Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know someone here has done it.
But you probably won't own up to it.

So ....who here has gone to a store and bought a "ghost" ball python.... only to find out it ws just in shed?

If you think you could find a ghost ball python at a pet store, you are either misinformed, or the author of the information you've been reading, is misinformed. You can tell a ghost ball my the fact that they have white bellies. This is very apparent either in shed, or not.

I did not say I bought a ghost ball or anyone I know bought a ghost ball from the pet store.

I said....(watch the quotes)

Who here has bought a "ghost" ball from a pet store only to find out it was just in shed.

I ask because I know someone who has..........then after laughing my head off...I started wondering how many other people have done it

p.s. clear bellies dows not a ghost ball make

>>p.s. clear bellies dows not a ghost ball make

I have a beautiful female who has a clear belly who isn't a ghost, though her coloring is unusual. She too had a clear shed right after I got her but the next one had pattern (though it was much lighter than my male's shed pattern).
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All my Children: 0.2 female humans (1 is 10 and the other is a 6 month old hatchling), 1 Saint Bernard, 2 maine coons, 15 leopard geckos, 1 pacman frog, 1 oscar, 1 jack dempsey, 1.1 ball pythons, and "Lilith" the black meowing kitty

I have one like that also. Her coloring is faded, she has a completely white belly, and her first shed after I got her (as an adult) was a mostly clear shed. She's had patterned sheds after that time. I don't have good pics, but here are a couple crappy ones...

>>p.s. clear bellies dows not a ghost ball make

I have a beautiful female who has a clear belly who isn't a ghost, though her coloring is unusual. She too had a clear shed right after I got her but the next one had pattern (though it was much lighter than my male's shed pattern).
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All my Children: 0.2 female humans (1 is 10 and the other is a 6 month old hatchling), 1 Saint Bernard, 2 maine coons, 15 leopard geckos, 1 pacman frog, 1 oscar, 1 jack dempsey, 1.1 ball pythons, and "Lilith" the black meowing kitty

he bought a "ghost " ball only to find out it was a NORMAL that was just in shed.

So I am wondering how many others have done it

: )

Actually, I didn't buy them because they where in shed, but I have bought two balls at pet stores on the chance that they where low quality ghosts but neither was.

The first was a juvenile in mid winter that had a ghost look. The time of year and size led me to believe it had shed before. Sure enough the first shed after I got it was clear and patternless but after that shed it didn't look like a ghost any more and the next shed was normal with a pattern. Not sure what was up with it.

I also bought a very nice looking adult pet store male last year hoping he was a ghost but all of his sheds had pattern (I've posted a link to a comparison pic of him).

I was able to resell both animals and didn't loose too much money and still think it was worth the risk on the chance of getting a pet store morph at normal price. I've only seen a few ghosts in person but my first was a killer 1,000 gram female that was sold back to the same pet store where she was bought as a normal imported hatchling because she had gotten too big for her owner. That was back in 2001, pet store probably only paid $50 or less to buy her back and I could have gotten her for $800 if I had it. I'm told that very few ghosts slip through undetected now days but from that one female (she did prove for the store owner with a captive bred line - 4.4 in 2002) I know that it has happened before.
Comparison pic of pet store non ghost

Here is my latest pet store acquisition. I picked up this girl at 1,300 grams for $45 this summer. She is apparently wild caught as she had tapeworms. Based on her belly edge striping I'm going to try to breed her to a 50% chance het pied with similar striping. She is eating well, so hopefully young enough to acclimate and breed soon. I'm not holding my breath on producing pieds with them but I don't have much invested in her so any babies will be gravy.

I bought this female at a local store for $125. I also bought her supposed daughter for the same price. I am hoping to prove them out.

Dave

I think I paid about $100 for this pet store girl. Just found out she had tapeworms and strongyloides after having her for 2 years (moral: never assume an animal is clean just because it does well, especially a pet store animal). She was 3,000 grams when I treated her and might well make 4,000 grams by breeding season now that she is clean.

pretty