Geographic Distribution of Proven and Unproven Morphs

Are certain Ball Python genetic morphs more likely to be found in certain regions of Africa (i.e West vs. Central, etc.) more than others?

What about unproven, possibly environmentally induced, traits, like hypermelanistic?

My albinos came from the central part of Oklahoma. They seem to be higher in contrast than some from different regions I have seen. I hope this helps :)

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Originally Posted by cueball

My albinos came from the central part of Oklahoma. They seem to be higher in contrast than some from different regions I have seen. I hope this helps :)

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*throws a pillow at Cue* Shoosh, you! He's being serious... =D

I bought this one in Flordia and have seen others that look kinda like it in Flordia aswell...


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...thon/bpava.jpg

Pillow fight :mouse2:

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Originally Posted by cueball

My albinos came from the central part of Oklahoma. They seem to be higher in contrast than some from different regions I have seen. I hope this helps :)

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LOL.....

Alright seriously though I don't know if anyone will know this but I am talking about their natural distribution in Africa

I think to get information that you're looking for you may have to go directly to the big boy breeders who occasionally import possible morphs from Africa. Try calling or emailing Ralph Davis, VPI, TSK, Peter Kahl...see what they have for information. :)

you have to think of this kind of information this way....

....if you found a gold mine that anyone could have access to, but they do not know where it is.....would you tell them where it is?

...the ball python trade in Africa has been compared to the drug trade before... the 'situation' over there is a bit different than it is over here....I really doubt there is someone gathering distribution data....and if they have it...they probably are not sharing it...

But having said that.....certain locals of ball pythons are often discussed. i.e. the Enchi Pastel comes for the Enchi region....

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Originally Posted by cueball

My albinos came from the central part of Oklahoma. They seem to be higher in contrast than some from different regions I have seen. I hope this helps :)

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You, my friend, are out of your mind! Rock on!! :giggle:

Relatively speaking, the geographic area that all ball pythons come from is incredibly small.

As far as specifics, that's big business ... you'll have better luck squeezing someone for the secret addictive additive that Starbucks puts in those kick ace coffees!

From the people that I have talked to that have been over there collecting, there does seem to sometimes be concentrated pockets ... but the collection process is not what you would think it is and the answers to your question aren't really black and white. ;)

-adam

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

you have to think of this kind of information this way....

....if you found a gold mine that anyone could have access to, but they do not know where it is.....would you tell them where it is?

...the ball python trade in Africa has been compared to the drug trade before... the 'situation' over there is a bit different than it is over here....I really doubt there is someone gathering distribution data....and if they have it...they probably are not sharing it...

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Your probably right to a certain extent...however, I dont know if it is as secretive as the drug trade.....after all there are arent as many restrictions on the exotic pet trade as the illegal drug trade....

Plus many governments want to protect their natural resources.....I think Adam mentioned that many Africian governments do a decent job of regulating this.....

In the process of protecting their resources they might collect some distribution data.....

For example....

In H Bernard Bechtel's Book on Reptile Variants, he discusses how the city of Iwakuni Japan had a extermely high number of albino Japanese Rat Snakes....However, when their numbers started declining the governement and citizens established a conservation program and an artifical breeding program to make sure they didnt lose this natural distinction among Japanese cities.....

Thanks for the info on the Enchi Pastel......I wondered about that strange name!

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Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls

Your probably right to a certain extent...however, I dont know if it is as secretive as the drug trade.....after all there are arent as many restrictions on the exotic pet trade as the illegal drug trade....

Plus many governments want to protect their natural resources.....I think Adam mentioned that many Africian governments do a decent job of regulating this.....

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All the more reason to protect your information and locations: a legal business, while regulated, that can turn around huge profits from hunting in the wild? Yeah, you're gonna keep your information secret, the goal being to find the next piebald, the next platty daddy, the next-big-thing that they can make huge money on...

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Originally Posted by cassandra

All the more reason to protect your information and locations: a legal business, while regulated, that can turn around huge profits from hunting in the wild? Yeah, you're gonna keep your information secret, the goal being to find the next piebald, the next platty daddy, the next-big-thing that they can make huge money on...

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The next...I think that's the key.....one is defaintly more likely to be secretive with newer morphs than morphs that have been proven genetic and have a high "capative" gene pool....

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Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls

Plus many governments want to protect their natural resources.....I think Adam mentioned that many Africian governments do a decent job of regulating this.....

In the process of protecting their resources they might collect some distribution data.....

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The vast majority of morphs that are found in the wild come from eggs that were laid by wild collected females. While the location the female was collected from is recorded so that she can be returned, the eggs are incubated in mass and allowed to hatch in a non-controlled environment. As far as I know, once a clutch is mixed in with other clutches in the incubation boxes there is no tracking of eggs or hatchlings. When they pop open the egg boxes and see an albino or a yellow belly or whatever, there is no way to track that hatchling back to a clutch, female, or geographic location.

If adult mutations are found in the wild, the individual trapper holds on to that information as if it was gold. There are no government officials following the trappers around in the wild.

I suppose if a CITES survey was conducted and during the course of that survey a morph was found, it would be recorded. But I don't know enough about that process to do anything more than speculate.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls

one is defaintly more likely to be secretive with newer morphs than morphs that have been proven genetic and have a high "capative" gene pool....

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A trapper that finds a single mutation (whether new, existing, high "captive" gene pool, whatever) makes enough money to feed his entire family for a year ... and then some. They keep it all secret.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

A trapper that finds a single mutation (whether new, existing, high "captive" gene pool, whatever) makes enough money to feed his entire family for a year ... and then some. They keep it all secret.

-adam

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Good Point!

Who wants to go on a herping trip to Ghana?! =D

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

I suppose if a CITES survey was conducted and during the course of that survey a morph was found, it would be recorded. But I don't know enough about that process to do anything more than speculate.

-adam

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I was thinking along these lines.....Thanks for the responses!

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Originally Posted by cassandra

Who wants to go on a herping trip to Ghana?! =D

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I'll bring the bug spray?

I'll bring the tiaras :buttercup


Good info Adam :gj:

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Originally Posted by cassandra

Who wants to go on a herping trip to Ghana?! =D

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Not me ... I want to live. :D

They're not real big fans of people coming over and trying to muscle in on their livelihoods ... and justice over there ain't doled out by Judge Judy ... more like judge machete! :(

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Not me ... I want to live. :D

They're not real big fans of people coming over and trying to muscle in on their livelihoods ... and justice over there ain't doled out by Judge Judy ... more like judge machete! :(

-adam

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But Adam...we shall smite them with our rapier wits!

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Who wants to go on a herping trip to Ghana?! =D

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I'll bring the AK-47's and Glock 23's!

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I'll bring the AK-47's and Glock 23's!

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I'll bring the Granola!! :carouse:

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Originally Posted by Melicious

But Adam...we shall smite them with our rapier wits!

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I'm really neither that rapier nor that witty. I'll stay home ... have fun!!! :D ;)

-adam

You'd be safe wearing one of Diva Cueball's tiaras man...sheesh! =D

Yes, exactly! The worst thing that has EVER happened to me while wearing a tiara was a hearty :groinkick You have balls to spare so you should be fine!


The best thing that ever happened was a lengthy :hump:

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Originally Posted by cueball

Yes, exactly! The worst thing that has EVER happened to me while wearing a tiara was a hearty :groinkick You have balls to spare so you should be fine!


The best thing that ever happened was a lengthy :hump:

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Did the best thing happen at the Blue Oyster Bar (remember Police Academy)?