My ball python's genetics has confused me since the day I bought it. The pet store scammed me, selling him as a "Fancy Ball Python" at about $200 (or about $150, I lost the receipt somewhere...), and in an attempt to find out what Wheatley really is, I found evidence to suggest he was a spider ball python, starting with a friend of mine who is a breeder warning me of the "spider ball wobble." In an effort to find out more about it, I ended up looking at spider morphs, and found myself confused.




As you can probably see here, his color is a bit off from your typical spider ball python. Randomly, I came across this morph:

This is a phantom spider morph. I thought perhaps that Wheatley was this, based on the lighter color along the spine, as well as the thin black stripy-blotches and white belly. And if you look closely, the head markings are similar.

I started a thread asking about spider ball wobble, in an attempt to find out if there are other issues that would present itself because of this neurological disorder. It was here that it was brought to my attention that Wheatley is NOT a spider ball python of any kind. Several other options have popped up since then.

One suggestion was this:

A Woma.

However, the problem is the markings.... The black splotches aren't similar.... See?








So then it was suggested that instead of it being either a spider or a woma, it was a reduced pattern ball python.


Which other than the base color without the black splotches matches Wheatley more. However, the black markings through this theory off for me completely.

But normals even have thinner markings... SO maybe he's just purely normal??



Initially, I wanted to find out what Wheatley was so I could sue the pet store. But after a while I just mellowed out about it. Now it's just a question of what exactly is he? It honestly doesn't matter, as Wheatley is still Wheatley no matter what morph he is. He still has that adorable wobble, and strangely patient personality for a snake. But regardless, I would like to know just for the sake of knowing.