Congo Fire

Thought I would post this since I saw a post about Pastel Congos. I hatched this female Congo Fire out this year in my first clutch. She hatched along side the fire shown. I also threw a normal into the picture to show some contrast. I really like how the Congo and Fire genes combined to make an even brighter, but soft yellow. This season I am pairing up the same adults and putting the male fire to a female that is supposed to be a Pastel Congo. The Congo Fire keeps getting better with each shed. I'm excited about the possibility of producing a Congo Fire Pastel. I also hope to bring Mojave or Mystic into the mix soon, and maybe Orange Dream. Let me know what genes you think should be added.

Congo Fire - Left Top
Fire - Left Bottom
Normal - Right
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file..._1_trimmed.jpg

My wife was able to get a picture of our male Fire locked with our female Pastel Congo. Since the combining the Fire and Congo genes has resulted in a snake that is even lighter than a Fire, I'm wondering how bright the Congo Fire Pastel (or Congo Firefly) will be.
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...go_f_sized.jpg

Just an update. This one is of a Firefly (L) Fire Congo (C) and a Fire (R)

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...ire_fire_1.jpg

Let me know what you guys think of the Fire Congo

Which one is the one on the far right?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just an updated photo of the Congo Fire and a comparison shot with a Fire.

Congo Fire
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2014-06-28.jpg


Comparison Shot: Congo Fire is on top and you can see her more yellow color and much lighter head blushing compared to her half brother Fire (same Fire father)
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2014-06-28.jpg

I love the yellow she has and can't wait to make some more combinations. I have 5 more eggs from her parents and also paired her father with a Pastel Congo (really hoping for Congo Fireflies). Unfortunately, I am not sure if the Pastel Congo is going to lay or not. If she does lay, it is going to be one of, if not, my latest clutch of the season.

Those look nice. Seeing those makes me wonder why more hasn't been done with congos. Wasn't the gene proven out ages ago?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kc261

Those look nice. Seeing those makes me wonder why more hasn't been done with congos. Wasn't the gene proven out ages ago?

---

My only guess as to why more hasn't been done is that Congo is very subtle and seems to be hit or miss as to which genes it works so well with. I had hoped for good results when I first thought of pairing the Congo and Fire, and was very pleased with how the combination turned out. I personally really like the Mojave and Mystic genes, so I look forward to working this combination into those projects. As for the Congo gene being around for a while, you are correct. According to Ralph Davis' web page, it was first discovered by Vin Russo in 1999 (http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/ma...aits/congo.asp)

I don't know how I missed this before, but those Congo combo's are cool!

Kind of reminds me of Joe Ellis's Josie gene.

I wonder what other genes it would make good combo's with? Might have to check WOBP.

Gale

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by angllady2

I don't know how I missed this before, but those Congo combo's are cool!

Kind of reminds me of Joe Ellis's Josie gene.

I wonder what other genes it would make good combo's with? Might have to check WOBP.

Gale

---

I don't have a Congo male yet, but I will be choosing something other than a Fire male for my Congo female next season, maybe a Jigsaw Blast, or a Pewter Mystic. Just not sure at this point.

Well, the 2014 Congo x Fire clutch has hatched. I am pretty sure that I got 2 more Congo Fires. I am going to work on documenting how they grow into their colors.

The first picture is a comparison picture of the 2013 female Congo Fire (left) with a 2013 female Fire (right). I really wanted to show the difference that can be seen in the heads.
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...14-08-02_2.jpg


Next up are both of the 2014 female Congo Fires. You'll see a slight difference between them, but I think that is just the natural variation in the combination.
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...14-08-02_2.jpg


Here are 2 pictures of 2014 female Congo Fire 1 with the 2013 female Congo Fire and a 2013 female Fire. In both pictures, the 2013 female Congo Fire is on top and the 2013 female Fire on the bottom. I wanted 1 picture to show the heads of all 3 and 1 picture to be more zoomed in. I believe that the 2014 female Congo Fire 1 is showing more yellow than even the 2013 female Fire. As most people know, the Fire morph gets better with age, getting lighter as it sheds. The Congo Fire combination also gets better with age in a similar fashion, getting lighter and a more yellow color to it. I think the 2014 female Congo Fire 1 is showing a base color well a head of what a hatchling Fire would have, so that is why I believe that she is a Congo Fire.
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...14-08-02_2.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...14-08-02_3.jpg


Here is a picture of the 2014 female Congo Fire 2 with the 2013 female Congo Fire (bottom) and the 2013 female Fire (top).
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...14-08-02_1.jpg

These pictures can be seen on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/SlowcountryBalls, along with the other cool stuff that has been hatching out for us.

Probably look good with a Mojave? I do like the yellow though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alan12013

Probably look good with a Mojave? I do like the yellow though.

---

I am sure I will end up putting Mojave or Mystic into the Congo Fire project. I like Mojave quite a lot.

Got a new lens that allows for wider angled shots so I wanted to get a couple of comparison shots with the 2011 male Fire and his 2013 Congo Fire daughter. Fire is on left, Congo Fire is on the right.
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...15-01-03_3.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...15-01-03_4.jpg

your congo fire is really great but i would better put it with an OD or enchi than a mojave

you really have astonishing snakes

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by darkranger69

your congo fire is really great but i would better put it with an OD or enchi than a mojave

you really have astonishing snakes

---

Thanks. I really like the Congo Fire. I do have both Orange Dream and Enchi in my collection, however, both genes are only in females at this time. I hope to work both Enchi and Orange Dream into the Congo Fire project, but it will have to wait until I produce a male with those genes. I think I will try to breed my male Pewter Mystitc or Jigsaw Blast to this Congo Fire girl in the 2015-2016 season. My male Pastel GHI should be ready then also, that could be something cool. I'll just have to wait and what I hatch out when. The male Pewter Mystic is going to a Mystic female and a Pastel Enchi female for the 2014-2015 season, so if a good combo male hatches out early enough, he might be the one to be paired with the Congo Fire female. Who knows? Only time will tell.

Had some fun with the camera today and thought I would grab a few pictures of a 2013 and 2014 Congo Fire next to each other. Shows how they lighten up over a year's time.

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2015-01-10.jpg
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...2015-01-10.jpg

Boy I still drool over those fire congos. It's a gene I would love to work into my own collection someday, since I am sure the limited number you release out of necessity are out of my price range. It's not often I see a "new" gene I think much of, so many just seem to be repeats of known genes with a little variation. But these congo fires and the monarchs are two I really would love to add to my collection. Imagine a congo fire pied !

Gale

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by angllady2

Boy I still drool over those fire congos. It's a gene I would love to work into my own collection someday, since I am sure the limited number you release out of necessity are out of my price range. It's not often I see a "new" gene I think much of, so many just seem to be repeats of known genes with a little variation. But these congo fires and the monarchs are two I really would love to add to my collection. Imagine a congo fire pied !

Gale

---

Thanks. Congo has been around for a while (since 1996, I think), but just never got popular. It seems to be a real good enhancer gene. I'm looking forward to seeing what it does with other genes. I've got a big female Pastel Congo that is getting paired to my Pewter Mystic male and my female Congo is being paired with both my Pastave possible Chocolate and my Jigsaw Blast. Should be interesting to see what is produced this summer.

I like the addition of lesser into the congos. You have some great looking snakes keep these photos coming...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Viol8r

I like the addition of lesser into the congos. You have some great looking snakes keep these photos coming...

---

Thanks. Lesser does go well with Congo, however I really like Mystic and Mojave, so I'll probably go that direction. It will be fun to see what it can do with more genes.

The mystic sounds interesting... I wonder what it would do to Calico as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Viol8r

The mystic sounds interesting... I wonder what it would do to Calico as well.

---

Interesting thought. Maybe a future pairing.

Really, really appreciate the sub-adult, siblings across years and parent/offspring photos! there are so many pics of hatchlings but no follow ups - this was great!! neat project!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PeterPieBaldPython

Really, really appreciate the sub-adult, siblings across years and parent/offspring photos! there are so many pics of hatchlings but no follow ups - this was great!! neat project!!

---

Thanks. I've always found comparison pictures helpful. I also like to see adult pictures, especially of genes that are supposed to age well, such as Fire.