is a paradox. They don't realize that the paradox albino is a paradox because it is supposed to be completely void of black pigment (melanin) yet it has patches of black in it.

This confusion is demonstrated by the so called pastel paradox that was posted.

Pastels always have black so abberant black patches should not be called a paradox.

I don't know much about lessers but it looks like they have melanin in them, so there again black patches would be abberant and not a paradox.

A non-albino paradox example could be an axanthic (meaning little or no yellow pigment) having blotches of yellow in certain places. I don't know if anyone has produced one. I do suspect that if someone hatched one with black splotches on it that someone would call it a paradox when obviously it isn't paradoxical at all. Ya, that's a real word, look it up, lol.

Until people realize that the term paradox means that it has a condition that is in direct contradiction to what it is supposed to be and not just because it has black patches, you will continue to see them referred to as a paradox.

i think we should call anything that's not t-neg that's covered with hideous black spots exactly what they are , filthy.
yea , you heard it , filthy !
...filthy balls !
been meaning to say that for a long time. thanks for bringing it up.
man that feels good. filthy freakin' balls !
say it like you mean it.

ck