Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

I have never heard anything about dwarfs since A friend of mine that owns a reptile shop here in Greece gave me as a present a small Ball Python that he claims that is possibly a dwarph morph.

He bases his claim on the fact that all eggs that hached from the same cluch produced offspring of aprox 35 to 45 grams each.
This was the only hatchling that weighted 15-18 gramms. All its brothers and sisters are at least twice its size by now ! I am feeding it f/t fuzzies twice a week. Has anyone any suggestions on how to research further this possibility ??

Regards
John

so is your friend saying that this is a midget ball python?

Pitoon

Well.. yes ! this is what he suspects-claims. However, I on the other hand, believe that it will revert to normal growth if fed correctly. But I wouldnt know !

This is why I aks for your feedback !!

so basically you can breed this and make more midgets?

Pitoon

Although I have never heard of any proven line of "dwarfs", I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. I would assume it would be a recessive gene, and maybe we just haven't ran across it yet?

I'm sure their are lines of that are naturally just smaller in general. Not a technical "dwarf" persay, just smaller. Variation is only natural. I wonder what the technicalities of naming a "dwarf" line would be? Would they be accepted?

If you couldn't tell, I've thought about this before lol Although have nothing other than thought to add to the conversation - no cold hard facts what-so-ever.

i have an '04 Roussis 100% het pied male that weighs under 600 grams.

Im not saying that hes a "dwarf" but IF there ever was one, hed fit the discription!
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Thanks
Chad Ramsey

the term dwarf is normally used to describe something that is genetically reproducible... a runt is just an animal that is smaller than usual (often is not as healthy/strong as siblings), but does not reproduce genetically necessarily... If this is just a single animal, I wouldn't be surprised we're simply talking about a runt... that may, as you already said, resume normal growth with proper care and feeding. Some twins are born very small.. I had a 33g twin grow and catch up to siblings within 12 months after hatching.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Bristen.

>>Hello all,
>>
>> I have never heard anything about dwarfs since A friend of mine that owns a reptile shop here in Greece gave me as a present a small Ball Python that he claims that is possibly a dwarph morph.
>>
>>He bases his claim on the fact that all eggs that hached from the same cluch produced offspring of aprox 35 to 45 grams each.
>>This was the only hatchling that weighted 15-18 gramms. All its brothers and sisters are at least twice its size by now ! I am feeding it f/t fuzzies twice a week. Has anyone any suggestions on how to research further this possibility ??
>>
>>Regards
>>John
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___________________________
www.RoyalGemReptiles.com

Tracy Barker has a new line of dark axanthics that so far seem to be small. I don't think she has outbred them yet to see what the hets are like or to confirm if the size is part of the mutation or just other genetics in the line.

Most likely your small baby was a twin (the other might not have lived) or from a small or deformed egg.

I'm inclined to believe it's simply a runt, which doesn't make it a bad snake . Adult Ball Pythons can range from 3 to 5 feet or more normally, so in order to be considered a dwarf I would think it would have to end up smaller than the low end of the scale, AND be able to reproduce same. Just my take on this.

Quig

i have a little female pastel that i think might be a runt/ dwarf. she was born from a clutch of two normal sized eggs. at birth she weighed 38 grams 9 months later she weighs 50 gms. she eats f/t rat pups weekly. she sheds great and deficates normally. other than her size she is a perfect snake. for a normal pastel she sure came out nicely colored. she was pumpkin orange and black with very little head coloration.she has changed coloring a little but still doesnt have coloring on her head. i hope she stays small weither she breeds or not. i will post pics of her in just a minute.

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Spider

sorry wrong pic
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Spider

Here is the right picture - took it just a few minutes ago. She ate a rat pup last night so she's a little plump looking. This is by far the smallest 9 month old ball I've had at only 50 grams. Some of you might remember when I posted some graphic pics of my female laying her entire oviduct entangled with retained/mummified eggs. Well, out of two black mummified lumps, two rock hard retained eggs, and two viable eggs, this is the only survivor of the bunch. Not sure if her traumatic beginning of life is affecting her body weight or if there is something different about her. Only time will tell.

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Spider

my vote is runt and runt. several generations of less than 3ft adults, then maybe you could warrant this dialogue, but one runt in a litter... not even close. IMHO
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Jeff Benfer

1.0 pastel Python regius
1.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
1.3 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.2 double het albino and anerythristicThamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
2.2 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
0.2 het Christmas albino Thamnophis radix
1.1 double het cherry erythristic, albino Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 melanistic Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis
1.1 triple heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 Okeetee Pantherophis guttatus

Thank you all for your replies.

Runt or dwarf I really like its small size ! I got it as a presentr from my friend, owner of a small and reputable reptile shop, probably because he would not sell it easily and he knows that I can take good care of my animals.

I hope he remains small ! My kids love it.

John
From the far away GREECE !!