If you have a photo that represents a morph well, or see that I'm missing a genetic mutation, send it to
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name or website and help me make this the most complete and comprehensive list of ball python morphs out there
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Simple Recessive mutations
Recessive genes require both copies of the gene to display the mutated phenotype. Since a visual mutation is only achieved in homozygous animals, heterozygous animals for recessive traits appear normal. |
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Albino
First proven by Bob Clark in 1992, the albino ball python completely lacks all black pigment. Wild type ball pythons have yellow and black pigment. In albinos, the areas that are normally filled in with black pigment become white. The gold areas lose the black and become yellow. The black pigment normally found in the eyes is also removed, leaving pink eyes.
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Photo courtesy of Bailey & Bailey Reptiles |
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Axanthic
First proven in 1997 by a few different breeders (Jolliff, Sutherlands & Barker), axanthics lack yellow pigment. Axanthics hatch out as black and gray animals, but usually get some brown coloration as they age. The known lines don't display true axanthism and usually display at least some amount of yellow pigment.
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Photo courtesy of Bailey & Bailey Reptiles |
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Caramel Albino
First proven in 1999 by Kevin McCurley, the caramel albino, or T+ albino, displays a color mutation that I consider to be somewhere between a T- albino and a hypomelanistic. While the black pigment is greatly reduced in caramel albinos, the pigment is not completely removed, leaving shades of tan and brown, with dark ruby eyes. While the caramel phenotype would probably be wiped out completely by the T- albino in a double homozygous animal, a double homozygous caramel/hypo produces an even cleaner and brighter animal called the caramel glow.
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Photo courtesy of Aaron Palmer |
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Clown
First proven by Dave and Tracy Barker in 1999, the clown ball python displays both color and pattern mutations. Clowns are bright gold with some burnt orange outlining and a brown back. Their heads have abberant patterns, similar to spiders. However, clowns head patterns are made up of orange and brown, and are usually brighter and more colorful than a spider's head pattern.
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Photo courtesy of Tommy Benasco
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Genetic Stripe
First proven in 1999 by Dave and Tracy Barker, genetic stripes display a solid, lighter colored stripe, outlined by dark brown or black pinstripes that runs from head to tail. The background is usually solid gold or tan with little to no pattern.
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Ghost/Hypomelanistic
First proven in 1994 by Kevin McCurley, hypos display a color mutation that reduce the amount of black pigment. There are several proven compatable ghost lines, orange, butterscotch, yellow, blue and green, and a few similar looking and genetic animals that aren't compatible with hypos. Since wild type ball pythons have some degree of black pigment covering all non-white areas of their skin, hypomelanism gives the animal a washed look, as if they were sprayed with a coat of transluscent off-white paint.
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Photo courtesy of Brock Wagner Reptiles |
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Lavendar Albino
First proven in 2001 by Ralph Davis and Kevin McCurley, the lavendar albino is a true genetic "high contrast" albino, with a bright yellow pattern outlined in a sharp orange on a lavendar background and they have ruby red eyes.
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Photo courtesy of Christopher Zarnick |
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Piebald
First proven in 1997 by Peter Kahl, piebalds display a color and pattern mutation. Piebalds have blotches of pure white, outlined by orange, in random spots on the body. The "normal" areas that remain brown have a distinct aberrant pattern that differs from the pattern of wild type animals.
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Toffee Ball
Imported as a wild caught speciman in 2005 by The Urban Python, the toffee ball is believed to be a simple recessive mutation. So far, only hets have been produced, but TUP is confident that it will prove to be a new recessive mutation. The appearance is somewhat of a washed out caramel albino, but looks a lot different (and cooler, imho) than a caramel glow. It's a rich cream color with a reduced tan "toffee" pattern.
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Co-dominant mutations
Co-dominant (co-dom) mutations require only one of the allielles for a gene to have the mutation to show the mutated phenotype. These heterozygous animals are co-dominant morphs, with the homozygous animals displaying what's known as a super form of the co-dom gene. Since co-doms are themselves heterozygous animals, you can't have a normal looking het for a co-dominant morph.
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Banana (Coral Glow)
First proven in 2002 by Kevin McCurley.
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Photo courtesy of Jason Rybak |
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Black Pastel
Similar to the cinnamon, the super form is the super black pastel, a solid black snake.
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Photo courtesy of Jason Rybak |
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Butter
First proven in 2001 by Reptiles Industries, butters are lighter looking lesser platinums from a different wild caught line. They have a yellow, cream and tan appearance with an pattern similar to a lesser. As with lessers and mojaves, the homozygous form is the blue eyed leucistic (BEL), a solid white snake with blue eyes. All three morphs can be used in any combination to produce BELs, but the Butters make the cleanest white leucistics.
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Calico
First proven in 2002 by Kevin McCurley, the calico ball python has a normal appearance except for white speckling along the sides of the belly. I wouldn't be surprised to see that the calico mutation reacts with the piebald in a similar way as the spider, producing a solid white snake. Proven co-dominant in 2008.
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Photo courtesy of Christopher Zarnick |
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Champagne
First produced by Noah (Ghana) in 2005, the champagne is an almost patternless snake with a solid or broken golden dorsal stripe. They are light gold to orange in color with dark overall speckles that concentrate higher up their backs. So far there hasn't been a super produces, but I'm confident it will prove to be a co-dom mutation. If not I'll move it down to dominant. |
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Cinnamon
First proven in 2002 by Grag Graziani, the homozygous form is the super cinnamon, a solid chocalate brown snake.
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Photo courtesy of Heathers Herps |
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Enchi (Enchi Pastel)
First proven in 2002 by Lars Brandell, the Enchi is another color and pattern mutation resulting in a reduced pattern and a somewhat hypo melanistic/increased yellow appearance. The homozygous form is called the super Enchi, and has a more agsagerated appearance than the heterozygous Enchi.
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Photo courtesy of Jason Rybak |
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Fire
First proven in 2002 by Eric Davies, fire ball pythons are a somewhat subtle color mutation that results in a bright bronze color snake that lightens with age. The homozygous fire is the black eyed leucistic, a solid white snake with black eyes.
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Photo courtesy of Brian Zakarewicz |
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Goblin
First proven in 2001 by Ralph Davis, goblins are RDR's line of heterozygous ivories.
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Granite
First proven in 1998 by Rainforest Reptiles, granites show a pattern mutation of granite like speckling along the sides where wild type ball pythons would have the "alien head" spots and patches. The homozygous granite is called the super granite, and is a hypermelanistic animal with outstanding side flames and speckling. A lot of normals have granite looks to them, but without getting one from a proven genetic line or proving it genetic through breeding trials, it is just a normal.
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Het Red Axanthic
First proven in 1999 by Dan and Collette Sutherland. The homozygous form is the red axanthic.
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Photo courtesy of Ocean Gallery II |
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Lesser Platinum
First proven in 2000 by Ralph Davis, the lesser was hatched from the orginal platty daddy at RDR. Lesser platties are yellow, cream and brown with flames and blushing everywhere there is darker coloration. As with mojaves and butters, the homozygous form is the blue eyed leucistic (BEL), a solid white snake with blue eyes. All three morphs can be used in any combination to produce BELs. Lesser siblings that come from platty breedings can have a hidden gene that reacts with the lesser to produce more platties.
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Lori Ball
First proven in 2002 by Lori Barczyk, the Lori ball is a subtle mutation that I can't really explain. It looks sort of like a normal that's trying to mimic a cinnamon or het red axanthic. The homozygous form, or the super Lori ball, displays a color and pattern morph. They hatch out as a silver and black snake with a busy abberant pattern. As they age the silver background color begins to get more yellow pigment and they brown out a little.
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Mojave
First proven in 2000 by Dan and Collette Sutherland, mojaves are darker looking lesser platinums from a different wild caught line. They have a yellow, cream and chocolate brown appearance with an odd pattern of double spots where a wild type ball python might have single spots. As with lessers and butters, the homozygous form is the blue eyed leucistic (BEL), a solid white snake with blue eyes. All three morphs can be used in any combination to produce BELs, but super mojaves are a creamy lavender color with purple heads, where the other BEL complex mutations produce solid white animals.
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Photo courtesy of Bailey & Bailey Reptiles |
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Mystic
The mystic is similar to the phantom ball python, and is possible a different line of the same mutation. Only time and breeding trials will tell.
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Pastel
First proven by Greg Graziani in 1997, pastels display a color mutation resulting from an increase in yellow pigment and a reduction in black pigment with dorsal blushing. There are several different lines of pastels including the lemon pastel from NERD, the Bell line from Mark Bell, the Matrix Blonde line from Eric Erb, the VPI line and the Ian G. line. The homozygous pastel is called a super pastel or opal, and has an increased reduction in black, usually resulting in a very bright yellow snake with a light gray or brown pattern.
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Phantom
First proven in 2004 by Ralph Davis, the phantom has the appearance of a dark mojave with the pattern of a lesser. The homozygous form is the super phantom, an animal that looks like a super mojave, except it has a creamy orange phantom pattern.
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Red Stripe
First proven by Ian G, the red stripe displayed a color and pattern mutation. They have a solid or broken stripe similar to the genetic stripe, but the head and background display a red and brown pattern with red flames coming up from the belly.
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Photo courtesy of Bailey & Bailey Reptiles |
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Sable
First proven in 2002 by Eric Burkett. The sable is a subtle orph with an increased melanistic color. The homozygous form is the supersable.
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Spector
First proven by Jared Horenstien, the spector is a subtle mutation that appears to be related to the yellow belly gene. When combined with a yellow belly it can produce Super Stripes. This morph is sometimes incorrectly called a het superstripe, but a homozygous spector does not produce super stripes.
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Special
A subtle mutaion that when combined with a mojave produces the Crystal ball.
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Photo courtesy of Muzeballpythons
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Spotnose
First proven in 2001 by Dave and Tracy Barker. The homozygous form is the powerball. The spotnose is a bright snake with a gold spot on the nose, and an abberant head pattern.
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Photo courtesy of Bailey & Bailey Reptiles |
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Sulfur
Similar to a fire ball, possibly a different line of the same mutation. Only time and breeding trials will tell.
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Vanilla (Thunder)
First proven in 2002 by Gulf Coast Reptiles, the vanilla ball python is a color mutation resulting in a reduction in melanin, sort of like the hypo and fire morphs. The homozygous animal is called the super vanilla or the lightning, and has a phenotype of reduced melanin and increased yellow pigment, displaying a super bright yellow snake with impressive blushing anywhere there is black pigment.
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Photo courtesy of Brock Wagner Reptiles |
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Woma
First proven in 1998 by Kevin McCurley, the woma ball is a pattern mutation resulting in a reduced banded snake that resembles a low white spider combined with a reduced pattern normal. The head also resembles the head of a spider in that they have symetrical light colored markings. The homozygous woma is called a pearl ball, which is a patternless tan colored animal with a light dorsal stripe running the length of the snake.
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Yellow Belly
First proven in 1999 by Amir Soleymani, the yellowbelly has yellow flames rising from a clear belly. The sides of the belly are usually outlined in black or gray splotches. The homozygous yellowbelly is called an Ivory, and is lavendar and off-white in color, with a yellow dorsal stripe
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Dominant Mutations
Dominant mutations require only one of the allielles for a gene to have the mutation to show the mutated phenotype. While there should technically be homozygous dominant morphs, and I've been told that there has been at least one spider proven to be a homozygous animal, I don't personally know of any. While homozygous animals would look exactly the same as a heterozygous dominant animal, the fact that they would carry both copies of the dominant mutaion would mean that 100% of the offspring would carry one copy of the mutation.
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Photo courtesy of wildmorphpythons
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Banded (genetic)
Genetic banded balls have reduced patterns with black stripes, or bands, running up the sides and across the back. Bandeds are produced all the time, but they are usually not genetic. A true genetic banded will pass the trait on to approxamately half of it's offspring.
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Photo courtesy of Ocean Gallery II |
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Black Back (genetic)
Genetic black backs have unbroken black running from the neck to the tail. Black backs are produced all the time, but they are usually not genetic. A true genetic black back will pass the trait on to approxamately half of it's offspring.
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Photo courtesy of sunset serpents |
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Pinstripe
First proven in 2001 by Brian and Lori Barczyk, the pinstripe is a color and pattern mutation that results in a bronze colored snake with two dark dorsal stripes running down the length of the snake. The "pinstripes" along the back usually have thin markings that run from the stripes to the belly. Pinstripes have a greatly reduced pattern ranging from small markings or spots to having no pattern other than the dark stripes.
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Photo courtesy of wildmorphpythons |
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Spider
First proven in 1999 by Kevin McCurley, spiders are a color and pattern mutation that results in a bronze colored snake with a reduced spider "web" dorsal pattern and white speckling along the sides of the belly. This white can range from light speckling along the belly to almost solid white that reaches half way up the side of the snake. Some also have orange outlining the white as hatchlings that tends to brown out with age. The dominant spider gene appears to be related to piebald mutation, in that when you breed a spider het for piebald to a piebald, the homozygous piebald spiders are completely white, except for the head.
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Wild Type (Normal)
The wild type, or normal, ball python is the O.G. ball python pattern and color that's found in the wild. The colors and patterns vary greatly. The average look is a brown or gold background with a black pattern that's outlined in white scales. However, normals can vary from bright animals with a very reduced pattern to a melanistic animal with a busy pattern, and everything in between. Some look similar to pastels, yellow bellies, sables, womas, etc., but without breeding them to prove that they are something genetically different than the dominant wild type animal, they are normals. This variance is one of the attributes that make ball pythons such a unique snake. This variaace also carries over and applies to most mutation, which is why selectively breeding ball pythons is so important.
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Super Co-dominants - Homozygous Co-doms |
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Super Pastel (Opal)
Super Cinnamon
Super Black Pastel
Pearl (Super Woma)
Super Enchi
Super Vanilla (Lightning)
Super Granite
Super Calico
Blue Eyed Leucistic (BEL)
Super Mojave, Super Lesser, Super Butter, Super Vin Russo
Any combination of the BEL complex snakes
Black Eyed Leucistic (Super Fire, Super Sulfur)
Ivory (Super Yellow Belly, Super Goblin)
Red Axanthic
Super Lori Ball
Super Phantom
Super Sable
Super Special
Powerball (Super Spotnose)
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Combo/Designer Morphs (Just getting started here) |
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Bumble bee
Pastel x spider
Pewter
Pastel x Cinnamon
Black Pewter
Pastel x Black Pastel
Pastel Yellow Belly
Pastave
Mojave x Pastel
Wannabee
(Woma x Spider)
Lesser Bee
Lesser Platinum x Spider
Queen Bee
Silver Streak
Silver Bullet
Cinnacal
(Cinnamon x Calico)
Pastel Calico
Enchi Lesser
Yellow Belly Mojave
Yellow Belly Sulfur Mojave
Super Stripe
Yellow Belly x Spector
Crystal
Mojave x Special
Cinnamon Albino
Pewter Albino
Mamosa
Champagne x Pastel
Champin
Pinstripe x Champagne
King Pin
Pinstripe x Lesser
Lemon Blast
Pinstripe x Pastel
Platinum (Platty Daddy)
Lesser x Hidden Gene
Snow
Albino x Axanthic
Spinner
Pinstripe x Spider
Spinner Blast
Pinstripe x Spider x Pastel
Firefly
Fire x Patel
Tiger
Desert x Enchi
Pumpkin Pied
Yellow Belly x Piebald
Pastel Piebald
Panda Pied
Super black Patel x Piebald
Pied Clown
Axanthic Pied
Super Black Pastel Albino
POG
Pastel x Orange Ghost
SPOG
Super Pastel x Orange Ghost
Mystic Potion
Mystic Mojave
Graphite Ivory |
