Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

[Mehelya]

I had always said that seeing as ball pythons were everywhere, and everyone had at least one, not to mention the prices of some of the morphs here in South Africa, I would never own even one…

I was proven dead wrong again, and a very good friend got me into them with a pair from his own breeding. I have to say they are beautiful snakes, and the ones that my friend showed me (calico, spider, pied, ivory, and a few other beauts he had created) had me thinking of future purchases, before we had even chosen this pair that I obtained from him.

My friend has their lineages (parental genetic makeup etc), so when I get that info from him, I will post it on here.

Without further ado, here are the pair, when they arrived at my place on the weekend, just before I separated them so they can settle in for a while before I mess with them…

Top Down


Side-on


Thanks for looking!

[Jrock23]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

Looks like a pair of normal ball pythons. Ball pythons flood the market and some morphs are very pricey but look great. I myself like the pied and bumblebee morph.. They are also so laid back..

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[Noelle7206]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

So that's what a "black ball python" looks like? Guess I've seen before (unlabeled), those exceptionally dark ones as compared to "normals"? I think dark snakes are very attractive, same goes for "black ball pythons".
I hope these cuties do well for you, you're lucky to have such a friend who's helped you "into the hole" ha ha ha! Welcome here too, by the way! Keep us posted! We don't have many members from South Africa.

[BoigaBoid]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

Very pretty and very "sharp" looking. I only wish ball pythons got about 4' longer...

[Mehelya]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

JRock, as far as labeling these in a morph category, they are just normals. The parents are morph parents, what they were is unknown to me, but known to the breeder, and there may be hets in here, I am just waiting to confirm with the breeder when he gets a chance to write it all down for me. I saw a high white pied, and I have to agree that they are very pretty snakes.

Noelle7206, never heard of a "black ball" before either, but then again, there are so many morphs that are out there as far as these guys are concerned, it's just mind boggling... I also dig the darker looking snakes, but light clean ones are also particularly pretty. I saw an Ivory Ball on the weekend, and although not completely white, it was a particularly pretty snake.

BoigaBoid, I can try imagine what that would look like, although a larger sized ball might look pretty, but I’m sure it would be pretty heavy and rival the bloods... I like my medium sized snakes... Boids, carpets and the like.

[Mehelya]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

While selling some venomous snakes I had bred last season, I got the opportunity to do a partial trade on a pair of balls. I think the bug has bitten me hard, and I think I have chosen some decent beginner stock. They were picked up this weekend on my travels.

Although they are old morphs, which don’t really go for much, they are essential base morphs that look really pretty even on their own. I managed to pick up a pair of Pastel Ball Pythons 50% poss het Pied (unrelated). I would like them to be het pied, I really would, but the deal was they are just really pretty Pastels, green eyes and all.

They are currently settling in, and I will do some decent shots once they have eaten at least once by me.

The Male


The Female


Thanks for looking!

[Mehelya]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

So, I just got off the phone with the original breeder of the babies at the top of the post. They are the results of a calico x spider... So, I think it is safe to say that they are normal with no hets in them, from how I understand the calico and spider genes... He does call them dinkers (I understand the term and it’s use), and although he’s called them something other than normals, I have them labeled as normals until something new pops out that looks different in the offspring...

The breeder did mention that they looked "different" to normals he’s used to producing, and that I should give him a call once they have bred and the eggs hatch out, in the case that there is anything interesting going on with their offspring.

I have googled, and looked at hundreds of pics of normal balls, and from those pics I (please note I am a NOOB at balls, and even YB and such look normal to me...) can see some subtle differences (which mean nothing without breeding trials and the fact that normals are soooo variable)...

1. More white (very crisp and clearly defined), along the sides of the “alien heads” and in parts of the blushing/flame area.
2. The pattern of the two is quite uniform, and shows very little aberration between the two snakes. (could be nothing more than a polygenic trait from a parent, they are siblings...) Not twins, but they do look remarkably similar in all regards...
3. Their side patterns do not cross over the spine, except once on the one, and are limited to either side by all accounts. I haven’t seen many normals like that, most of their side patterns either cross over the spine and join the opposite side’s patterns, or they join the spinal stripe/blotches...

They are normals in my eyes, and really pretty ones as well, and I'll see how they grow up before I decide whether to pair them together and see what may happen besides a clutch of normals, or to find some interesting partners for them.

I am busy speaking to the breeder of the Pastels, and so far the male’s father was a Pastel 100% het pied from a USA import (hence these being 50% poss pied). Once they have all settled in nicely, I will get some decent full body, belly and side on shots for all of them. I just don’t want to mess with them while they’re settling in so nicely.

[zamora]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

Welcome to RTB and congratulations on your new additions! I have some BPs as well and I love them.

[Mehelya]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

The little balls have all settled in well, and I will be doing a feeding this week (or weekend depending on the weather here). They are such little bundles of joy, and I cannot for the life of me see why I didn’t take the plunge sooner…

Got this picture from the breeder of the whole clutch just after they hatched… Calico x Spider… Mine are top left, and bottom right.


Small Male



Small Female



The Pastels have also settled in well, and are doing what beepers do best…

The Male


The Female, I think this is going to be a norm for her photos… :lol:



Thanks for looking, hopefully next time I post of the pastels, it will be of a decent clutch…

[Noelle7206]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

That first picture is hilarious! You should make that into a wallet-sized card to pull out when people ask "why do they call them ball pythons?" ha ha! Pretty beepers!

[Mehelya]

Re: Sucked into the Ball Black Hole...

Balls are due for an update... Babies are growing slowly, and at two years of age, the pastels are heavy and big enough to breed, but I'll give them another year before I try...

Baby balls (female is on the left in blue)



Pastel male


Pastel female


This waiting game is not fun anymore. I've waited my whole life to wait some more! Lol! Thanks for looking.