Is this a Wild Type Normal Ball Python?

[Marwan]

Unfortunately due to the forums server crash it would appear that my post vanished into the ether so I’ll try again. Basically I have had my Male ball python for the last 3 years and have always assumed he was a normal. Lately however I’ve been looking into breeding and as a result researching morphs and it has cast some doubt as to wether or not he is indeed a normal. It’s not something which is of great concern to me I love this little guy either way but it would be something which would be nice to know.

The two main things that have caused the doubt is how bright he is in comparison to most normals I’ve worked with and have seen and as well as his pattern seeming to be greatly reduced. I have attached pictures and the head picture is the best representation of his colour.

He is at 982g (empty) last time I weighed him which Im so happy about because this little guy had me panicking for a long time after he went into a fast which lasted 18 months!! In that time he lost a total of about 76g but this was over a year ago since it ended and he’s recently developed the appetite of a boa haha. Maybe it’s the new males scent or just he’s decided he want to fatten up more. Either way I’m happy to indulge him in his current binge.

Also on a slightly different note I was given a black eyed Leucistic (Super Fire) who is solid white with not a single scale of colour in him. I have just discovered the ivory ball pythons and they appear very similar and so if anyone knows how to visually tell them apart that would be great .

Thank you everyone in advance.


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[asplundii]

Yep, wild-type

[BallPythonWannaBe]

Yep normal He looks alot like my Dean

[Marwan]

Thanks guys! I thought he was a normal and my first snake and by god has he taught me a lot of lessons most of which the hard way.

I’ve attached a few pictures of the Male ‘super fire’ I was given




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[BallPythonWannaBe]

Thanks guys! I thought he was a normal and my first snake and by god has he taught me a lot of lessons most of which the hard way.

I’ve attached a few pictures of the Male ‘super fire’ I was given




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That looks alot like a BEL although I could just be missing the color spots

[asplundii]

That looks alot like a BEL although I could just be missing the color spots

Not all BlkELs have yellow spotting, there are all white BlkELs

[wolfy-hound]

First definitely a normal.

Second is harder to tell, the super fires do come in all white without the dots of yellow/orange.

[cchardwick]

Keep in mind that many morphs can't be distinguished from a normal so unless you know the breeding you may never know. Could be het for any number of recessive genes, many of my normal are possible hets and after a few lines of breeding they just forget about the possible het because it's so remote (but possible). Also could be a yellowbelly, gravel, asphalt, etc... Look at highways bred to normal, you can't even tell what the babies are, they are either yellowbelly or gravel, but no one can tell them apart, they all look normal. Even the pros will list them as either yellowbelly or gravel / asphalt (but can't be sure).

[cchardwick]

Also, in that first snake I don't see the alien heads typical of a normal. I just looked up 'spotnose', that base morph looks like a normal too, but mix it with clown and WOW! Seems there are quite a few suttle morphs that really pop when mixed with the right genes.

[wolfy-hound]

I think it's disingenuous to say "no one can tell" a yellowbelly or a gravel from a normal. They are more subtle morphs but experienced people can pick them out quite easily. SOME yellowbellies are even more subtle than usual and can be difficult, but the morph overall does have distinctions to tell it from a normal.