Enchi or Just an Interesting Normal?

[Cyndymei]

Hello everyone!

I was looking at my snake Kaa and wondering if he just had some strange patterning for a normal or if he was an enchi? If not what would you call this patterning? The pet store I got him from advertised him as a Normal 100% het. for albino. Regardless, he has been a wonderful snake and has a crazy feeding response and wonderful to handle.

I've added some side view pictures as well.
Thanks again!

[Eric Alan]

I'm not seeing Enchi at all.

[Cyndymei]

Thanks for the help! This is definitely still a learning experience. Are enchis more orange I'm guessing?

[Eric Alan]

It'll sound cliche, but you'll know a good Enchi when you see it. The best ones are unmistakable. Here is the best description of Enchi I've come across:

"To me an enchi is as much about color as it is about pattern. Good enchi's will have one or the other but great enchi's will have both, the classic reduced banded pattern and that awesome golden/rusty/caramel color that will only get better with age." - Freakie_frog

Here's a good eye candy Enchi thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...2430-Enchi-Q-s

[Cyndymei]

Thank you that's a great quote and those are some gorgeous snakes!

[alan12013]

Your normal is pretty dark and not too much blushing but he does have some nice white looking sides with a little bit of flame action going on. His pattern is a bit reduced and not the very typical alien heads all down the side. Not sure if that helps answer your question or not but that is what I would say about his pattern. I like him and think his pattern is better than average as far as normals go.

[Cyndymei]

Thank you that does answer my question very well! I was definitely curious about the terminology for the patterning. So blushing is when the dark markings are lighter in the middle, almost like on the top of his head in the 3rd picture? And flames are where the pattern is very light coming up from the belly and then darkens as the pattern reaches the dorsal area?

[alan12013]

Yep. I disagree with the terminology but that's it. Although flames are inside the dark areas. Just to be clear your animal has flames but I think you are talking about the pattern on the side. His pattern is really light towards the belly and looks awesome but then "browns out" towards the top. The flames are the white greyish looking part that is coming up from the belly but still inside the dark area(not the pattern). Basically flames and blushing are the same thing just different parts of the animal. Often its easy to think that the pattern is the flames because they always start lighter at the belly and get darker at the top and usually it's more pronounced in animals with good flames hence the confusion lol Make sense?

[Cyndymei]

Thank you so much! That makes wonderful sense!