Is this normal!!!!!

At the risk of de-railing the thread too much, it might be a good idea to mention why we have variations in pupil shapes from species to species. Round pupils are very good at absorbing light, hence why they are quite common in diurnal and crepuscular species. Vertical or "slitted" pupils are exceptional at detecting movement, hence why you see many arboreal and nocturnal species with slitted pupils, helps them react quickly to flighty prey. Python regius is accepted to be nocturnal, so why do we have variations in pupil shape within the species itself? The short answer is traits are diverse and inherited so the occasional vertical pupil mixed in with some rounds (& vice versa) is little to be surprised about and it makes us wonder if pupil shape is actually significant to the species' survival because natural selection has obviously not weeded it out of the gene pool. I honestly cannot tell you why some animals have horizontal pupils though.

I definitely have to point out that my snake is a normal ball python and he definitely has slit pupils. This non-venomous snake do not have slit pupils myth is just a myth.

On another note, try this little experiment to see if you can detect any pupil reaction to light. Keep your snake in relatively dark conditions for about 15 minutes to let its eyes adjust to the dark. Then while watching its eye(s) turn on a fairly bright light (Whatever you used as lighting in your second picture was not bright enough) and see if you can detect any pupil contraction in your snake's eye(s). If you can see any sort of contraction, that is the pupil becoming smaller to let in less light because now the room is very bright.

Some snake's eyes can be MULTICOLORED. When I get home, I'll see if I can take a good enough picture of this for you. My snake's eyes are colored with a dark brown, and a lighter brown on their tops to match with the snake's facial colors. It's really quite fascinating.

And in the off chance that you do have a half-blind snake, it's under your care. You don't have to worry too much about it, because it doesn't have any predators hunting it with which to protect it from. So being half-blind in captivity isn't that big of a deal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phantomtip

She's normal. Venomous snakes have slitted pupils like a cats. Non venomous don't. It's one way to differentiate between them. For instance if you have 2 snakes 1 is a rattle snake the other is a gopher. They look exactly the same, but if you look at the pupils you can see one is slitted. Thats the rattler. Stay away from it. The other is rounded go have fun but don't yell at me if the little stinker bites lol. Baby rattle snakes and baby gopher snakes look the same. The button on the baby rattle snake isnt really big enough to see yet and the gopher snake will thrash its tail in leaves to make it sound like a rattle thats why I used them as a comparison.

---

My boa as well as every other one I've seen have vertical slitted pupils just like a cat so I would say that ALL non-venomous snakes have round pupils.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by T&C Exotics

Look at that second pic again... Very clearly see pupil there.

---

The second pic is not his snake, if you read he says it looks like X instead of X.

The second picture is NOT mine, if you read it says instead of this. It is an example of another snake.

If your snake is reacting to movement or light, then it's not blind. Some irises are black, so the pupil is easily blended in. But it is there.
Even if you had a blind snake, blind ball pythons still thrive in captivity. Blind ball pythons have been seen to eat and hunt prey just fine without sight. They use their other sensory organs to get around. And in a sense, they can still "see" with their heat pits

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phantomtip

She's normal. Venomous snakes have slitted pupils like a cats. Non venomous don't.

---

My ball python's have "slits". I'm pretty sure they're not venomous :P

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...ps1f032bf2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...ps33758814.jpg

It might be easier to see on Leucistics(random google images)
Blue Eyed Leucy
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...2009bel144.jpg
Black Eyed Leucy
http://pythonregius.com/images/produ...ucyEye0886.jpg
Cherry Bomb
http://www.worldofballpythons.com/fi...mojave/002.jpg

Non-venomous Green Tree Python (random google image)
http://www.kimballstock.com/pix/REP/...H0003_01_P.JPG

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tpythons

I may be wrong, but I know for a fact that in some animals there is a gene for whats called an "eclipsed" eye. I have a few geckos with eclipsed eyes, but the gene makes their iris pupil and sclera the same color. None of my animals with eclipsed eyes are blind, they all hunt by sight and are fat and happy. If anything, post a better picture and if it is indeed and eclipsed eye that could be something cool to prove out.

---

This does seem interesting and comparable. Nevertheless, I think ball pythons with all black eyes are totally different. I personally do have one ball python like this- her eyes appear all black and the yellow stripe does not bleed through in her eye color, which reveals the pupil. However, upon closer examination and in just the right light, she does have a pupil and otherwise normal eyes. I believe this is may be common in normal ball pythons and it probably works just like a sugar glider's eyes- due to having plenty of melanin in their irises and whatnot, they appear all black, but in the right light and position, you can see they have normal eyes and they function just fine. It's just a variation in eye color.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phantomtip

She's normal. Venomous snakes have slitted pupils like a cats. Non venomous don't. It's one way to differentiate between them. For instance if you have 2 snakes 1 is a rattle snake the other is a gopher. They look exactly the same, but if you look at the pupils you can see one is slitted. Thats the rattler. Stay away from it. The other is rounded go have fun but don't yell at me if the little stinker bites lol. Baby rattle snakes and baby gopher snakes look the same. The button on the baby rattle snake isnt really big enough to see yet and the gopher snake will thrash its tail in leaves to make it sound like a rattle thats why I used them as a comparison.

---

This kind of information bothers me on how inaccurate this can be. The shape of the pupil has nothing to do with whether an animal has venom glands or how efficient those glands are. Many members here have already posted examples of venomous elapids who have round pupils and many boids (all pythons and boas have slit pupils as well) who we all know lack venom.

On a side note, I'm surprised no one felt the need to point out the OP's photoshop skills, or lack thereof anyway.

Looks like my boys eye. Just found out he's blind in his right eye. as long as he acting happy and eating well like mine does its no problem. Take him to a vet to get a answer to your question. That's what i did. Good luck.

thanks for the help everyone

OK, my input :P

So, all snakes have different eyes as people here are saying, one species may have a sliver pupil, while others are rounded. Venomous can be slitted or round, that doesn't mean its one or the other at all. As for the OP, I have noticed my normal balls have almost all black eyes, hard to see the pupil, but it is there. Shine a light at it and look very closely, I bet it is there. My morphs have greenish yellow eyes, allowing you to see the pupil more easily, so just because you can't see it in plain site, doesn't mean its not there. Looks closer, bring it to me I will show you lol.