Snow- why don't you see more of them

[Lucas339]

i rarely see snows around. i think they are good looking snakes. they have great genetics to back them up but i hardly see them. is it becasue of the BELs? now you can have an all white snake with colored eyes so theres not too much interest in snows anymore?

just curious...

[J.Vandegrift]

All of the other white snakes killed the demand for the snows. For me it's not a project I would want to get into, but I am sure there are still some people out there that prefer the snows look to other snakes that are closer to pure white. If you are thinking of getting into a snow project just make sure you look at some adult snows first. Many of them end up with a lot more yellow as adults than most people think. Another reason I don't think you see many is that it is just so much harder to make a snow than the other white snake types. I would bet there are not a whole lot of people working on the project anymore. It's a 1 in 16 snake and they are still hard to produce unless you aready have a visual snow breeder.

[southb]

All of the other white snakes killed the demand for the snows. For me it's not a project I would want to get into, but I am sure there are still some people out there that prefer the snows look to other snakes that are closer to pure white. If you are thinking of getting into a snow project just make sure you look at some adult snows first. Many of them end up with a lot more yellow as adults than most people think. Another reason I don't think you see many is that it is just so much harder to make a snow than the other white snake types. I would bet there are not a whole lot of people working on the project anymore. It's a 1 in 16 snake and they are still hard to produce unless you aready have a visual snow breeder.

It's alot easier to go with a co-dom morph to produce a white snake just like he said. Plus alot of snows I've seen do not look white after they have some age on them. They look like very faded albinos with the yellow showing.

[ColinWeaver]

I agree with John. Compared to other "white snakes", snow ball pythons are very expensive. I see female snows for sale at some trade shows but I seldom see male snows. They are still rare. This keeps the price high. People producing snows are keeping their males but have been letting go of females. They are rare because a lot of breeders trying to produce them are still at the double het x double het phase so they are playing the 1:16 game. Unless you are a large breeder you will be hard pressed to give up one of your females albinos/axanthics to a 1 in 16 shot when there are so many other things that are more sure.

Also consider the value of the ingredients. At this particular point in time, people who have adult albinos and adult axanthics are more likely to do something else with them. There is a lot of effort being made today to produce visual co-dom or dominant animals that are het albino and het axanthic. Axanthic Black Pastels and Albino Pinstripes (for example) are more interesting and that's where the effort is right now.

Also, where are you going to go with a snow? So many of the current projects have opportunity beyond them. For example, Spinner Blasts are a big desired result for a lot of breeders. But look where you can go beyond that: Axanthic Spinner Blast, Super Spinner Blast, Spider Spinner Blast, Lesser Blast, Killer Lesser Blast, ...and on and on and on. As I always say: it is ENDLESS. But the Snow Ball Python seems to be an end. Unless one of these other genes added into the snow combo causes something crazy to happen it won't matter. Will a Snow Spider look really any different than a regular snow? Probably not. So why bother? That seems to be the attitude.

Sadly, this is a disease. Despite considering them a reasonably dead-end project, I still want them in my collection and I will still produce them. I can't help it. Methadone doesn't work for my ball python addiction.

[Jerhart]

I tend to disagree...I for one think Snows look alot different than Super Mojaves and other 'white snake' combos mentioned above?

...I think it's just an overlooked project and morph that people arent willing to take the time to go after beings you are working with reccesive traits rather than codoms...People want to take the quick route. I think you have to see a snow in person to really respect the time and effort put into making them. I disagree with them being a 'dead end' morph also. How can you call it a 'dead end' morph when there are so few people working with them now? ....there is still a pattern with snows...so there are more combos possible out there.

...I am working towards Carmel Snows at the moment...and I suspect they will look nothing like a 'white snake'...just my opinion tho.

[LadyOhh]

I'm working on Snows

Double Recessives will always be awesome

[Lucas339]

great points everyone. anyone have a pic of an adult?

to me it would seem like a good project to get into if you are a full time breeder. once you have one then you have a "short cut" to producing both axanthics and albinos with one snake. which is probably why people are keeping males instead of females. this way you can run the male through both axantic hets and albino hets and produce something that is in somewhat of a demand.

[LadyOhh]

to me it would seem like a good project to get into if you are a full time breeder. once you have one then you have a "short cut" to producing both axanthics and albinos with one snake. which is probably why people are keeping males instead of females. this way you can run the male through both axantic hets and albino hets and produce something that is in somewhat of a demand.

I'm not a full time breeder...

[Jerhart]

I'm not a full time breeder...

Ditto...

[Lucas339]

I'm not a full time breeder...

thats fine. then you will be in a good postion too. i am just making the point that this morph would be a good one to have.