Second opinion morph ID

Long story short I picked up the male BP a few years ago as a rescue morphs unknown.

My guess was lesser or butter. I'm thinking he's just a lesser but he has a paradox spot on his back below his head so there may be a recessive gene in there too.

I paired him with one of my proven breeders a lesser paste spider.

The outcome was as expected - 2 BELs, 1 spider, 2 pastel lesser spiders, 3 lessers one may also have pastel, and 1 normal or is it?

The first picture below is the normal but it has an irregular pattern which makes me think there maybe something else in there. one of the lesser pastel spiders looks like it may have something else going on too.

My guess is it's just a really nice normal but let me know what you think.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.



https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2146.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2152.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2150.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2154.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2156.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2158.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2160.jpeg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2163.jpeghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2197.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...98_218561.jpeg





https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2200.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...91_178187.jpeg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...17_528895.jpeg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NJ Balls

The first picture below is the normal but it has an irregular pattern which makes me think there maybe something else in there. one of the lesser pastel spiders looks like it may have something else going on too.

My guess is it's just a really nice normal but let me know what you think.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../img_2146.jpeg

---

I can't answer your question but I certainly understand it. That's a very non-normal looking normal.

I don't know enough to tell you what the gene is, but the male is definitely carrying another gene. The way that the pattern moves from the circles to melting further down the body is not something you see in just butter/lesser alone.

The first baby looks to be carrying whatever gene that is for sure.

Honestly, a lot of them have pretty funky patterns imho. While Lesser is prone to reducing the side pattern size significantly, some of the weird shapes seem like something else. My first guess would be Leopard. It can look pretty subtle in some Lessers, but in others does more funky things. Here is an example of Lesser Leopard from MM that is a pretty subtle one, but see how some of the alienheads are funky at the top or broken under the "eyes"?:

https://d20zyr0oabjxc2.cloudfront.ne...E499B5A7D555B7


Aside from that, the colors look closer to Mystic to me, but what you see in person vs how they look on my screen may vary.

I would guess:
1. Leopard
2. Leopard Mystic Pastel
3. Lesser
4. Mystic Pastel poss Leopard
5. Queen Bee
6. Leopard Lesser Pastel Spider
7. BEL
8. BEL

I only count 8 besides the parents, so thinking you left out the plain Spider?

Hey.... This makes me feel better about what I was thinking.

I was actually leaning towards enchi or leopard with mystic as well. Cause even on the 'normal', the colors don't look quite right unless it's the lighting. And sometimes that subtle difference can be crazy...I say as I'm working on Mojave vs special enchi or fire in hatchlings. Lol

Looks like leopard to me. One of the tells is how Leopard not only manipulates the alien heads, but in many of the BEL complexes, it ads the dorsal striping as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rlditmars

Looks like leopard to me. One of the tells is how Leopard not only manipulates the alien heads, but in many of the BEL complexes, it ads the dorsal striping as well.

---

Great to know! So that one I guessed possible Leopard looks like it does in fact have it, even though the side pattern isn't as funky as the other.

I did leave out the spider what one was obvious.

For what it's worth, here is what I believe you have.

1. Lesser Leopard
2. Lesser Pastel Leopard
3. Lesser
4. Lesser Pastel Leopard
5. Lesser Pastel Spider
6. Lesser Pastel Leopard Spider
7. BEL
8. BEL