My first ball python.... Mojave! Thoughts on color?

Here are a few pics of my first ball python. He was 6 months old when I bought him from a local breeder 3 months ago. Had zero problems transitioning from live to f/t and eats great! This being my first morph, I had a few questions about the ideal morph color. When I raised chickens, there was a very strict standard for feathering/color, etc. for show - does this go for ball python morphs as well? Or is morph color/patterning more of an opinionated thing like I suspect?



http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4e22c045.jpg

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...ps16235c9e.jpg

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...ps812ee8ed.jpg

http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/...psf2cd9eaf.jpg

He looks good. The "standards" are a bit blurred. Different people like different things.

Don't stress yourself out with what is "good quality" and what isn't. Get what YOU like, you're the one caring for it.

it also depends on what combos you want to make with it.

for example, i like a more or less complete backstripe, and not much connection between the dorsal pattern and the side pattern. and i like color difference between the dorsal pattern and the side pattern. but thats because i love jigsaws, and i think these are the traits that translate into a really nice 3-colored jigsaw. in your mojave, i see the color difference, its not too obvious but that depends a lot on the lighting when the image is taken. ive seen multiple pictures of the same BP where it was obvious in some and hard to see in others.

for example, compare these pictures:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ge-Ghost-Maybe its with hypo, but look at how obviously 3-colored it is in picture 2, and how hard it is to see it in picture 1.

the pattern on yours is a bit busy, but thats a matter of taste.

your mojave looks above average in one regard: flames. your BP really has lots of flames, wide and bright flames coming up from the belly. so if you can do something with these flames, then its a very very good mojave, most mojaves do not show this amount of flaming. here it really hits the ball out of the park.

I think he looks nice, good contrast on him. Also a male Mojave was my first morph too :D

Thanks for your input everyone! I originally bought him with no intent of breeding but this site has encouraged me and I'd like to start breeding sometime in the future.

I really like Mojave x Bumblebee but I'd like to hear all of the options since there's so many available. What pairings (aside from another mojo) would you recommend to take advantage of those flames?

Very nice Mojo you have there! My first morph is also a Mojave. I have a female that I plan to breed with something with a pinstripe gene.