Locality Ball Pythons?

Are there different localities of ball pythons that look slightly different to each other, kind of like the different localities of boa constrictors? My guess is no, but I thought I'd ask just to satisfy my curiosity.

Also, are there any breeders who selectively breed ball pythons for certain traits other than just different genetic morphs. Like breeding to have a better NORMAL pattern, color, size, disposition, etc...

Thanks for the forum and thanks for the help!

I have heard of whats called a sub sahara ball python that is suposed to be slightly larger. im sure that there are other locality differences but they are probably so subtle its not easily noticed.
secondly yeah most breeders selectivly breed for what appeals to them. so if they are into reduced patterned ball pythons they will most likely have more reduced females that they breed. same thing if they are into busy patterned balls.

I have seen pics of some "Gaints" but as far as locality I'm not sure if it plays a role in their size or scaleation

Sub sahara's are a giant locality of ball. They are only found in the one region of northern Ghana.

Most of your commonly imported morphs could all be considered locality animals too.

All yellow bellies are found in a certain locality in that country.
All pieds have been collected in a small locality of Ghana.
All lavender albino's are collected in one area of Benin
Ghost are all found in the same locality "pocket" as they call it.

Pastels are found in a small belt way that runs acrossed the 3 countries, (Ghana, Benin, Togo) .

These could all be considered localities of balls as due to inbreeding in the wild ,the mutant genes are spread in the area they were created in, so that area is where the animals stay and breed spreading the gene, becoming a locality specific animal.

That is why we have gotten 10 c.h/w.c ghost in a 5 month time frame, and have gotten 15-20 yellow bellies c.h / w.c in a 6-8 month time frame, as they are all collected and exported from the same locality.

There is a lot of work to be done on wild populations of balls.

Great! Info!!

heh i don't breed but i have definitely thought about breeding for disposition in general. i love my BPs calm tude. he's a nice guy, but VeRy normal ;)

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Originally Posted by jnjreptiles

There is a lot of work to be done on wild populations of balls.

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Fantastic information. How did you find all this out?

What is meant by your statement above?

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Originally Posted by jnjreptiles

Sub sahara's are a giant locality of ball. They are only found in the one region of northern Ghana.

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Is anyone besides nerd reproducing these "giants"? I emailed him for availability but he's holding all of them back. I want one! :)

JonV

We have dealt with a lot of specials and imported morphs for a few years now, and buy a ton of them, so have picked up info as we have got them. Our supplier is very knowledgeable about it, he has gone overseas to collect himself, and has imported 90% of the morphs that come in. We have talked in great detail about this subject with him, and found out why there are so many morphs compared to other animals and where they come from.

Wild ball populations are extremely variable, and there has been very little scientific work done on wild populations as far as locality animals, subspecies, etc.

With most other boas, and pythons like redtail boas, green tree pythons, retics, etc there is locality animals, and there is localities that get huge, stay small, look different, etc. With balls they are so variable nothing has been done with that in any great detail.

It will be a hard task, but will be very interesting.

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Originally Posted by nevohraalnavnoj

Is anyone besides nerd reproducing these "giants"? I emailed him for availability but he's holding all of them back. I want one! :)

JonV

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Give us a call or email, we have a clutch of them that we hatched here from a gravid w.c sub Sahara, and just called a friend who bought a gravid one from us to, and bought his clutch too.

I do not know of anyone else selling these, availability is very limited.

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Originally Posted by jnjreptiles

Give us a call or email, we have a clutch of them that we hatched here from a gravid w.c sub Sahara, and just called a friend who bought a gravid one from us to, and bought his clutch too.

I do not know of anyone else selling these, availability is very limited.

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How much bigger do these "giants" get?

The female that we had lay eggs, was deathly skinny, she looked horrible when she came in and was 4.5' and weighed 3300 grams, after dropping 8 eggs she weighed 2200 grams.

They can get HUGE, I have seen them as big as 6500 grams, and know of ones that have been imported as big as 8100 grams. In Africa they have been reported 9200 grams (about 9 kilo).
There have been 18-21 egg clutches in the U.S and reports of a 27 egg clutch in Ghana.

They are not a vary common animal and cost big $$ just to get them, when I first heard of them 2 years ago, w.c average size females were going twice as much as w.c female yellow bellies

Think of one of these bred into morphs like Carmel glows for example, the 1 in 16 odds are not as hard when you have 16 eggs.

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Originally Posted by jnjreptiles

They can get HUGE, I have seen them as big as 6500 grams, and know of ones that have been imported as big as 8100 grams. In Africa they have been reported 9200 grams (about 9 kilo).
There have been 18-21 egg clutches in the U.S and reports of a 27 egg clutch in Ghana.

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That is absolutely crazy! Have you run across any pictures of such beasts?

I dont have any pics of them, I posted pics on here of the ones we had on a thread with giant ball python in the title. The big ones I have seen were at my suppliers place, no camera allowed.

I m trying to get a really big mosterous one next time they collect in that area, if I can get one I will post pics.

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Originally Posted by jnjreptiles

I dont have any pics of them, I posted pics on here of the ones we had on a thread with giant ball python in the title. The big ones I have seen were at my suppliers place, no camera allowed.

I m trying to get a really big mosterous one next time they collect in that area, if I can get one I will post pics.

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I found that thread. Very interesting. Any update on a different growth rate than you've experienced with other balls? I wish in the picture of the dead snake in alcohol the guy would've just uncoiled the thing to give us a better perspective!

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to chime in...

I just picked up two girls that were labelled as "big gene" girls.
2200 and 2500 grams. Both proven. He had another 4000 gram for sale.
I hope they really are "giants". I have plans for them.

Also, the locality-morph thing makes sense. Small, cut off populations will often have common genes among the population. There is an abandoned military base in upstate NY that has an entire herd of Albino white tail deer, and I believe some piebald deer. I've seen a Youtube video on them. It's a small, sustained population.