Please help me identify my ball python morph





He or she (i say she but not sure of that also) was purchased from petsmart 6 months ago so i have no info on the parents. I know purchasing from petstores is not recommended but i had done tons of research on caring for her and couldnt resist her cuteness also Unfortunately she was very small much smaller then most breeders would sell them and/or she was not fed properly or at all. First 2 pictures are from today and last ones are when i first got her

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Welcome to the community! There is tons of great info for new and experienced keepers alike! In the future any info about the snakes parents, or any information would be helpful. Also your pics are pretty good but to Id properly a pic in natural light from top down(just like your first pic) is always better for us to try to tell subtle color differences. That is why I am going to say it looks very bright especially along the dorsal and the non alien heads lead me to think it could be a fire, or a nice Enchi morph. Possibly both a enchi, fire. Like I said though it is really difficult to be 100% certain on the colors of the pics. See what some other people think, and add some more info if you have any at all. Thanks again for posting to the community!

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Kind of reminds me of a Genetic Banded. Here’s a pic of a Vesper Line GB from WOBP

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Thank you for your response and welcome you are very helpful. I just edited my post with as much info as i could.

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Yes that one does look similar but mine does not have those white outlines.

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They don’t all have the white. In the olden days of ball pythons (10-20 years ago) there were a lot of lines of genetic banded ball pythons. There’s a large range of phenotypes in them, the same as any morph.

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Very interesting, i want to look more into this now. Thank you!

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Those last pics the snake doesn’t look as bright as the first ones. @ballornothing may be right, or it could just be a very banded normal. I have seen a good amount, usually import babies that may or may not be genetic. There is a ton of variation in the wild type look in ball pythons! Looks pretty, and very healthy. It is certainly doing good and thriving for you!

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The last 2 pics are when i first got her. She was so skinny it makes me sad looking at them and those are the nicer pics i have some that look worse :frowning: the first picture of her stretched out on the table is from today and she just shed last week. She seems to be getting brighter as she gets bigger. The girl at the petsmart told me she was a pastel but when i went home and looked up pictures she looks nothing like a pastel to me.

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I would say that your animal is most likely a normal

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No matter what morph the snake is, it’s a very nice looking snake! Unfortunately, the snakes for sale at stores like Petsmart come in unsexed. Most if not all of the BPs are normals. Occasionally you might find one that looks a little “unique” but that’s pretty uncommon. A lot of them do come in on the thin side. There is no record of past meals or even if they have eaten a meal. There are certain days at Petsmart designated as “feeding day”. But again there is no record kept if the snake ate or not once it arrives at the store. Thus, the only information available to a buyer about the snake is almost like, “yep, it’s a ball python!”

As far as the corn and milk snakes are concerned, the morph of the snake is labeled on the deli cup when they are received but there is no record of that kept at the store. When they go to the floor they are labeled as “normal” or “fancy”, with different prices. The sales people don’t know which is which and what snake goes with what price, because there is no record of anything, so the buyer is lucky if they actually pay for what they get.

At least that’s the way it was at the Petsmart I worked at a couple years ago.

So you see why your BP was so skinny etc. But you have given your little one a great home! Bless you for that! :wink::blush::lizard::frog::snake:

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Yes you are right they told me the “feed days” were saturdays and she was in a tank labeled as “fancy” ball python. No matter what the genetics are i love her and the way she looks. Maybe one day once I gain more experience ill find out the sex for sure and give breeding a go but for now she is an amazing pet.

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Yes I am so glad she is going to be a pet first! Even though I don’t recommend buying any pet from a pet store, maybe other than fish, I have done it several times. It’s very tempting to buy at the store when an animal is sssoooooo cute ya just gotta have it right now! :joy:

Again, congrats on your success with him/her! I think BPs are fairly easy to sex. Probably someone here can help you sex yours when you get ready. Of course a reptile vet is imo the best way to go, especially if you plan to breed in the future because again in my opinion, both male and female should have a clean bill of health from a rep vet………

Caron

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Yes i agree. I already reached out to one as soon as i got her just to see where the closest reptile vet is to me if i ever need them.

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Definitely not a pastel, you are correct. If it is getting brighter I do know fires can get brighter, not enchi though.

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Blade maybe?

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Welcome to the community. You’re going to love it here.

This really made me happy. I wish every owner did this. No animal and no owner should be in the position of frantically trying to locate help when it’s desperately needed and not knowing who to call. You did the wise and kind thing.

Welcome again to you and your beautiful BP.

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Thank you so much

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I would lean towards normal. I had one as my first snake in the 90’s. They were everywhere in pet shops. People tried selling them as tiger ball’s.

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Wow, I took in a rescue that looks exactly like that except with a YB complex mixed in. Or Enchi, idk. Taking in BPs or buying them from pet stores you kinda end up guessing unless you do breeding trials I suppose. She’s beautiful and adorable regardless, as is OPs little one! (I actually think mine was even male when I was told he was female, but I’m not an expert at feeling for hemipens lol)

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