What if normal was a morph, and the "normal" ones in the wild looked different?

[Coluber42]

It seems like the morphs people get most excited over are the ones that differ the most dramatically from the way most normal animals look in the wild. Do you ever wonder, what if the normal wild ones looked like something else, such as genetic stripe or bumblebee or leucistic or albino or something? Then people would get all excited about these snakes with their bold dark blacks and brown splotches. What would we call that "morph"? I like "black and tan", personally.
No real point to make, I just think it's interesting how we tend to think the more exciting morphs are the ones that are more exotic, because they look more drastically different from the average wild individual.

Don't ask me what kind of environment would produce a whole population of non-venomous, nocturnal, terrestrial snakes with a number of predators that ambush their prey in the dark.... and are also bright yellow or white. But it's kinda fun to think about.

OK, back to work, no more procrastinating on the internet...

[BCS]

I think the reason that we are not as excited for normals is simply because they are SUPER easy to get, plus they do not change a morph. You breed a pastel with a lesser and you get a combination looking BP called a plesser. You breed a pastel with a normal and you get either normals or pastels, not a mixture. So techincally, the normal BP could NEVER be a morph on it's own. If we were to take the 4000+ combos out there, and say one of them were the "normal" wild type, I am pretty sure the excitement for that morph would be WAY less but such is not the case.

[Ax01]

It seems like the morphs people get most excited over are the ones that differ the most dramatically from the way most normal animals look in the wild. Do you ever wonder, what if the normal wild ones looked like something else, such as genetic stripe or bumblebee or leucistic or albino or something? Then people would get all excited about these snakes with their bold dark blacks and brown splotches. What would we call that "morph"? I like "black and tan", personally.
No real point to make, I just think it's interesting how we tend to think the more exciting morphs are the ones that are more exotic, because they look more drastically different from the average wild individual.

Don't ask me what kind of environment would produce a whole population of non-venomous, nocturnal, terrestrial snakes with a number of predators that ambush their prey in the dark.... and are also bright yellow or white. But it's kinda fun to think about.

OK, back to work, no more procrastinating on the internet...

i would call it "ET" or "extraterrestrial" b/c of the alien head patterns.

[Coluber42]

I think the reason that we are not as excited for normals is simply because they are SUPER easy to get, plus they do not change a morph. You breed a pastel with a lesser and you get a combination looking BP called a plesser. You breed a pastel with a normal and you get either normals or pastels, not a mixture. So techincally, the normal BP could NEVER be a morph on it's own. If we were to take the 4000+ combos out there, and say one of them were the "normal" wild type, I am pretty sure the excitement for that morph would be WAY less but such is not the case.

Yes, I understand that about the genetics... I'm thinking about an alternate universe or something where what we now call "normal" is actually an unusual mutation (in which case it actually would change other morphs if it were mixed in...) and a snake with no unusual color or pattern mutations looked like something else. Totally idle speculation, with no practical application at all. Sort of like wondering what colors would advertise that an animal is poisonous if blood were green and leaves were red. Useful only to sci-fi writers and the like.

[chilliscale]

Yes, I understand that about the genetics... I'm thinking about an alternate universe or something where what we now call "normal" is actually an unusual mutation (in which case it actually would change other morphs if it were mixed in...) and a snake with no unusual color or pattern mutations looked like something else. Totally idle speculation, with no practical application at all. Sort of like wondering what colors would advertise that an animal is poisonous if blood were green and leaves were red. Useful only to sci-fi writers and the like.

Just popped two hits of acid.....waiting for it to kick in before we finish this conversation

[grcforce327]

You must be very bored.