Such a wonderful place!!

[tsy72001]

Ok thanks to those who has helped me in the past as I am new to snake ownership. I do have a question, many ball pythons are called "morphs" but they look to me like a plan old "normal". Lots you can tell their not plain, so what makes a ball python not a normal??

[RetiredJedi]

CHECK THIS OUT!!!! Look at the pictures because they look far from a normal BP!

[tsy72001]

CHECK THIS OUT!!!! Look at the pictures because they look far from a normal BP!

Thanks for the link, but the black Pastel Harlequin, Blonde Pastel Het Red Axanthic, and there are many more look alot like the snake I have here. Not saying that mine is anything more than a normal, I just want to know how to tell the difference.

[Pastelpipes]

Look at a normal Ball pythons patterns and then look at the ball pythons that look like a normal, and study their patterns. There is a difference and sometimes it is hard to tell.

Hope this helps

[AK907]

A lot of morphs are very subtle, like spotnose, fire and yellowbelly. Not quite as "in your face" as say a lemonblast, spider or pied. The real potential with a lot of the more subtle morphs lies thier genetics and what they can produce.

For instance, yellowbellies and fires aren't too much to look at in thier heterozygous form, but when they are bred together to make a super (homo) form, they are quite different, producing ivories and black eyed leucistics respectively. Same goes for lots of morphs.

That said, a lot of them cannot be appreciated in pics on the internet. Seeing them in person makes a big difference.

[Cendalla]

It comes down to genetics. Morphs are visual genetic results that one can depend on occurring (with set results: Normal X Black Pastel= 50% normal and 50% black pastel possibilities). Normals is not really a great term. A normal is basically a broad term to cover a snake thats pattern- markings- coloration doesn't appear to be a genetically inherited trait. All of these hets that appear normal are basically snakes that carry a gene that they can potentially pass on to offspring that doesn't show in themselves. The snake appears normal and unless you intend to breed that snake and you may as well just conceder it normal with untaped potential.

Some morphs are very subtle and don't appear to be anything special if you don't know what to look for. Yellow bellies are one thats difficult to spot but undeniably has a result when bred to another like it. It is co-dominant and has the ability to produce a ivory colored snake because of it. When mixed with other morphs it tends to make them brighter- more yellow in over all color (I'm being simplistic here).

Man, I'm not being very eloquent here. What I'm trying to say is that normal/wild or morph- it comes down to inherited DNA.

Did i butcher that?

[tsy72001]

Thanks to all for your replies. I was just wondering, one day I would like to try breeding, but that will be a long time away.