Piebaldism?

[Serpent_Nirvana]

It's a mutation and a phenotype. Piebaldism stems from a defect in neural crest development during embryogenesis. This defect affects distribution of melanocytes which causes the white patches that you see in humans, rats, horses, (and we assume) snakes, etc. Usually, the more white you see in mammals, the more severe the neurological disorders. That's why breeding for high white in horses is discouraged. I wouldn't be surprised if pied BPs have some sort of disorder that we're not aware of. They certainly can't tell us if they're having visual disturbances or digestive issues. Or, the mutation may be quite benign. It depends on which gene and where along the gene the mutation is located, or if more than one mutated gene is working in tandem with another. I've heard complaints from some breeders that their pieds are picky eaters. If this turns out to be a common complaint, there might be evidence that there is some consequence of this mutation. Hope this helps.

What she said

Just to clarify a bit more as well, for those who haven't had the joys of developmental anatomy: neural crest cells are precursor cells in the embyro that contribute to a number of body systems, including the formation of melanocytes. Because they contribute to a number of other systems, a defect in the neural crest cell migration may well have effects other than just the white patches.

It seems as if mutation ball pythons and other snakes are, in general, healthier than selectively bred or mutation forms of other animals. I have often wondered if this may be because their systems are so much simpler, with every organ effectively having been so effectively streamlined ...