This is one of the areas where simplified ball python genetics get us in trouble. The op is actually correct in their title. The fact that a morph can combine with another morph to create a similar animal as if two of the same morphs suggests that they are the same gene just slightly different alleles. A gene is something that describes a trait and an allele describes the specific phenotype of said trait. For example there is a gene for snake color and the allele would be the light tan of lesser. This of course over simplified as humans have tens of thousands of genes. It is pretty confusing and hard to convey over a forum post, so sorry if I only added to the mystery. I had to double check a few points myself. In short mojave is likely a different allele than lesser, but I believe they are the same gene by the way they react when combined.
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