# Site General > Site Info >  New "For Fun" Game! FIND THE NORMAL!

## JLC

A couple of years ago, we came up with this little game called "Find the Morph" to help demonstrate how variable and "morph-like" normal ball pythons can look.  It was a lot of fun and it still pops up to the top of the pile from time to time.  :Razz: 

SO...I thought it was time for a new game!  Something that may be a bit more challenging in today's world of exciting, but oftentimes subtle morphs.   :Twisted: 

The rules are simple....scan through the pictures and vote for the one that you believe is "normal".  Only one of these animals is...the rest are all proven morphs.  All photos given freely by their owners.  There are no "winners" in this game...just the fun of guessing.  

My only request is that if you recognize any of these animals specifically, that you keep that information to yourself.  It's fine to guess and speculate openly about what you believe....but please DO NOT make any definitive statements of fact that might spoil the game for those who are looking at it with fresh eyes. 

After it's played out for awhile, I'll reveal the answer...but only when it will be buried nice and deep amid the public discussions.  :Giggle:  

SO....ON WITH THE SHOW!! Can you find the normal among these beauties???

*ONE:


TWO:


THREE:


FOUR:


FIVE:


SIX:


SEVEN:


EIGHT:


NINE:


TEN:


ELEVEN:


TWELVE:


THIRTEEN:


FOURTEEN:


FIFTEEN:


SIXTEEN:


SEVENTEEN:


EIGHTEEN:


NINETEEN:


TWENTY:


TWENTY-ONE:


TWENTY-TWO:

*

Enjoy!!  :Very Happy:

----------


## JLC

Y'all can talk in this thread, ya know...  :Razz:

----------


## Anarchy

17th looks fairly normal ???!!!!  :Confused:  :Rolleyes2:

----------


## waltah!

Well I recognize a couple of those guys :Smile:  This is a great idea, Judy. I've gotta study em for a min and see if I can figure it out.

----------


## AndrewGeibel

This one is wickedly difficult/impossible lol. I give up.

----------


## MarkieJ

Are there any repeat morphs that are pictured?  I'm trying to guess at the morphs, and by process of elimination... guess at the normal.

----------


## Jyson

I have a feeling I've seen a few of these guys/gals before. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

Brilliant idea Judy!

----------


## Bruce Whitehead

If I win... or rather WHEN I win... can I have that smokin' calico?  :Razz: 

Not saying which one that is... as that would ruin it.  :Wag of the finger: 

Some really nice examples of some killer snake in there judy.  :Good Job:

----------


## drucebennedict

-headdesk-
Most are somewhat obvious, but there's two or three up there that I wanna give up on.

----------


## catawhat75

Umm, nope. Can't even hazzard a guess. Gives me hope for some of my dinking projects though  :Very Happy:

----------


## lepidunce

Wonderful game, Judy. Since I'm almost a complete newb when it comes to morphs, this was a nice exercise, and fun to boot. Thanks! 

P.S. I think its the one without legs.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## pavlovk1025

Methinks that was a little easier than I expected. I only say this based on the assumption that I am right. =P

----------


## irishanaconda

not even "right click, save picture as" would work lol... i was torn between 3of them...  :Smile:  but i picked 4

----------


## blackcrystal22

4, 13, 15, or 16. 4 is my strongest feeling though.. and my vote.

----------


## JLC

> Are there any repeat morphs that are pictured?  I'm trying to guess at the morphs, and by process of elimination... guess at the normal.


There are multiple samples of the same morph for some of them...and some of the morphs are single samples.  No more than three of any given morph, though.  :Razz: 




> not even "right click, save picture as" would work lol...


Of course not...I'm smarticle!  :ROFL:

----------


## WingedWolfPsion

You don't have hets in there, do you?  'Cause that would so not be fair. lol

----------


## MarkieJ

A lot of people picked 4, but I think that's an axanthic.  I think it's one that looks crazy, but ends up being a normal. I went with #17!   :Good Job:

----------

_mooingtricycle_ (10-14-2009),_twistedtails_ (10-08-2009)

----------


## JLC

> You don't have hets in there, do you?  'Cause that would so not be fair. lol


LOL...none that I know of.  All the morphs are visual examples.  :Yes:

----------


## Patricia

To my totally untrained eye (can't tell one from the other at all), I went with the one that looks most like my own plain ol' Patriot: #8.   :Snake: 

Fun game!   :Smile:

----------


## Foschi Exotic Serpents

You mixed babies with adults! That makes it harder since they change color so drastically sometimes. I know what many of them are but im gonna say number 1. Even tho it looks like a russo het or some other very subtle morph. Im not sure tho because its top lip is so white. I think i see cinnamons. Ghosts. Banded. A pastel. Calico. Stripe. Granite maybe? But im still learning the newer morphs as well. I still say number 1 but im not positive. Darn you! Fun game tho  :Smile:

----------


## LadyOhh

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

I actually am not even sure myself... 

Good job, Judy! 

 :Smile:

----------


## cinderbird

Haha i think i found it! i mean i hope i found it  :Very Happy:

----------


## thegoalie22

Failing to see how 4 is getting the most votes
it looks the least like a normal of all of them

----------


## twistedtails

I voted 13.

----------


## Lolo76

Tough one! I was torn between 4, 15 & 21... went with #4, since he/she looks a lot like my normal girl Mona.

All gorgeous snakes, each and every one of them!  :Good Job:

----------


## Sarbs

wow thats hard! being a newb i have no idea but went for #1  :Very Happy:

----------


## Turbo Serpent

I guessed 15.

Apparently not many people agree with me.  :Taz:

----------


## mainbutter

> Failing to see how 4 is getting the most votes
> it looks the least like a normal of all of them


I voted 4.  It looks to me like just an odd normal.  Normals have an incredible amount of variation in color and pattern, and it just doesn't look like it carries any visual mutation that I know about.

Some are easy to tell they aren't normals.. the pastels are pretty darn easy to pick out, so are most of the cinny/black pastels.

----------


## mainbutter

when will we find out who guessed right?

----------


## Patricia

And does the winner get the snake itself?   :Very Happy:

----------


## JLC

> when will we find out who guessed right?


In a week or so, most likely.  Maybe sooner.  :Razz: 




> And does the winner get the snake itself?


Hehe...depending on how many votes it got, the snake would have to be sliced up and divided out among multiple winners.  :Surprised:   :Weirdface:   :ROFL:

----------


## Joe Cope

Four?

By the way I scrolled past everyone elses vote real fast!

----------


## thegoalie22

> I guessed 15.
> 
> Apparently not many people agree with me.


Thats what I voted

----------


## Eventide

I'm trying to decide between 8, 13, and 15.  I chose 8, but that's just my best guess.  I'm terrible at identifying the subtle morphs.  (I still can't tell Yellowbellies from normals!)

----------


## BGdyl

a lot of ppl are saying four but i think four could b an axzanthic, i said 17

----------

_mooingtricycle_ (10-14-2009)

----------


## Caskin

Oh man, that's not easy! I voted 10, but now that I look at it, I'm thinking 18 might be the right choice...

----------


## icygirl

The axanthic theory about #4 is really tough. Pics of older axanthics to me look like normals in bad lighting, without some kind of comparison in the picture. And all of these pictures have varying degrees of lighting in them, so if there's a browned out axanthic in there it'll be very hard to pick out.


For me it is between #1 and #4. I think #1 might be a fire, so I went with #4...


edit: Question... do non-genetic dinkers count as normals? Because I think I've seen a few snakes that have very interesting aberrant patterns, yet the trait is not reproducible.

----------


## icygirl

> Oh man, that's not easy! I voted 10, but now that I look at it, I'm thinking 18 might be the right choice...


Not sure, but I think 18 might be a very low white Mojave.

----------


## JLC

> edit: Question... do non-genetic dinkers count as normals? Because I think I've seen a few snakes that have very interesting aberrant patterns, yet the trait is not reproducible.


Not in this game.  These are all proven genetic morphs.  (Well, except for the one normal!  :Razz:  )

----------


## zackw419

Four. for sure.

----------


## americangypsy

> You don't have hets in there, do you?  'Cause that would so not be fair. lol


I was also wondering this . This is not as asy as I thought .I am gonna have to go with four but there is a couple up there that are tricky :Rolleyes2:   :Weirdface:  This is fun. :Smile:

----------


## gmcclurelssu

count me in for #4- man thats hard!

----------


## Freakie_frog

Nope there are no Hets.. to my knowledge in that group.  :Very Happy:

----------


## S-obsessions

Heya,

I'm just a newbie here and I must say that I really LIKE this game  :Smile: !
However, it's a difficult game as well. Just when I think "that's the one"..another pic comes along and...

Must say, I would LOVE to own some of them!

----------


## KLHReptiles

This is tooooo hard  :Rolleyes2:  I picked #4  :Confused:

----------


## Foschi Exotic Serpents

Oi! The more I look at those pictures, the more i just dont know! I still wanna say #1 but im just not sure. I cant wait to find out the answer! See this is why i have all very visible morphs LOL!

----------


## Watever

> I guessed 15.
> 
> Apparently not many people agree with me.


I voted the same. But it was a hard choice.

but the third would probably have got my vote.

I would think the 4th would be an axanthic, but can be only due to the camera.

----------


## Watever

When should we have the result ?  :Smile: 

I hope you put a list of the other morph too.

----------


## Crazy4Herps

Ooh, fun! I have absolutely no idea, but I voted 4.

Can't wait to hear which one it is!  :Smile:

----------


## HypoPita

#4 looks a looooooooot like my het hypo. haha.

----------


## JohnAvilla

I'm going with six.

----------


## Yodaaz

I really WAG #1...but not nearly enough experience.  Pete

----------


## abuja

#16. It resembles my normal bp.

----------


## pavlovk1025

> #16. It resembles my normal bp.


16 is definitely a yellowbelly.

----------


## Oroborous

Gotta be 4 for me

----------


## Turbo Serpent

> 16 is definitely a yellowbelly.


Looks more like a het red.  :Razz:  Look at the alien heads.  :Wink:

----------


## waltah!

I'd say YB for #16 as well.......or it could just be a cool normal :Wink:

----------


## SlitherinSisters

It's a toss up between 4 and 17. I chose 17 because 4 has A LOT of white coming up the side......hmmmm.....

----------


## Patricia

> I chose 17 because 4 has A LOT of white coming up the side......hmmmm.....


  All that white is why I didn't go with 4.  But hey, the only one to have no votes at all is #20, so it's probably that one, LOL!   :Razz:

----------


## Boanerges

I guessed 18  :Confused2:

----------


## abuja

> 16 is definitely a yellowbelly.


Shoot... :Taz:

----------


## Inugohan

Funny how 4 is so popular, I happen to think it's an adult Snake Keeper axanthic. I dunno though, but when is it going to be revealed? ~Caylan.S.~

----------

_mooingtricycle_ (10-14-2009)

----------


## icygirl

I have a theory that #17 is a browned-out pastel, due to the yellow on its sides. Not sure though...


Anybody got any pictures of an adult axanthic?

----------


## mooingtricycle

Numbah Three was my vote.  :Smile:

----------


## JLC

Just popping in real quick.  Thought folks might like to know the answer to the puzzle....  :Razz: 

First...here's a list of the morphs pictured here.  The list is in alphabetical order...the snakes pictured are in a random order.  And some morphs are repeated.  See if you can figure out which is which.  :Very Happy: 

axanthic, black-pastel, cinnamon, enchi, granite, het-red-axanthic, hypo, lace-black-back, mystic, sable, spotnose, sugar, sulfer, and yellowbelly. 

Oh....and one normal.  :Twisted:  

Which one??? 






 :Whisper:  Number 17.

----------

_Jyson_ (10-14-2009),_Turbo Serpent_ (10-14-2009),_waltah!_ (10-14-2009)

----------


## rabernet

Number 17 is my CH normal - Reese!

----------

_hoax_ (04-10-2010)

----------


## Jyson

> Number 17 is my CH normal - Reese!


I knew it was one of yours!   :Very Happy:  Glad I voted on that one.  :Very Happy:

----------


## waltah!

Numbers 14 and 16 are my Cinny and YB :Smile:

----------


## Turbo Serpent

> Numbers 14 and 16 are my Cinny and YB


Well that explains that you knew 16 was a YB.  :Razz:

----------


## SlitherinSisters

> Number 17 is my CH normal - Reese!


 :Dancin' Banana:  YAY!!!! I got it!!!

----------


## MarkieJ

> A lot of people picked 4, but I think that's an axanthic.  I think it's one that looks crazy, but ends up being a normal. I went with #17!


Woohoo!  I got it!!!  In yo face all of you that picked #4 (LOL, jk).   :Wink:   Robin you definitely live by your quote, even for the normals!

----------


## Foschi Exotic Serpents

I knew i was going to be wrong!! Hey at least there wasn't a really cool prize at stake for the winner. Then id really be disappointed lol! By the way.. What WAS #1??

----------


## Whoodnballs

DARN.  Theres alot of blushing there on that normal.  Thats what really threw me off on that one.  That, and the yellowish color to it.  Could we get a 1-22 list of what they all are?

----------


## icygirl

Ok, now can someone explain to me how you can tell that #4 is an axanthic and not a washed-out photograph?

Do axanthics have markers other than color?

----------


## Inugohan

Not really, I just knew. I have seen them before, and I thought it was obvious. I still don't know if it is an axanthic but that's what it looks like to me. Snake Keeper line axanthic's brown out to almost a normal colour, but there is a different hue? I dunno I guess you just have to see them to know. ~Caylan.S.~ 

PS- I chose #15 I think, so bummer for me, but man that's a nice normal! ~Catlan.S.~

----------


## SlitherinSisters

> Ok, now can someone explain to me how you can tell that #4 is an axanthic and not a washed-out photograph?
> 
> Do axanthics have markers other than color?


Besides the color, it has an awful lot of white coming up the sides, much more than a normal would.

----------


## twistedtails

> Ok, now can someone explain to me how you can tell that #4 is an axanthic and not a washed-out photograph?
> 
> Do axanthics have markers other than color?


Axanthic means lacking yellow pigment.  I don't know about you, but I can deffinately tell there is no yellow in that snake.

----------


## JohnAvilla

Not all SK axanthics look "normal" as adults. It depends what you breed them to. Also, there is some kind of sneeky hidden gene in there that makes Charcoal axanthics which look kind of like nice black bloods color-wise. What was number six?

----------


## Inugohan

> Not all SK axanthics look "normal" as adults. It depends what you breed them to. Also, there is some kind of sneeky hidden gene in there that makes Charcoal axanthics which look kind of like nice black bloods color-wise. What was number six?


That is right however in general, snake keeper axthanics brown out really well. I actually think it's a very pretty brown, not normal at all, but it is really subtle as an adult. I'm not sure, but I think that the VPI black axanthic is not even compatable with the snake keeper axanthic, I could be wrong though. Number 6 was an enchi I believe, if this noob know's his stuff. However I am not a noob really, just in posts on this forum. Hope this helps, ~Caylan.S.~

----------


## Big Gunns

> Number 17 is my CH normal - Reese!



Not so fast there Rabby. Reese is not a "normal" until you breed him and prove him out to be a "normal".

----------


## bamf64

id say either 18 or 22...

----------


## icygirl

> Not so fast there Rabby. Reese is not a "normal" until you breed him and prove him out to be a "normal".


Well she probably has bred him, or else he wouldn't be in this contest, would he  :Cool:

----------


## dapike1979

This is cool.. and very hard. I picked 8. :Very Happy: 
It kinda looks like mine.. Guess :Very Happy:

----------


## rabernet

> Well she probably has bred him, or else he wouldn't be in this contest, would he


SHE has not been bred yet, and she was acquired as a CH normal. I don't assume or represent my CH normals as anything other than that, until they give me reason to believe that they are. 

With that said, BG - do you say that because you happen to see anything special about her? If so - it will be fun to breed her to find out.  :Smile:

----------


## snakelady

This was a tough one! Several of them look like normals to me...though I suppose they could be hets?!  :Wink:

----------


## CritterVet

Yay I got it!  :Dancin' Banana:

----------


## TheCourtneys

I think it is either 4 or 15  :Very Happy:  (I am a newbie to snakes so this is just a glancing guess)

----------


## Big Gunns

> SHE has not been bred yet, and she was acquired as a CH normal. I don't assume or represent my CH normals as anything other than that, until they give me reason to believe that they are. 
> 
> With that said, BG - do you say that because you happen to see anything special about her? If so - it will be fun to breed her to find out.



Big Gunns has seen animals with a lot less color than Reese prove out to be something. At the very least it looks like it will give nice looking babies. Good luck.

----------


## singingtothewheat

ok. so now post with the correct morph for the rest!!!

----------


## broadude

Did I miss it? What morph is number 3 (striped back)?

----------


## Seneschal

Yay! I got it!  :Very Happy:  But this was really fun!

----------


## rabernet

> Did I miss it? What morph is number 3 (striped back)?


I believe it's a black pastel.

----------


## Jerhart

...might be time to close this poll mods as it keeps getting bumped even tho the answer has been revealed?

----------


## JLC

> ...might be time to close this poll mods as it keeps getting bumped even tho the answer has been revealed?


Like the "Find the Morph" game, it's meant to stay open for new folks to find and play.  They can find the answer in the thread, sure...but lots of folks will read the first post and puzzle through the pics and enjoy making their guess...then read the thread and find out if they were right.  :Wink:

----------

_hoax_ (04-10-2010)

----------


## hoax

> Like the "Find the Morph" game, it's meant to stay open for new folks to find and play.  They can find the answer in the thread, sure...but lots of folks will read the first post and puzzle through the pics and enjoy making their guess...then read the thread and find out if they were right.


Can we start a new game? I agree that we shouldn't close this thread, but I got a little excited when I saw a "new" find the morph.

Just my 2 cents


Mike

----------


## JLC

> Can we start a new game? I agree that we shouldn't close this thread, but I got a little excited when I saw a "new" find the morph.
> 
> Just my 2 cents
> 
> 
> Mike


We could certainly make a new game to run.  They take time to put together, but I enjoy doing it.  We've already done a "find the morph" with a list of normals and a somewhat subtle morph.  And we've done this one with a bunch of subtle morphs and one nice normal... 

What should we do next?   :Very Happy:

----------


## hoax

Lets play spot the HET!!!!!!

Holy moly could you imagine how hard that would would be? I think it would be fun, but maybe do only 10 snakes to keep it "simple"

I would enjoy doing a spot the het but I don't know how well that would go over, what do you guys think?

I think it would really help folks learn how to spot markers.

Mike

----------


## JLC

> Lets play spot the HET!!!!!!
> 
> Holy moly could you imagine how hard that would would be? I think it would be fun, but maybe do only 10 snakes to keep it "simple"
> 
> I would enjoy doing a spot the het but I don't know how well that would go over, what do you guys think?
> 
> I think it would really help folks learn how to spot markers.
> 
> Mike


I dunno...that sounds like laying ten playing cards face-down on the table and then having folks guess which one is the Ace.  There's no skill or even pretending that skill is involved in the choice. 

But maybe we could do a small series of "Find the ____" games.  Fill in the blank with "yellow belly," "fire," "vanilla"...or something like that?  Then the pool of pics could be a mix of morphs and normals, but only one of each of those three.  

Thoughts?

----------


## blackcrystal22

> Lets play spot the HET!!!!!!
> 
> Holy moly could you imagine how hard that would would be? I think it would be fun, but maybe do only 10 snakes to keep it "simple"
> 
> I would enjoy doing a spot the het but I don't know how well that would go over, what do you guys think?
> 
> I think it would really help folks learn how to spot markers.
> 
> Mike


Markers can mean something or nothing at all. You could put up 9 normals with 'markers' and one het without and you still wouldn't know.

That wouldn't really be a game, you'd be blindly guessing.

----------

