ringers

what exactly is the significance of a ringer? i see them advertised all the time and i see the marking that makes a bp a ringer, but what exactly does it mean? what makes them special?

I am pretty sure it is just a random trait. But, I have noticed that there seems to be alot het pied and possible het pieds that may display the ringer(from pics and info online). I have also noticed that some breeders sell the het pieds or possible het pieds for more if they are ringers.....Is that just another 'marker' for the het pied? will a possible het pied ringer always end up being het pied??

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Originally Posted by mlededee

what exactly is the significance of a ringer? i see them advertised all the time and i see the marking that makes a bp a ringer, but what exactly does it mean? what makes them special?

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At this point in time they are just another odd type of ball python. Daniel is right - they seem to pop up randomly. I hatch a few every year.
What makes them so special? Well......there are ringers and then there are RINGERS. Ringers run the gamut from barely noticeable to unmistakable. When you see a nice one you can tell the characteristics that set them apart.
What sets them apart is a pure white spot that originates on the belly and creeps up towards the dorsal part of the snake. The pattern around the white scales is often distorted, creeps towards the back and sometimes forms a complete band or ring around the body.
Here is a ringer where the white creeps up but doesn't encircle the body (notice the band of distortion):
http://www.joecompelreptiles.com/ima.../ringer_03.jpg
Close up of the white spot
http://www.joecompelreptiles.com/ima.../ringer_01.jpg

Here is a shot of a ringer I produced a few years ago....I call this one a "black and white" ringer. The ringer spot doesn't contain the orange tones that ringers have in the band of distortion. To me, the black and white ringers look different than the typical orange and white ones. But they are still ringers;)
http://www.joecompelreptiles.com/ima...m_ringer_1.jpg

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

I am pretty sure it is just a random trait. But, I have noticed that there seems to be alot het pied and possible het pieds that may display the ringer(from pics and info online). I have also noticed that some breeders sell the het pieds or possible het pieds for more if they are ringers.....Is that just another 'marker' for the het pied? will a possible het pied ringer always end up being het pied??

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Ringers do seem to pop out of clutches at random. I have hatched ringers from clutches with all different kinds of genetics (possible het caramels, normals from pastel clutches, etc.). On the other hand, my het pied and possible het pied clutches seem to have more than their fair share of ringers. This year a few of my het pieds were ringers. At this point I would say it is premature to call these ringers (ones from het and poss het pied clutches) markers for the pied gene. It does make you wonder though....
If there was a partial expression of heterozygosity for the pied gene, would the snake just look like a ringer or would it have the funky pied pattern too?

I'll post some pictures of the het pied ringers soon.

thanks for the info joe. that black and white ringer is amazing! it will be very interesting to see what happens with these ringers in the future, especially the ones that seem to be associated with pieds.

thanks joe, I am kinda interested in the het pied ringers.....after I get this hypo project rolling, pieds are next on the list.....just planning ahead and doing some research :)

here is a link i ran across--not too much more info really than what joe provided, but just in case any one is interested here it is: http://www.nextworldexotics.com/hgpd.htm.