They're not fake photos. This trait is genetic, but the last I heard, the male derma ball had not successfully been bred, though his owner intended to try again.
This genetic mutation has cropped up in several other snake species, which HAVE been bred. Here is a link to a photo of a scaleless corn snake:
http://digitalherper.com/forum/posted/scaleless1.jpg
Here's an article on scaleless reptiles (including a scaleless bearded dragon): http://theobligatescientist.blogspot...ns-scales.html
Nothing fake here at all--just the equivalent of a Sphynx cat in snake form.
For those concerned about the animals--in captivity, their relatively fragile skin doesn't appear to pose a real problem, and they seem otherwise perfectly healthy. Some folks speculated that the Derma ball doesn't have heat pits--it does have them, it's just that the specially formed cupped scales which would normally cover them are missing, showing only the smooth skin that underlies them. They are also apparently able to get around reasonably well.
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