Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Who gave the name Ghost to Hypos?
Why do some hypos coloration fade with age?
What is a "true ghost"?
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0.1 Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 ball python (felix)
1.1 feral cats (Fuzzy, and Bear; it used to be fuzzy, wuzzy, bear)

>Who gave the name Ghost to Hypos?

I believe the Barkers/VPI named the first "ghost" ball but I think it was a little different and genetically incompatible with the current "ghost" balls. Something about an odd scale texture.

>Why do some hypos coloration fade with age?

Sorry, I haven't owned a ghost yet and am not sure what you are talking about. To me a ghost is faded to start with and I understand they get more so with age (i.e. nicer looking in my book). Are you complaining about yellow toning down? I think the reduced black would more than make up for that in my book.

>What is a "true ghost"?

Many where familure with the term "ghost" for describing the combination of anerythristic (like axanthic in ball pythons) and hypomelanistic in corn snakes so to these people, a "true" ghost would be an axanthic and hypomelanistic ball python.

i meant darkening not fading. Some of those pics in the orange ghost/pastel thread below show orange ghosts that don't look to nice, but some are awesom.
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0.1 Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 ball python (felix)
1.1 feral cats (Fuzzy, and Bear; it used to be fuzzy, wuzzy, bear)

In a true 'Ghost', I think I am right in saying that there must be no sign of a pattern in the shed skin. The shed skin appears to be like an additional, translucent, unpatterned skin above the coloured skin of the animal. Ghosts sometime appear that are darker and brighter in colour than the 'accepted Ghost' colours.
I think that Kevin at NERD may be the best person to answer this question from experience.

I'm not sure who called the hypos "ghosts", but a true ghost will be an axanthic x Hypo. Like in Corns, Boas, etc etc. I'm sure NERD and others are close to producing it.