that wierd "morph"?

They found another "derma" in Africa this year. I'm not sure who got that one....

Corey

That's one crazy looking snake. I like how smooth the markings become when scales are absent.

I am not one of the biggest fan of the derma, but it is pretty intresting! I wish there was updated pictures.The derma ball isn't completely scale-less but over time do you think it will become completely scale-less? If the derma ball can survive without scales then why can't any other ball python? This could be a new morph! Just imagine a completely scale-less Clown, Pied, spider, lucy!! I don't really see what is everyones big deal about this snake. New morphs are poping up nearly every year. The derma was bound to happen. I hope the Derma project goes on.



P.S. Adam, what are the real use of the scales on a ball python? Since the Derma can survive without them the couldn't have very much use anyway, right?

Wow this was a great discussion.....I guess I missed it because I was away at a conference the last week of June. Kudos to xdeus, engywook, and Adam for a great discussion on evolution and how it works.

Also-->Thanks to those of you who revieved it as well......I might have never caught it if it werent for you.

ok you guys did some surching found this :eek:
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/about501-0-asc-20.html

Me personally, I don't see anything wrong if the guy wants to breed them. Geez, Albinos wouldn't survive in the wild. And there are tons of people out there who think we shouldn't be breeding any of the ball python morphs and call the "mutts" and disparage them.
As long as the snake isn't suffering, and it doesn't appear to be, what's the big fru-fru? Hairless rats exist.
Wolfy

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

Me personally, I don't see anything wrong if the guy wants to breed them. Geez, Albinos wouldn't survive in the wild. And there are tons of people out there who think we shouldn't be breeding any of the ball python morphs and call the "mutts" and disparage them.
As long as the snake isn't suffering, and it doesn't appear to be, what's the big fru-fru? Hairless rats exist.
Wolfy

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as well as hairless cats, hairless dogs etc.

supposedly the guy who had the snake mysteriously dissapered :confused:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

Albinos wouldn't survive in the wild.

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:8: LMAO

It was my understanding that the first albino was a WC specimen... If they couldn't survive in the wild, how did the albino gene survive?

that is a real good question. i have never seen one in the wild before. and yess i have been in that region before :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Until someone finds a colony of scaleless snakes that are thriving in any environment, I will consider them as flawed individuals.

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That is a very poor concept to decide if something is just a "flaw" or not. I would almost guarentee there are no designer morphs in the wild, much less a whole colony of them, but they aren't just considered a worthless flaw are they?

As far as the comment about albinos not being able to survive in the wild, with alot of species that rely on their color to hide them from predators, an albino would have a much lower chance of making it, but some do manage to make it.

if a pieball is considered a morph, than why can't this thing. pieball are juse a flawed pigmentation in the snakes skin and now people breed them like crazy cuz people think its beautiful. i can;t consider this snake a "flaw" if a pieball isn't.

If im not mistaken every morph, exept the combos have bien found in the wild.

I don't think all "super" forms of co-doms have been found in the wild.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

How can you say that the scale-less condition isn't just the next evolutionary step for snakes ... maybe "scales" are a "flaw" on the road to a better form?

Not an argument, just a thought. ;) :D

-adam

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I thought about this thought when I read this.......http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/200...ogs.php?page=1

A probing question in a nice post. Though I'd add quote marks to the word "better" also.

Interesting article, and pleiotropy is an interesting concept that I never would have considered. I always assumed that organisms would just "lose" certain functions when no longer used or necessary.