Albino |
Albinos get their coloration because they lack melanin, the pigment primarily responsible for brown and black. Instead they appear white and yellow with pink to red eyes. You may see some albinos referred to as “high contrast,” this means the yellows are bright, and obviously different from the stark white which should have clear, defined edges.
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Axanthic
The literal meaning of axanthic is the absence of yellow. This morph will usually have a grey tinge, which may turn to chocolate brown as the snake ages. There are many lines of axanthic, and thus far none have been proven compatible. In other words, if you breed Line A to line B you will get all normal, double het for axanthic Lines A and B
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Banana/Coral Glow |
This is a very distinctive morph with hatchlings that have purple and peach blotches on a yellow-orange base. As they age black speckles begin to form and the purple often fades to grey or brown.
Coral glow and banana were imported from the same ball python farm, at the same time, and are both affected by the same sex ratio skew. The two are therefore considered two lines of the same gene. t is believed that bananas/ coral glows have a sex linked genetic anomaly where the sex of a male banana’s parent determines the male to female ratio in a clutch. To explain further, if a male banana and a female normal is bred, the male offspring are likely to produce 90% males and 10% females because they receive their banana gene from their father. If the male banana receives his banana gene from his mother, he will produce 90% females and 10% males. What is interesting is there have been recent reports that the males will throw the opposite sex ratios for non-banana morphs. IE if the male gets his banana genes from a male parent, the resulting offspring that do not have the banana gene will be 90% female and 10% male within the clutch. |
Female bananas will always produce the expected 50/50 sex ratio, no matter who the parent is. Since banana is also an incomplete dominant trait, a super banana will also produce the usual 50/50sex ratio.
Butter/Lesser |
This morph can vary from rich, golden tones to deep red-brown. Intense flaming and blushing are features of this morph. Similarly to coral glow and banana, lesser and butter were imported at the same time from the same place and are considered different lines of the same gene. This is evidenced by their combinations which are identical in appearance, in addition to having bug eyes as supers and small eyes when mixed with pied.
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Black Pastel |
Black Pastels tend to be a dark chocolatey brown, with orange to white flaming, alien heads of irregular shape, and may commonly have strong dorsal striping. To distinguish this gene from the cinnamon morph (which it is allelic to), look for shadows within the alien heads, just outside of the alien eyes. These shadows may also be referred to as mustaches or eyebrows.
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Cinnamon |
High, pale flaming, dark backs, often with cinnamon colored blushing. Alien heads are mostly closed off or keyhole shaped, with bold, black alien eyes. Heads are blushed and also take on a cinnamon coloration. Toward the back of the head may fade into the lighter coloration. This gene can be easily be confused for black pastel, however they are not the same. They are considered allelic.
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Enchi |
Enchi is well known for its reduced or banded pattern, mostly absent of alien eyes. Side speckling should be prominent, and can take place low on the belly to over halfway up the snake. Side speckling will often take on a yellow hue. Wide eye stripes and green eyes are another key feature of this morph. This gene will also feature a head stamp. When combined with pastel, the combo creates a butterfly or 4-leaf clover head stamp.
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Fire
This morph can be subtle and therefore difficult to differentiate from a normal. Fires tend to be golden-brown, with a dorsal highlight. Blushing and flaming will be vibrant and may blend together. Alien heads may appear jagged or pixelated, instead of smooth, with sharp black edges. This morph features a headstamp.
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Hypo/Ghost |
Hypo is short for hypomelanistic, or the reduction of melanin. Melanin is a type of pigment, primarily responsible for blacks and browns. Hypo ball pythons often look very misty and light colored because they have less melanin.
This morph is also known as ”ghost.” The term may stem from a bastardization of the most common line of hypo: Orange Ghost. Many will call any hypo appearing animal an orange ghost, however, without knowing the genetics or the breeding that produced the animal, it is not possible to identify the line. It is therefore considered more correct to call any hypomelanistic animal “hypo,” although simple “ghost” is accepted. Other lines of hypo include butterscotch, Bell-line, yellow ghost, NERD line, extreme hypo, G1, G2. As stated earlier, all of these lines are hypo aka ghost morphs. The kicker here is some lines may be compatible to breed, and others are not. For example, if you breed a Bell-line hypo to an Orange Ghost, it will create more hypos. If you breed a yellow ghost and an orange ghost, it will create normal double het for orange ghost and yellow ghost. |
Desert ghost and True ghost are separate from the hypo category as desert ghost is considered a separate mutation and true ghost is a combination of hypo and axanthic.
Mojave |
Lighter and more saturated in color than a normal, mojaves have a special type of flaming that creates a gradient from belly to their back. Their pattern is made of up many keyhole markings, with white bellies, and usually dorsal striping. This morph looks remarkably similar to mystic/phantom, to which it is allelic. The defining difference is in where the markings meet the belly- if the markings fade gradually it is a Mojave, if they remain bold it is a mystic/phantom
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Mystic/Phantom |
Lighter and more saturated in color than a normal, mystic/phantom have a special type of flaming that creates a gradient from belly to their back. Their pattern is made of up many keyhole markings, with white bellies, and usually dorsal striping. This morph looks remarkably similar to mojave, to which it is allelic. The defining difference is in where the markings meet the belly- if the markings fade gradually it is a mojave, if they remain bold it is a mystic/phantom.
Like lesser/butter, mystic and phantom are believed to be different lines of the same morph, based on their similar appearance and same interaction in combos and as supers. |
Orange Dream |
Identifying factors include a reduced pattern, high white outlines of the alien heads, especially towards the belly, and a horseshoe headstamp. Young orange dreams should be obviously orange in appearance. Contrast between blacks and alien heads tends to be bold.
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Pastel |
Pastels are usually distinctly yellow. Where normals will have obvious alien heads, pastels’ markings tend to be more irregular and blotchy, similar to liquid in a lava lamp. Their heads are blushed as well as their back markings. The sides will have a lighter peach speckling just beyond the belly. Green eyes are an excellent marker in single gene pastels.
The term browned out is also frequently used in reference to this morph. Browned out pastels will still have the lava lamp pattern, green eyes, blushed head, and most will retain distinct yellow just under their noses, however they will be brown instead of yellow. |
Pinstripe |
This morph will have two parallel lines running the length of the snake. Perpendicular to those markings, lines will extend from back to belly. Higher patterned pinstripes may also have spots on the back and sides of the snake. This gene is not related to spider.
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Het Red Axanthic (HRA)
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This morph is characterized by its black back marking, keyhole shaped alien heads, bold alien eyes, and white outlining of the alien heads near the belly. Flaming will also be present. Despite the association with recessive genes, the “het” in het red axanthic is correct. You can learn more about that in the What does "het” mean? link.
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Because it is actually an incomplete dominant, the super form looks different. The red axanthic, appears redder and has a more distinct pattern than the heterozygous version.
The name came from the appearance of the hatchlings. In 2001, Corey Woods unexpectedly discovered the gene by breeding two black-back animals. The pairing produced grey hatchlings, and thus the name was born.
Green pastel, a very similar gene, is said to be a different line of HRA.
The name came from the appearance of the hatchlings. In 2001, Corey Woods unexpectedly discovered the gene by breeding two black-back animals. The pairing produced grey hatchlings, and thus the name was born.
Green pastel, a very similar gene, is said to be a different line of HRA.
SpiderYellowbelly |
Spiders’ dark markings take the shape of paint drips, with the majority of the markings central on the dorsal side. They usually have unique head stamps. Their bellies are shades of peach to white and speckle as they go up the sides of the snake. Lateral speckling may be barely above the belly or extend halfway up the snake. This gene is not related to pinstripe.
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This single gene can be easily confused with a normal, as it is subtle in appearance. The two identifiers that distinguish yellowbelly from normals are the unique, checkered belly pattern and dramatic flaming. Yellowbellies will also often have a tear drop head stamp.
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