Can anyone with more experience tell me why most pictures I see of VPIs look so browned out? I understand they do tend to get a bit brown with age. However, it seems like most pics don’t even look like an Axanthic at all. I’m so confused. I have adult breeder VPIs and they still look like axanthics! Am I missing something?
2 Likes
It comes down to that some people breed for better quality then others. It takes time to find parents that produce quality babies that don’t brown out as much. It is always a good thing to ask to see pics of the pairing before purchasing any morph.
4 Likes
We dont work axanthic, so I’m no help. Sorry
1 Like
The vast majority get more than a bit brown. Axanthic is a morph that on average doesn’t age well. You will be hard pressed to find adults that are still popping with the monochromatic look.
Would love to see pictures!
6 Likes
It’s all about lineage and line breeding. Technically all axanthics are brown. The real black and white snakes you see are from someone taking the years to line breed them.
If you want axanthic and plan to get into it look for a high quality axanthic. You might have to splurge on it and it can’t be a little daunting for those who haven’t broken the $1000 line, but trust me, it’s worth it. You’d rather start off with a quality example then a low one, that then you in return have to line breed.
5 Likes
This won’t be a very popular comment but some/most small hobbyists breed morphs, not quality. Most breeders buy and sell based on only the morphs, not considering the quality of the animal. That’s led to many morphs losing their quality over time, like axanthic.
5 Likes
I would agree with this, so many people just want to buy and breed whatever is cheap that they can get their hands on.
While most axanthics do brown out with age, reguardless of line, you can clearly see “high quality” and “low quality” examples floating around. If you’re looking to get into an axanthic line I’d reccomend looking at the breeders adult stock and seeing how well they maintain their colors. Hatchlings are always going to look more vibrant and black/white/grey so people buy them without realizing how much they’ll brown out. Always look at the parents of a hatchling to get a good idea of what to expect
10 Likes
I think it’s a popular comment. Hit it right on the head.
4 Likes
I agree here! The best examples I’ve seen have been breeders that strictly work with axanthic. It’s tough/Takes forever to hone a high quality line when only working with a few animals.
5 Likes
I won’t buy a morph unless it meets my standards of quality. I have to really like what I see before I pull the trigger. Quality is priority for me. I guess maybe I’m somewhat surprised at the quality of what’s available today compared to when I purchased our male vpi Firefly. Thanks for your input! 
1 Like
I totally agree. I’m striving for quality.
1 Like
Quality in/quality out. We work with 3 different lines of Axanthic and they each have strengths and weaknesses. VPI, while probably the most popular line, does vary tremendously in quality. Too many breeders breed the morph, without insisting on superior quality individuals. Just my opinion of course.
2 Likes
I would say that your axanthics are benefiting from the other genes at play. I have a ghi firefly and a pastel vanilla yb that look incredibly similar to yours and the spider is definitely helping your 2nd pic not brown out much. I don’t work with axanthic specifically because they don’t age well but it can definitely do some nice things in combos w other morphs.
3 Likes
Same here! I gave up on axanthic projects because I wasn’t happy with the way they aged! But I have a small gcr axanthic group so giving it a another try! Hope to produce visuals this year!
4 Likes
I don’t know that I’ve seen any gcr axanthics, just vpi & sk. I have a 100% triple het sk ax, hypo, desert ghost male that I grabbed @ the USARK auction at the last expo. I got it just for the DG, for only $100 I couldn’t pass on it. Then a 100% DG, clown, pied came up later, I work w all those already and I stole him too for only $150 so I’m not keeping the sk ax 1.
1 Like
I’ve hatched both vpi and tsk in the past. The adult gcr stuff I have seen has mostly been pied. But based on the adults I’ve seen in person I personally think gcr ages the best. I have an adult visual gcr male I’ll try and get a good picture of him soon. This has been his first year breeding for me.
2 Likes
Not to beat the dead horse here, but it boils down to quality. I have a TSK that still holds her colour very well even at almost 2000g. But at the same time I have a VPI that at below 1000g has started to brown out. Flip side of that, I have a male that’s close to 1300g that is still very monochromatic. I try my best to aquire quality animals, but it always comes with a price.
2 Likes
Good luck! 