Is the well dry?

[Mikeshrews1]

Just curious if you think the single gene morphs are just about done? Not combos, but single genes. I mean at some point it has to end. Are we there? When was the last discovery of a new single gene?

[Armiyana]

There's a few going around.
Hellfire, mimic and Gorilla are the three that I can think of off the top of my head.

[Mikeshrews1]

There's a few going around.
Hellfire, mimic and Gorilla are the three that I can think of off the top of my head.

gorillas been since 2010 or so
hellfire is around 2021
mimic I do believe is this year

it seems to be getting pretty rare, considering since albinos around 1992 there have been close to 330 single gene morphs. That's an average from 1992 thru 2020 of almost 12 per year and now we are lucky to see 1 new single gene every 1 or 2 years

[Armiyana]

And a lot of those genes ended up being the exact same gene anyway. Like lesser/butter sauce/yb, Lori/het red axanthic, banana/coral glow

They're trying to prove that MJ and GCR axanthic may actually be the same gene through shed testing as well too.

I don't really see it being an issue as the ball python morph list is already a mess... Like the new issue with people being upset about 'nanny' and now wanting it to be 'carnage' to make it sound interesting.

[OhhWatALoser]

World of ball pythons used to be the "place" to get a morph recognized. The requirements were basically take a picture that's not in your hand and it got put up there. Now morphmarket is that place but there is a formal system and it can be reviewed by anyone before it is added. I think people are a lot more reserved to call something new because of the lot of them that turned out to be the same. Also in the age of shed testing some have been proven without a single doubt to be the same and more will in the future. With that said, every dinker is a potentially new gene and even if something is proven out, you have to ask yourself is it marketable? What's marketable is tougher than it was back in the day.

If you want a personal example I found some pics of one I've been working with. Like a fire they lighten up as they age. unlike a fire, its super hard to see when they are babies. I haven't been able to prove it allelic with yellowbelly, fire, or lesser. I also had a string of bad luck and a divorce which split my collection. So I have yet to make a super. Also with this being potentially an inferior fire, im only keeping a handful to work with for now. So if/when I see the potential of the super, ill have to make a decision if it is marketable and if I want to put the work in to separate the gene from spider, which you also didn't have to do back in the day. I have at least 2 other promising drinkers and a couple more I'm still playing with to see if i feel there is potential. I'm just 1 breeder, I bet you anyone with a sizeable collection has a couple potential projects they are working with.

So while we probably will only see excitement like sunset or monsoon once in a great while, the well is far from dry.

Spider Dinker


Spider Dinker


Bumblebee Dinker


Firebee Dinker

[Armiyana]

That's pretty neat. Shame that it's one of those hold back everything then wait and see projects. Life definitely has a way of making things frustrating as well...
The firebee seems to be the youngest, so when he gets older do you expect the rich brown to come in more where the black is now? That first dinker looks so pretty.

[OhhWatALoser]

Well that's a pic from today.

I thought she might lighten up more on the blacks, she's getting more sandy color as expected, a lot cleaner than the others tho. I don't have another explanation of what she is. Obviously spider, there yellow creeping through in areas so pastel and the pattern clean up has to be the fire. But the color is drastically different from a firebee. Pairing was the original male (top) to a firefly.



Here's another quick pic of another promising dinker, pairing was a pastel enchi hypo het clown x DH clown/hypo. I think we can agree she is not enchi and no super pastel is not a possibility. I have a few I think have the gene. Fader like blushed head on the non clowns, eliminates the clown stamp almost completely, drastically increases blushing. Figuring more out about this one every year.

The well is far from dry

[BeansTheDerp]

Woah, those are some gorgeous ball pythons...

[Armiyana]

That firebee is still gorgeous looking. I love that reduced pattern.



My little mystery is a very pale little queenbee I hatched from a captive hatched male to a killer queenbee.

She hatched pure white and charcoal and is only now starting to go a bit yellow and brown at 5 months. Her mom has a really clean pattern too,dad almost looks like a bright KRG or Blade. So it's probably just polymorphic traits at play,.. but she's a cute little thing.
I'm probably just hoping for something that I'm just imagining is there tho. Lol

[OhhWatALoser]

I think it's enough to dink around with. That is a very clean snake and that color does look different. Id definitely at least try to make a super. Never know what potential could be lurking.