Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi, a quick question about a situation im in. at the local pet shop there is what seems to be a Mojave ball. i dont know for sure because i have never seen one in real life, just in pics on here. next to the other balls in the tank(4 others all about 2.5 feet long so probably 06's) he is really bright not much brown, not like a pastel but still bright. is it possible that its an exceptional normal? they want $80 for him, but thats the problem, its a him i dont want to buy a normal male because i can probably get a male pastel for that at a show in a couple of months but if its a Mojave then it would be a good buy, what would you do? i know most people will just say buy it and see if you can prove him out, but it will be hell to bring home another snake with my wifes feelings. i will take a pic tomorrow if hes still there. thanks for your help. looks a lot like this NERD pic. are mojaves bright?

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1 iguana
1 female sort of normal ball python
3 fish
and we had a pet mouse......untill stripes was hungry

Take a look at it's belly. It should be white (REALLY white by comparison to a normal) - possibly creeping up the sides.

The areas on a normal that are brown won't really be brown on a mojave. Instead, it will be appear to be a mix of brown, gray, and purple. Mojaves have a very smooth looking base color - not a lot of speckling at all.

A mojave should stick out like a sore thumb next to a tank of normals. If you get there and are still unsure - forget about it. Walk away. Unless the animal stands out and you just can't resist I wouldn't spend the money. You've got less than 0.09% chance it is anything other than a "nice normal".

Save your money and buy that Pastel at a show... your wife will be blown away by that next to your normal (maybe enough to change her mind a little).

thanks a lot, i had the same feelings but for some reason i just couldnt let it go, but with you having the same perspective i now know what to do. i just need to stay on the path that i was on.....going after bees! its going to be a while though haha. i think he was a really nice normal, but im going to kick myself in the butt if i hear that someone picked up a mojave for cheap next week when i get my rats!
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1 iguana
1 female sort of normal ball python
3 fish
and we had a pet mouse......untill stripes was hungry

If you really think he is something go now take a picture and post it. Everyotne will be more than happy to give their opinion.
Good luck!

A new wife .....
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

hahaha sometimes that does sound like a good idea haha......o no here she comes.........
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1 iguana
1 female sort of normal ball python
3 fish
and we had a pet mouse......untill stripes was hungry

I think the picture you showed of a Mojave is a poor example of a Mojave. If that is what you think it "kind of" looks like then it is probably a normal. As the other poster said, if there is a Mojave in a tank of normals, there will be no doubt in your mind it is a Mojave. It is very rare for Morphs to be sold as normals. It usually goes the other way where normals are sold as morphs.

Here is a picture of a hatchling Mojave that shows a little more what the coloration should be like.

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Ryan Sherman
Scottsdale, Arizona
www.ThePaintedPython.com

it's cute

it's not normal normal

it's not a mojave

it's male

buy a real mojave if you want a mojave....they are cheap enough......

good luck
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thanks for the insite everyone, i kind of talked myself out of it today because i really wasnt even looking at mojaves, it was just an impulse thing because it looked like it might be. if it was a female i would still get it but being a male kind of sealed the deal. thanks again.
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1 iguana
1 female sort of normal ball python
3 fish
and we had a pet mouse......untill stripes was hungry