What do you all think of the "cupid" ball?

[Luke Martin]

I'll just start off by saying that I've been breeding balls for 10 years and am the BIGGEST skeptic when it comes to people having dinkers that they say are new morphs. You can ask most of the people I'm friends with in this business, and they'd all agree. I have to see solid proof that something is a genetically reproducible trait before I can say its a morph, which is why I've had them for so long and never released them, nor have a lot of people seen many. If I were looking for fame, I wouldn't be breeding ball pythons , nor would it have not been seen often.

With that, I've reproduced Cupids almost every year that I've bred ball pythons. I've only had 7 eggs (2 from pastel cupid x cupid and 5 from pastel cupid x pastel cupid) to try and produce a super so far, so I can't say yes or no on that front as I could have easily missed. Or it could even be mixed into one of the pastels or supers I produced from one of those clutches. I'll know this year as all of the females from those clutches will be breeding this season. I've really had some great responses from people who have seen them in person. I knew I should have brought a few with me to Tinley, but I do plan on bringing some next time.

The name started out as a joke because they have a little light spot on the head that looks like a heart, but between the people I talked to it about, the name kind of stuck. Its a genetically banding gene and tends to lighten things up...and they're MEAN! lol It's a bit subtle in the base form but the pastels and supers it really makes a fantastic looking snake. Into adulthood, the pastel versions tend to white out over browning out. It's one of those genes that really does need to be seen to be appreciated as Matthew mentioned. The Super Pastel version is neon yellow at 1200 grams, and looks even nicer than when she was born. I'll be breeding it into some other genes this year as I have a few extra females and am motivated to take it off of the back burner and do some cool things with it. I'm interested to see what it will do with genes other than pastel.

I don't expect to make full believers out of everyone right away, and that's fine. There are morphs on WOBP that I'm not impressed with at all. Doesn't mean they aren't a genetically reproducible trait, and that's what WOBP is for. I have people wanting them, but I kind of doubt I even release any next year either. I'll have to see what comes from the breedings that happen this season.

I'm open to any questions or criticisms about the project. Not everything is for everyone

Here's a few pics with some comparisons and some better pictures of some.

A younger Cupid from a few years back


A young Pastel Cupid


A clutch from Pewter x Cupid The top middle being a Pastel Cupid


A clutch from Pastel Cupid x Normal...middle snake being a Pastel Cupid


Bottom right Pastel Cupid, and Cupids in the top right


A Pastel Cupid with a Cupid

[kdreptiles]

Thanks so much for this writeup! Love the 2nd and last pictures, very neat.

[.G&S Royal pythons.]

The pastel cupids look very similar to blonde pastels, i honestly thought i was looking at pics of my blonde project

[RobNJ]

Hey Luke, thanks for chiming in on the Cupid...would you be able to post a picture of a subadult/adult pastel cupid next to a pastel?

Perhaps it's morph power is to make things sub-par. Perhaps this is the morph that has come along to knock all the other morphs down a peg a two lol.

Classy...nothing like crapping on someone's project.

[PitOnTheProwl]

This is the reason I wish WOBP would put descriptions with the morphs. They have a place for it, why not utalize it?
This isnt directed just at Luke but also everyone that claims a new morph and wants it listed on WOBP.................
I think the breeders need to step up and demand/provide "why" with their pics.
There are so many new claims that look like normals in pictures or they look like an already existing morph BUT no reason why it has a different name given.

[angeluscorpion]

Hey Luke, thanks for chiming in on the Cupid...would you be able to post a picture of a subadult/adult pastel cupid next to a pastel?



Classy...nothing like crapping on someone's project.

Based on the pics I saw on WOBP they didnt make the morph look any better. I'm not crapping on his project, just stating what I thought about it just like the OP asked.

[mustang91302]

I really like the look of the pastel cupid. Very nice.

[Luke Martin]

Thanks guys, I can understand your point of being skeptical of it and not seeing what is in them. They're actually quite obvious in person, especially up against a normal. I'll be breeding a Lesser Fire to a few Cupid animals this year, so I'm interested to see how it reacts with some other genes.

Hey Luke, thanks for chiming in on the Cupid...would you be able to post a picture of a subadult/adult pastel cupid next to a pastel?

Thanks, I'll try and get some up soon. Works been pretty hectic so bare with me.

This is the reason I wish WOBP would put descriptions with the morphs. They have a place for it, why not utalize it?
This isnt directed just at Luke but also everyone that claims a new morph and wants it listed on WOBP.................
I think the breeders need to step up and demand/provide "why" with their pics.
There are so many new claims that look like normals in pictures or they look like an already existing morph BUT no reason why it has a different name given.

I'd sent a description to Allan as well with the email I sent him. I understand he's very busy and it could have not been a well enough description for him to post up. I sent him pics of a Pastel Cupid as well but the pic wasn't what he was looking for, so I had to send him another and he hasn't gotten it up yet.

[cecilbturtle]

If I missed it I do apologize, but could you put up some photos of cupids next to normals of the the same age/size please? I'm just not seeing it.

[snakesRkewl]

Selectively breeding a banded snake to a pastel will make brighter pastels, but does that make the cupid a new morph or just another banded ball you're using to make nicer animals with