The Ghost complex

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Originally Posted by t-Roy

So Axanthis Ghost is a true Ghost? I heard that b4. So it's a visual of both Axanthic and Ghost makes a true Ghost.. Axanthic with any ghost? Yes.

If the Axanthic ghost is the true Ghost, what about all the other Ghost? Should they be considered Hypos instead of Ghosts? This is one of those naming dilemmas in the bp world. To me Hypos are hypos and ghosts are Axanthic/Hypos. I think they were originally called ghosts because it was more marketable than Hypos.

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Here is a link to a thread with some true ghost pics...

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ght=true+ghost

Post # 7 has a good picture...

Cool, so it can be done...*very exited about possibilities*

Do the lines matter when trying to cross hypo to axanthic? Example, I have a Bell line hypos and VPI line axanthics. Would they produce true Ghosts?

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Originally Posted by jsmorphs2

I've read that no one has produced an actual Ghost/Axanthic before...something about the genetics won't produce a true cross.

So... (in my head) a Ghost/Axanthic would be a silver snake probably with a pattern (or something like that) cause the hypomelanistic (low-melanin) gene would suppress black/brown and the axanthic gene would suppress yellows...

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That was true until about 6 months ago. The Sutherlands (TSK) hatched one out last summer.

Your description is relatively accurate, although it is darker than I thought of when reading it. I would call it a combination of silver grey and charcoal grey.

I wonder if they would lighten with age or "brown out" at all. Its going to be exiting to see what happens.

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This is one of those naming dilemmas in the bp world. To me Hypos are hypos and ghosts are Axanthic/Hypos. I think they were originally called ghosts because it was more marketable than Hypos.

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Totaly agree with you, why is a Ghost, a double recessive Axanthic/Hypo with all other subspecies of snake mutation project and yet, people are still calling them Ghost instead of Hypos, the SnakeKeeper where the first to produce the double homo Axanthic/Hypo and named it ''The Ghost'', not a True Ghost, why is this not adopted by the ball python community?

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Originally Posted by RegiusCo

Totaly agree with you, why is a Ghost, a double recessive Axanthic/Hypo with all other subspecies of snake mutation project and yet, people are still calling them Ghost instead of Hypos, the SnakeKeeper where the first to produce the double homo Axanthic/Hypo and named it ''The Ghost'', not a True Ghost, why is this not adopted by the ball python community?

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Because people are still trying to figure out what all the different bees are ;)

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Originally Posted by jsmorphs2

I've read that no one has produced an actual Ghost/Axanthic before...something about the genetics won't produce a true cross.

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What???? huh???? Im confused with this.

If no one ever produced one then why does a name for it exist? Doesn't sound right AT ALL.

And what about the pictures of them being shown now?

http://www.ballpython.com/kingsnake/true_ghost_lg.jpg
I want a true ghost now. How much does one cost?

Apparently true Ghosts have been produced, just recently. I have read about people trying to do it and have been unsuccessful, a theory was that the the genetics weren't compatible. Maybe only certain lines are, who knows. TSK was successful, which is awesome. I haven't come across any others though, but thats for a different thread I guess (don't want to change the subject too much).

Its definitely on my list of things to try for .... they ARE hot!