What makes a "pretty" snake?

[ChroniclesofYarnia]

I see people comment on snakes, saying the coloring is great or that it is a pretty snake. I've seen people say there are ugly snakes also. What makes a pattern pretty or ugly? It is it in the eye of the beholder, or is there something scientific to it?

[python.princess]

everybody has their own tastes! some like a nice, clean reduced pattern, while others prefer a busy, all-over-the-place pattern. some like a light, orangy color, some like a dark, rich brown. here's my fave normal pattern... but, then again, i'm a little partial to my own snakes!

[shhhli]

it really is a more personal taste thing. personally, i love super, super reduced normals. i actually just sent a MO for little miss thang below- when i saw her i said "yes sir!"



as far as morphs, i think some things are pretty common. I'm sure most people prefer a high white pied to a low white, and most people like high white sides and clean patterns on a spider. but now, where as i like the reduced clown with a few side bands in very sparcingly and a few well placed 'spots' others like the really busy pattern. whatever floats your boat, you know?

note i put the image in my photobucket so as to not hot link :3

[rabernet]

It is all in the eye of the beholder. Reduced patterns slay me, I can't get enough of a good reduced pattern. This girl sort of set the bar for me. She still takes my breath away every time I open her tub.

[morti]

With ANY snake, ball, boa, anything I prefer clean, high contrast patterns.

For example:

This snake is, to me, the perfect Colombian Boa -


whereas this one is dramatically less so:

[frankykeno]

For me "pretty" is defined more in the head of the snake. I prefer a more delicate, refined head instead of a big chunky one. I like a faded look with distinctive eye striping rather than a dark head without a lot of contrast. When it comes to morphs....pieds, I prefer about a 50% white over a high white, a sharp high contrast albino over a more faded out one, a reduced clown over a regular one and a pinstripe over a spider any day of the week. It's really in a lot of way about personal preference.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

All comes down to personal preferences, I can't think of an ugly BP or ugly snakes in general, however they are some that appeal to me less than others.

[shhhli]

All comes down to personal preferences, I can't think of an ugly BP or ugly snakes in general, however they are some that appeal to me less than others.

exactly. can't say i've ever seen an ugly snake, or an ugly ball python specifically. but i'm drawn to what i said in my previous post more. the best snake i've ever had is a male bp with little blushing and tons of alien heads

[ctrlfreq]

What makes a pattern pretty or ugly? It is it in the eye of the beholder, or is there something scientific to it?

Right now, it's completely in the eye of the beholder, which I personally find to be a detriment to the overall market, and a majority of the reason the prices and quality are virtually unchecked.

I'm personally betting on the fact that, in the very near future, the larger breeders will start assembling books on what makes a pretty snake vs. what makes an ugly snake (much like dog breeding specifications published by the AKC), and the prices for snakes will stabilize along stratified lines based on the quality, instead of the simple genetic possessions, of the animal.

[ctrlfreq]

can't say i've ever seen an ugly snake, or an ugly ball python specifically.

I wish I could agree, but walking around Daytona I was fairly dismayed at the sheer number of ugly snakes being offered by smaller shops. It seems that many people acquire a few co-doms, and breed them to every normal they can get their hands on to recoup their costs, which only serves to flood the market with ugly animals, who will then pass on those genetics to the next round of neophyte breeders.