Blitz Ball Python - New Project

I’ve been very excited to share this project for some time and now that some 2012 babies have hatched I can introduce the Blitz Ball. This mutation was proven in 2010 and originated by Susan Hardy at Hardy Reptiles in Hemet, CA. I was lucky enough to be one of the firsts to see the offspring and immediately bought into the project. Susan is a good friend of mine, and I’m working closely with her to help get this project rolling. The Blitz originated when Susan purchased a baby female in a Las Vegas pet store in 2006. She had her first clutch in 2010 and produced 1.1 Blitz balls. The male last year sired a several clutches from normals, showing even more what the gene was capable of in it’s base form, which was very impressive to say the last. This year we are hoping for a super blitz ball, and some combos to show what this gene is capable of.

Here are some pictures of some 2012 Blitz balls that Hardy Reptiles hatched recently, and so far the only this year. There is more on the way and there will be available animals this year. This is truly just the beginning!

http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMGP4081.jpg http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMGP4074.jpg
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMGP4077.jpg
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMGP4078.jpg
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMGP4070.jpg
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMGP4072.jpg

Here is a picture of the original female. She’s full of eggs! I'll get better pics, but didn't want to stress her out.
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMGP4113.jpg

I’ll post more pics of some 2011 blitz balls soon as well as 2012 hatchlings.

Thanks for looking!

Brant

I LOVE there patern!

That pattern is awesome!

I really like the way they look.
They look alot like a Liesen Line Trick to me.

I love the spots on the nose of the first one! Perfect :gj:

Sweet looking snake. Cant wait to see what that gene does to the black pastel gene!

They do look like Tricks, do you have plans to test them for compatibility?

Yeah we are aware in the heterozygous form they look very much the same. Thin eye stripes, the bellies, tail stripe, coloration, and blushing, all look very similar. The thing that is pretty neat about both genes is the variability. You breed them to two different looking normals and you get different looking blitz offspring. The male that produced these wasn't as crazy patterned and yet produced crazier offspring. We've seen light/yellow blitz, seen dark ones, harlequin type blitz, all sorts of variability. I've noticed the same with the tricks. You see some that knock your socks off, and some don't look like the best examples, however I believe genetically it really doesn't matter. These genes will do some remarkable things.

Here is a quick cell pic of a sub adult in shed.
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/.../maleblitz.jpg

On the super blitz, or blitzkrieg, how do you tell it's a super? Is it belly pattern? Just wondering...it looks a lot like the Blitz to me. AWESOME animals!

Those patterns are crazy!