A couple new pics.

[Aric]

Here are a couple pics of the Axanthic and a normal male. I dont know why but every pic I take of the axanthic makes him look weird and doesnt show his real color. But this one is close to it, maybe when I get a new camera it will show his color.

[Shelby]

Perhaps my eyes are betraying me, but they both look like normals to me.

They are beautiful though.

[Aric]

yeah when I look at these pics he looks like a normal but he is a way different color from the pics, the only one that shows his real color is that first pic I posted of him, I dont know what it was about the lighting or something but it made him like he really does.

[Aric]

ok here is the pic im talking about

[Shelby]

That one still looks like a normal to me - a dark normal.

[jknudson]

I hope he came with some sort of papers to prove that he is axanthic...he looks dark...but quite normal. Have you seen an axanthic in person? They look a bit different.

[jknudson]

Here are a couple links for comparison:

http://ballpython.com/morph.php?morph=axanthic
http://8ballpythons.com/axanthic.htm
http://www.vpi.com/5VPIBreeders/Ball...BallPython.htm
http://ralphdavisreptiles.com/collec...all_python.asp

[Shelby]

Is this the one you got for $80 at the pet store? Not a bad buy, but I think he is a normal, really. He's darn cute though.

[Aric]

yeah this is the one I got at the shop. I posted a while ago about him and most of the people say he has some axanthic traits and proveing him out would be the answer. He bred to my female last season and she laid 9 eggs and some of the babies hatched out like him, Im so confused now, some people say he looks like an axanthic and some say he looks normal.

[JLC]

Don't many axanthics "fade" towards more normal looking coloration as they mature and as they grow older? I believe the VPI line is the most likely to retain its original color, but I've seen pics of grown-up axanths that looked just like normals to me. Maybe an experienced breeder/dealer can tell by looking, but I imagine even they would have a hard time judging from a mere photograph.


As they say though, the proof is in the pudding. And in this case, the pudding is the babies he produces. If axanthic is a simple-recessive trait, then you shouldn't seen any babies that look like him if he was bred to a normal. If you know the female is het for a compatible line of axanthic, then you might. But even then....looking just like their daddy might actually prove he's NOT axanthic...because don't the babies tend to be much more silvery than the adults?

Hopefully Adam or someone can help clarify some of this and point out any assumptions I've made that aren't valid.