Rescued 8 ball pythons today, need help with morphs. Pic heavy

I rescued these 8 ball pythons today. All have mites, possibly some other issues.

The story behind it in short is a domestic abuse case that ended with jail time. The owners had adopted 3 dogs from the rescue that I am the fundraising director of and called to have me pick them up. I went over and ended up taking home 7 ball pythons, 2 leopard geckos, 2 Russian tortoises, and 3 dogs. She packed up everything and left.

Here are the pictures with the descriptions on the tubs, no indication of male or female.

Labeled spider 100% het albino
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4809.jpg

Labeled 100% het ghost
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4808.jpg

2nd pic of het ghost
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4807.jpg

Labeled Granite
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4806.jpg

Labeled spider yellow belly pic 1
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4805.jpg

pic 2
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4804.jpg

pic 3
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4803.jpg

No label snake #1
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4802.jpg

No label snake #2
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4801.jpg

No label snake #3
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4800.jpg

No label snake #4
http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_4797.jpg

No idea if any are male or female as of yet. The spider and ghost are big over 2000 the granite probably around the 1200 mark or so.

If anyone can steer me in the right direction on the morphs here I would appreciate it. With the condition of the housing, and the fact they were littered with the demon spawn mites when I picked them up this morning I am not sure if the owner really knew much about them or even cared.

Thanks in advance.
Willis

That "het ghost" has an unusually light color. Maybe it is a ghost or some other strain of hypomelanism.
The granite looks like a normal. The un-labeled snakes look like normals as well.

The unlabeled ones look like normals to me. Unless proven or the prior owner can show some sort of documents from a reputable breeder, the het ghost is basically a normal. The spider looks like a spider, no way to know if het albino or not. Someone else will have to comment on the granite, I've seen some that I'd swear were granite that were really "granite-y" normals, and others that I'd swear were normals that were granites. The spider YB looks correct to me also.

Wow, what an adventure for you.

I applaud you for helping these animals out, I know from experience it's not easy. Most people look at this and go, " Yes! Free <fill in the blank>" As a rescuer myself I know it's more like, " Good Heavens! What did I get myself into and how am I going to pay for all this needed care?"

Ok, the first snake is absolutely a spider. As to the het albino, the only way to know for sure is to breed it to an albino in the future and see if you get more albinos.

The second one labeled as 100% het ghost looks like it might actually BE a ghost. Or maybe a fire het ghost. I've certainly never seen a het ghost that looked like that.

The one labeled granite looks to be a nice normal. I don't see any granite characteristics in that snake at all.

The wee little spider yellowbelly appears to be a very nice high gold spider, but I certainly don't see any yellowbelly in there. The yellowbelly gene does some crazy things when mixed with spider, and I don't see any of it in the little one.

The four little unlabeled babies look to be a group of normals. Only the first one has a bit of a odd look to it, but normals vary so much it's almost certainly a normal and not a morph of any kind.

All in all, not a bad little group. I wish you all the best in your efforts to help them.

Gale

EDIT: On looking again at that 100% het ghost. Is there a possibility that snake is a female and may possibly have been bred? I say that only because female ball pythons who are in the process of building eggs will often "glow" as it is called. They get lighter and brighter than they normally are, and many develop a very faded head. I would try to find someone experienced to sex that one for you, because if it is a female, it just might be going to lay eggs in the future, and you would want to be prepared just in case.

Soaked all of them today and put tubs together and treated for mites. I feed on Saturdays, surprising all of them ate except the ghost! And all took f/t!

I figured with moving them today, having them in and out of the bath tub, rubbing them down with the mite medication and everything I would just be wasting rodents offering to them tonight. So there is an upside to today for sure.

I am going to try and find someone in the area that can sex them for me in the next few days. Better get started on an incubator just in case though!

Thats cool that your taking those guys into a better home.
:gj: :gj: :gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by angllady2

Wow, what an adventure for you.

I applaud you for helping these animals out, I know from experience it's not easy. Most people look at this and go, " Yes! Free <fill in the blank>" As a rescuer myself I know it's more like, " Good Heavens! What did I get myself into and how am I going to pay for all this needed care?"

Ok, the first snake is absolutely a spider. As to the het albino, the only way to know for sure is to breed it to an albino in the future and see if you get more albinos.

The second one labeled as 100% het ghost looks like it might actually BE a ghost. Or maybe a fire het ghost. I've certainly never seen a het ghost that looked like that.

The one labeled granite looks to be a nice normal. I don't see any granite characteristics in that snake at all.

The wee little spider yellowbelly appears to be a very nice high gold spider, but I certainly don't see any yellowbelly in there. The yellowbelly gene does some crazy things when mixed with spider, and I don't see any of it in the little one.

The four little unlabeled babies look to be a group of normals. Only the first one has a bit of a odd look to it, but normals vary so much it's almost certainly a normal and not a morph of any kind.

All in all, not a bad little group. I wish you all the best in your efforts to help them.

Gale

EDIT: On looking again at that 100% het ghost. Is there a possibility that snake is a female and may possibly have been bred? I say that only because female ball pythons who are in the process of building eggs will often "glow" as it is called. They get lighter and brighter than they normally are, and many develop a very faded head. I would try to find someone experienced to sex that one for you, because if it is a female, it just might be going to lay eggs in the future, and you would want to be prepared just in case.

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i was gonna type you out a good little novel and then saw her post. so i'll just x2 this. the "het ghost's" head is faded like crazy. not familiar with het ghosts but if that's what she was labeled as i'd be inclined to say SOMETHING is going on with her. and the spider yellowbelly, not too familiar with yellow belly combos, but she is a really nice spider regardless.i think the head pattern says spider YB, but breeding will prove that out. good luck!

I think the ghost and the larger spider might have RI.:(

They are not the happiest snakes right now and I get that with the mites and the move and all so I can't tell if it just hissing or wheezing as of yet. Hoping for the best.

I'm gonna x2 on that het. Ghost having something going on with her, if she's female...

For the RI you can go to a feed stir or pet shop and ask for a powder antibiotic. Feed stores have it for chickens/horses and such but you have to correct the dosage. I think it's a gram per pound added to their drinking water. Not sure of the name they have a couple different ones. Some for fish that might work as well. You can take them to the vet and they can give you shots that you have to keep refrigerated but I used the feed store one for two of my snakes with RI's and they are doing just fine plus a pack of 10grams only cost me 5 bucks. They might have it at petco/petsmart as well not sure. I hope this helps.

I'd lean towards the het ghost label being correct, everything else just looks like they wanted it to be something it wasn't.

Good luck with them all!

Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2

As far as Petco/Smart having powder antibiotics, they tend not to carry them, I've checked. Maybe ones in farming districts would, but I was looking in my local fish section and couldn't find any.

Considering where they came from, I would take them to a herp vet for proper treatment, exams, fecals, etc. I'd also get a culture done for the correct RI treatment before just throwing random antibiotics into the sick ones.

Changed paper in all the tubs this afternoon and dead mites everywhere.

As far as the RI goes listened to them today and no wheezing or clicking. No signs of mucus or bubbles yesterday or today when using the gravity method so not sure on that.

Soonest vet appointment other then emergency care is Thursday so if nothing changes I will wait till then.

Thanks for all the info everyone.

Please don't go giving random medications to your snakes. It really irritates me to see people recommend that. The reason why we have so many antibiotic resistant germs out there is people taking medicine they don't need or for the wrong thing. For crying out loud, you wouldn't treat your sick child with dog medication to save a few bucks, so why on earth would you give horse or chicken medication to a snake?

If you can't afford proper care, including vet visits when necessary, don't own the animal!

And believe me, I'm not just spouting pro-vet rhetoric. I lost three beloved animals to different vets who did not know what they were doing, so I don't automatically trust someone just because they are a vet. However, NOTHING replaces a knowledgeable vet for treatment when it's needed. Sure if your snake got a minor cut or scrape, or a stuck eye cap you don't need a vet. But don't mess around with something like an RI. Look for a reliable vet in your area, talk to them and get to know them before you need them, so when something comes up, you know where to go and what to do.

Gale

I agree 100% Gale.

I took the snakes after seeing the conditions they were in. I was actually picking up former rescue dogs from the lady of the house. She gave me the snakes, her boyfriend will be in jail for a while after seeing her I would assume and she took all her belongings and left.

The snakes didn't cost me anything and I have a vet fund (when you have 4 dogs, bearded dragons and pythons it is a must have).

If I have to spend money on a normal baby boy that will never be of any use to me breeding so be it. It is my snake now and will be taken care of like every other animal I have.

Good for you for rescuing. Keep us updated! Also for the het ghost, the head looks just like a ghost and the body looks normal. Never saw anything like that.

*Update*

Having treated them for 3 weeks now for mites they are looking great. All have eaten the last 3 weeks except the possible het ghost.

The 3 hatch-lings were supposed to have 5 meals in them each when I picked them up 3 weeks ago. All 3 have eaten 3 times for me and weighed in at 63, 49, and 51 grams. I am not sure if they even ate before I picked them up!

But they are looking good and on the way to recovery!!!!

Hmmm im not sure. But the one Labled "No lable Snake #1" http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/sh..._4802.jpg.html Looks like it could be a Normal, Fire, or desert. I could be wrong. But its just an opinion. ^^

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MaraTheSoulEater

Hmmm im not sure. But the one Labled "No lable Snake #1" http://s1050.photobucket.com/user/sh..._4802.jpg.html Looks like it could be a Normal, Fire, or desert. I could be wrong. But its just an opinion. ^^

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Definitely not a Desert. And the little Spider doesn't look like a Yellowbelly Spider...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sho220

the little Spider doesn't look like a Yellowbelly Spider...

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Problem is with so many variations it is so hard to tell. You pull up world of BP and you would swear mine is the one pictured first, then you move through the slides and wonder if any of them are even the same morph.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Elusive Dream

Problem is with so many variations it is so hard to tell. You pull up world of BP and you would swear mine is the one pictured first, then you move through the slides and wonder if any of them are even the same morph.

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The examples by NERD don't even look like they have YB in them. Whoever Cooper's Constrictors is, they make some redonkulous Spider YB's...:O