Calico mutations are random and not controllable when it comes to Reticulated pythons. It mainly happens in females, but occasionally can happen though rare in males. Calico retics seem to have no genetic mutation that is able to be passed from one generation to the next, but what it is is a mutation that seemingly appears dormant for a set number of years before it appears in adult retics.
All that said, my male SD tiger, and the oldest Reticulated Python in my collection, went through a rough shed this past month. During this time the shed came off much thicker than normal and took a longer time to come off. However, when it came off I had to do a double take at the results, it appears this boy was one of those rare hidden calico retics!
How he looked before shed
After shed!
Closer look at the tail side where most of the mutation occurred.
Absolutely incredible sides.
The only downfall thus far to this is his aggression has become to the extreme. Another trait found in calico which was potentially thought as just a wild trait since most calico originated in the wild. We will keep a close eye on him for the next shed and see where things go!
Cheers
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