Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought this boy, along with 3 other WC's from a small petstore who got a large shipment in... Out of 50 balls in tank, this guy stuck out like a sore thumb... I picked them up for 40bux each... He weighs 850 grams... He hasn't eaten yet, but he's got good weight, so I'm hoping he'll start sooner or later. I took a pic for contrast with a captive bred ball... The captive bred is in shed by the way, so he's a little uglier than usual.. The WC just had a fresh shed... Here he is.. Please give an opinion on the possibility of somethin genetic, even if he isn't, he's still sweeter than MOST pastels I see around. Not bad for 40 bucks.

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Joe Lydon
Got Boids?

I can't see anything special about them but I did spot the ticks!

You should of supported a local breeder and purchase Captive Bred regius.

I hope I'm wrong but you will regret buying sub-adult WC's

N/P

He's a nicely colored snake. He does have ticks that need to be attended to and who knows what else. He should be quarantined from your collection and treated and now you should also keep an eye on that other one you had him with. But he does have some pretty coloring.
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Tosha

8.8.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
7.9.5 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

the only thing different that i could spot were the ticks and what appears to be some scarring, but as mentioned above i guess thats just what you get for purchasing wild caught animals.

I think that sometimes some sort of stressed condition can make a light colored animal. I've seen a few light colored imports that once you get them cleaned up and eating might darken back up closer to normal. Still you have got to try just in case it is something genetic and it turns out to be a het for a more stunning homozygous (several of the leucistic hets are light colored animals that many would consider "normal".

Here is a little likely ch girl I picked up for her bright color. She was very underweight for her probable age at the time I got her but she hasn't darkened much as she has filled out so I'm still hoping it wasn't just stress.

Here is her belly. Another little reinforcement that perhaps she could be something more than just normal variation - still a long shot though. Does yours have dark pigment scattered on the three rows of belly scales? I've not seen a lot of belly pics of the fireballs (hets for Eric Davies' leucistics) or the high yellow lemons (hets for Vin Russo's leucistics) so I can't be sure but I suspect both have white bellies like the lesser/phantom/mojave group and many other proven morphs.

Yes, It does have a different color, Yes it does have ticks, and you have not gotten it to eat yet. If I was you I would get the ticks off first, then I would put them in a dark encloser for a few days and then try and feed them. I got a PET SHOP male for his colors once and it took around 6 months before he would eat Rats, I got him to eat a gerbil after about 2-3 months of eating nothing. Mine DID NOT have ticks and I was told that it was feeding and was not a fresh import, I try and stay away from fresh wild collected ADULTS because they sometimes are hard to get to feed. The farmed babies that come into the country around april are ok though, they usually eat fine and are free from ticks. Hope the male proves to be something also hope they eat. Now for Randy, Nice snake she will probably be something I have held back several like that for the same reasons, but even if she don't she will make some nice pastel babies...LOL...atleast that is the way I am looking at mine.

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1.0 Pied(04)(RDR)
1.0 Albino(04)(RDR)
0.1 Spider(04)(RDR)
3.2 Pastels(03's)(04's)(ASF,Graziani,Bell lines)
0.1 Yellow belly(unproven)(04)
1.3 Yellow belly(unproven)(02,03,04's)
2.0 100% HET CLOWN(04's)(MHMR)
3.3 100% het albinos(03's)(high contrast bell line)
0.1 poss Het Albino(03's)
2.0 100% het pieds(03's)(Vin Russo,CRE)
0.2 100% het pieds(03's)(04's)(RDR,TWL)
1.2 Poss het pieds(03's)(PETE KAHL)
2.1 Poss het pieds(00's)(01's) hoping to get PIEDS this year(Vin Russo, Pete Kahl)
25 Normal adult females
60 04 females
15 normal mixed 03's
20 Assorted weird ball pythons 04's

Yes, I heard someone say that clear belly "normals" make sweet pastel crosses.

On a related subject, let me see if I can remember this right, I heard that a couple breeders produced het stripes that where also pastel (I think, maybe it was ghost, no pastel) that where outrageous. Apparently being het stripe really kicked the pastel up a notch. Maybe some of these clear bellies aren't much by them selves but some how enhance pastel also.

Here is my 60.00 Pet shop male that I purchased early last year. He may be nothing special but I do know he is a great breeder. Got my fingers crossed he is genetic in someway. I think he is very kool looking. Here he is breeding a burgandy female. Thanks

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1.0 Pied(04)(RDR)
1.0 Albino(04)(RDR)
0.1 Spider(04)(RDR)
3.2 Pastels(03's)(04's)(ASF,Graziani,Bell lines)
0.1 Yellow belly(unproven)(04)
1.3 Yellow belly(unproven)(02,03,04's)
2.0 100% HET CLOWN(04's)(MHMR)
3.3 100% het albinos(03's)(high contrast bell line)
0.1 poss Het Albino(03's)
2.0 100% het pieds(03's)(Vin Russo,CRE)
0.2 100% het pieds(03's)(04's)(RDR,TWL)
1.2 Poss het pieds(03's)(PETE KAHL)
2.1 Poss het pieds(00's)(01's) hoping to get PIEDS this year(Vin Russo, Pete Kahl)
25 Normal adult females
60 04 females
15 normal mixed 03's
20 Assorted weird ball pythons 04's

Thanks for pointing those ticks out to my attention, he had a total of 4, all removed.... The other 3 I picked up also had ticks and are also now removed... As for buying "Captive Bred", I didn't buy it for a pet, I noticed a difference, so I picked him up... And stress isn't the issue, I've had him for 2 months now, and color hasn't changed... He is kept in a 4x2 Jungle Habitat enclosure, with no supplimental lighting, so for the most part of the day, it is extremely dark... Whether he's genetic or not, I'll soon find out, because I'm pairing him up with 2 WC females I purchased along with him... Both in the 2000 gram area, also 40 bux each...
Here's a shot of one of the ticks I removed, still alive and moving...

Here's a shot by himself...

Here he is with the smaller of the 2 females...

Here is a shot of the whole group...

If you're to say he looks like your every day normal ball python, then I guess I'm crazy...

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Joe Lydon
Got Boids?

Not to be mean but if he hasn't eaten yet and still has external parasites he is probably still all kinds of stressed (starvation, internal parasites, possible diseases/reaction to meds, general transition from wild to captivity). Also, it will likely take years for those big imported females to adjust to captivity enough to breed. But stick with it and you will probably eventually be able to straiten them all out and perhaps even prove something genetic wise.

Animals deal with it in ways we may never understand. I have (only) one WC female that looks very normal. But just prior to laying eggs and for about 2-3 months thereafter, she turns black and white. It's amazing! I could easily sell her as an obvious axanthic - she's not. I know this happens in other species like chondros but this is the only BP I've have witnessed to do it. What I'm saying is the color change could last well over two months or it could last forever. It does have nice coloration though.
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Jay A. Martin