Help!!! Is this a Childrens or Spotted?

I bought this off kingsnake as a Childrens python, but the more I look at pictures the more I'm starting to think it's a Spotted python. I never really looked at spotted pythons before, and at the show I go to I almost always see babies, hardly ever adult snakes so I never know what a particular type of snake is going to look like as an adult. From what I've read, however, a Childrens shouldn't be quite this patterned as an adult. My male is nearly patternless. This snake is HIGHLY iridescent. Are spotted pythons iridescent like Childrens are?

It would help if I added the pictures, wouldn't it?

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i285/Jagcbw/002-2.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i285/Jagcbw/003-2.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i285/Jagcbw/004-2.jpg

That is such a close species....both are in the same Genus, so sometimes it can be rather hard to tell.

If I HAD to guess I would guess Spotted

Children's pythons tend to be a bit brighter, more red

http://www.inlandreptile.com/spotted.html

http://www.inlandreptile.com/childrens.html



Also forgot to say...childrens usually stay pretty small...I think the size of your snake leans towards the larger spotted as well.

Yeah, I know. They are so close, but I have to know because she is a mature female and I have a mature male and I want to breed them. Are there any particular identifying marks? She is so gorgeous, but I like to keep breeding pairs or trios only, I have no interest in one of this one of that.

UGH, I'm feeling a bit blue right now. She measures at least 45 inches, and that's too big for a Childrens. This is why I hate mail ordering snakes. Let me write to this guy and see what he says, but I have a feeling I'm going to be out some good $$s.

Actually, most species in the US are a Antaresia maculosa x Antaresia childreni anyway. They were crossed when they first started being imported (before the species were properly identified). Given the lines are quite a bit cleaner now, but that doesn't fix the damage already done. There are also pure lines, but most are a distant cross.

If I remember correctly, Spotteds have a more irregular pattern (spot) and they tend to be much darker as adults. Children's are much lighter adults, with more of a round pattern (spot).

Of course every species does have an exception, and I'm just stating general appearance. I concur though. Judging by appearance, I'd say that animal leans heavily towards being a Spotted.

Spotted....

Ugh. I wrote to the guy and told him for one thing, that she is big for a childrens at 45 inches and he wrote me back saying that he has had childrens that were five feet.

I wrote him back saying that if he's telling me he had childrens that were five feet he's telling me he doesn't know his snakes.

I have a feeling this is going to turn ugly.

Well, he refunded my money..... I hate when deals go bad, but after spending a few hours googling spotted and childrens, I was more and more convinced this is a spotted. She's a pretty snake, but just doesn't fit into my plans.

Doesn't look like my Children's at all, so I think you were right that it was a spotted. My girl is a baby, but she is much redder in color than your snake. How old is your male? How big is he weight/length wise? I'm just being nosy, sorry. I just can't wait for this girl to grow up and am wondering how big she will get. Good luck finding a nice female! :)

Here's a picture of my '06 male Childrens. He's nearly patternless, not more than 3 feet and he looks slightly darker and redder in the picture than he actually is.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i285/Jagcbw/003-1.jpg

He's handsome, Iguanamama.

That's a spotted.

Here is my adult childrens. Almost no pattern and a reddish color.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../childrens.jpg

Hey I would check out this post I just came across on Fauna for an adult female childrens: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=125181

That way you can take the money from your refund and continue with your breeding project, its only $100.

You have a spotted python. I've been keeping spotted and Childrens for 5 years now and I've come to learn that a lot of dealers sell spotted as childrens. Back in the 80's taxonomy on these guys was really screwy and almost the entire genus was clumped into one species. That said it led to a lot of taxonomic confusion in the hobby which has been very slow to catch up with the scientific community.

Spotted.