Is there such thing as a giant gene in ball pythons?

[PythonWallace]

Ball pythons grow for their entire lives, so a ball python with a hormone or glandular issue that would cause mammals to continue to grow beyond their normal size would probably not have an effect on ball pythons. Since they continue to grow for their whole life, they might already have this, so it might not be possible for gland issues to happen in them.

The "giant" ball pythons are from Volta, Ghana. The ball pythons in that region regularly grow to larger than average sizes for ball pythons, but it takes them a long time to achieve those sizes. It isn't like the giant leopard gecko gene, where they are double the normal size by the end of their first year, but adults do tend to reach extremely large lengths and weights, with males looking like your average large adult female, and Volta females reaching lengths of 6'+ and laying extremely large clutches in the 15-20+ eggs range.

I was supposed to buy a female pastel that was from a pastel male x Volta female, but the breeder never contacted me when the clutch was available. A female pastel that regularly dropped 15+ eggs would be worth it's weight in gold. Not that your average female pastel shouldn't still be worth it's weight in gold, but apparently we can't stop 300 basement breeders from dropping the prices to $50 a piece. But that's for another thread.

[rabernet]

How much do they go for like 1000 for a normal?

They aren't generally available that I am aware of.

[NorthernRegius]

I have a girl like that, she is CH & is huge 5'5".

She's laid 11-13 egg clutches for me. So I heard the story about the giant line from some folks that work with Bob Clark & Mike Wilbanks. Let's see if I've an old pic or 2:

http://cid-3888241ea506b9c8.skydrive...1EA506B9C8!161

She's the larger of the two-
http://cid-3888241ea506b9c8.skydrive...1EA506B9C8!162

in her Iris 900-
http://vtw0da.bay.livefilestore.com/...nake%20009.jpg

[Quickone4u]

Wow, I would love to have one of those

[WingedWolfPsion]

I'm hoping the daughters of my huge 5+ foot female who lays 12-13 egg clutches will grow up to be as big as their mom.

One of them, a pastel that hatched in August is growing like a little weed, and is already up to 643 grams as of June. Her sister was 632.
I'm hoping they'll keep up that growth rate, and I'll give them the full 3 years to mature, even if they make 1500 next year.

[NorthernRegius]

I'm hoping the daughters of my huge 5+ foot female who lays 12-13 egg clutches will grow up to be as big as their mom.

One of them, a pastel that hatched in August is growing like a little weed, and is already up to 643 grams as of June. Her sister was 632.
I'm hoping they'll keep up that growth rate, and I'll give them the full 3 years to mature, even if they make 1500 next year.

I hope so too, my big girl's offspring thrive & do seem to grow nice sized. Having a mom like that is great!