Difference between lesser platinum & butter

[monk90222]

I have a pair of lessers and like them better, but a pair of butters are definatley on my "want" list.
I believe they are the same snake but different lines....

[GenePirate]

They look very similar to me, but ask Ralph Davis if you want more accurate input. Both butter and lesser lines are his, and he told me that they are two distinct lines each with its own unique coloration. Now whether that means two lines like pastel/lemon pastel or two lines like black pastel/cinnamon...I don't know, but I'd probably get his input because he has been producing them for so long, and he may have noticed more distinctions than we have. Then again, by now, he may have just decided same-same.

[Pedy9970]

The snake that I have now? He's a lesser - because that's what the breeder said he is and he's a trusted member here!

yes i agree you have to trust the breeder

but what if the snake came from two BELs (mojavexlesser x butterxmojave o or any of the other combinations) ?

it soo hard to distinguish

[Big Gunns]

They look very similar to me, but ask Ralph Davis if you want more accurate input. Both butter and lesser lines are his, and he told me that they are two distinct lines each with its own unique coloration. Now whether that means two lines like pastel/lemon pastel or two lines like black pastel/cinnamon...I don't know, but I'd probably get his input because he has been producing them for so long, and he may have noticed more distinctions than we have. Then again, by now, he may have just decided same-same.

If BG is not mistaken.....and he very rarely(if ever) is. The Bells named the Butter. BG doesn't remember the Bells getting it from someone who named it....although it could be possible. BG even remembers Mark Bell asking BG what he thought the snake was on their poster behind their table years ago. It was a Butter. This was before there was a white snake and they were proven to do the same thing.

[Russ Lawson]

yes i agree you have to trust the breeder

but what if the snake came from two BELs (mojavexlesser x butterxmojave o or any of the other combinations) ?

it soo hard to distinguish

Any case I've seen like that, the offspring were labelled as butter/lessers, as it is impossible to distinguish between the two. Those were from breedings of butter x lesser, but still it's the same idea.

[GenePirate]

If BG is not mistaken.....and he very rarely(if ever) is. The Bells named the Butter. BG doesn't remember the Bells getting it from someone who named it....although it could be possible. BG even remembers Mark Bell asking BG what he thought the snake was on their poster behind their table years ago. It was a Butter. This was before there was a white snake and they were proven to do the same thing.

Yep. You're right. Just checked. Don't know how you do it. It's uncanny.

[ace_singapore]

I too see no difference between the two, but I tend to like to call the lighter colors one butters because..... B comes before L.

[OhhWatALoser]

1 year bump woot!

[purplemuffin]

I remember the first ball python morph I ever wanted was an amazing butter at a convention. To this day I haven't seen a prettier example! I can't remember who had it, but it was just stunning. But like I said, since then I haven't seen a prettier butter, but I have seen consistently nice lessers, but it could be coincidence. Maybe I just like the lessers I see in my area, the breeders have some nice quality babies

They are very similar, I do think they are the same, but different lines. Subtle differences probably mostly caused by just the other genetics involved in the snakes and the mates chosen.. Two families can have the same red hair color, but they aren't going to look the same! Of course genetics in people are very different but that was just a bad example haha

[Miko]

I believe they are the same mutation, just selectively bred a bit differently. They do the same thing when it comes to being crossed with another lesser/butter and when mixed with a pied they usually make an all white pied. I know I shouldn't bring mojaves into this because it's already a bit complicated as it is, but mojaves do seem a bit different when it comes to when they're mixed with a pied, they usually have markings, and when mixed with another mojave the blue eyed lucy they produce is usually darker. However, you could consider them the same morph because they produce a blue eyed lucy, just a bit different.