My how times have changed!!!

[jbean7916]

Going through an old box of books in the garage and came across The Ball Python Manual by Philippe de Vosjoli, Roger Klingenberg, David and Tracy Barker. (copyright 1995) I found a couple of interesting quotes I thought we could all get a grin at.

(regarding types of ball pythons)

Leucistic: This is the condition of absolute white coloration, no pattern, and dark eyes. We know of only two examples of this condition, and both specimens died soon after hatching.

Clown: In this morph, which is probably not of genetic origin, the middorsal series of light-colored blotches is absent and the light-color lateral blotches are extended and fused.

It just amazes me how far we've come with these snakes in 10 years. No mention of spiders, lessers, pastels(though there is a "high gold" pic I strongly suspect is), or mojave.

[MarkieJ]

True that! I'm amazed at how much prices have dropped. I can still remember those 10,000 dollar spiders, and 20,000 dollar pieds. Not too long ago either!

[llovelace]

:o :o :o

[dr del]

Hi,

That made me smile.

So I went and found my copy of "The general care and maintenance of ball pythons" by Philippe de Vosjoli - copywright 1990.

This is the entire section on morphs.

Variation

Color and pattern in ball pythons can be variable. The most notable variation involves the color of the light areas. In most imported snakes, the light colored areas are tan or brown to reddish brown. In others, the light color may be a pale yellow or yellow orange. The latter "morph" is sought after by collectors and breeders. The ball pythons from the northern Ghanaian savannah are said to be primarily of the yellow-orange morph.

Pied (with an irregular or scattered albinism) and albino ball pythons occur with some frequency in the wild. Albino ball pythons resemble stouter bodied, miniature versions of albino burmese pythons, being white with a yellow-orange pattern. One well known U.S. breeder is currently in the process of establishing an albino morph in herpetoculture. Striped-phase ball pythons, sometimes offered as captive bred hatchlings, are usually the result of "cooling" during the latter part of incubation rather than the result of a genetically inherited trait.

**
It here has a picture of a nice black back with a joined side pattern with the following caption;

"A "striped" ball python hatched by the author. The eggs in the clutch were incubated at fluctuating temperatures."
**

Under the heating section it has a big bold warning against hotrocks - so we have been telling people not to use these things for 20 years.

But there are some seriously odd things in the breeding section;

The temps are about the same (88-90f ) but they say it is recommended to drop the temps by a degree or two (eg. from 90f to 88f ) approximately two weeks prior to incubation. They also say the eggs will take about 90 days to hatch at this temperature.

It also said the oldest known ball pythons at the time was at the Philadelphia zoological gardens which lived for over 28 years.


dr del

[corgigirl9]

Going through an old box of books in the garage and came across The Ball Python Manual by Philippe de Vosjoli, Roger Klingenberg, David and Tracy Barker. (copyright 1995) I found a couple of interesting quotes I thought we could all get a grin at.

(regarding types of ball pythons)

Leucistic: This is the condition of absolute white coloration, no pattern, and dark eyes. We know of only two examples of this condition, and both specimens died soon after hatching.

Clown: In this morph, which is probably not of genetic origin, the middorsal series of light-colored blotches is absent and the light-color lateral blotches are extended and fused.

It just amazes me how far we've come with these snakes in 10 years. No mention of spiders, lessers, pastels(though there is a "high gold" pic I strongly suspect is), or mojave.

Are we in 2005 or did you mean 15 years? J/k but good point

[jbean7916]

Are we in 2005 or did you mean 15 years? J/k but good point

lol, good catch! (please note the time on my post, it was late )

[corgigirl9]

Great post though! Cant wait to see what comes in the next fifteen. I am hoping for something pink!!!