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Snake enthusiasts can find a variety of different types of ball pythons to bring into their homes as pets. No doubt these snakes are compelling enough to become your pet, but things can get challenging when you desire something colorful with different patterns. That’s where ball python morphs come in. The vibrant and attractive colors make these morphs the most sought-after companions.
You’d be surprised to know that almost 7500 different morphs of ball pythons are available today. Therefore, when researching ball pythons for sale, you want to make sure it comes down to your expectations regarding colors, patterns, and combinations. This detailed guide will uncover 7 popular types of ball pythons so you can choose the best morph on the go!
What are Ball Python Morphs?
Before jumping into the different morph types, you should clearly understand what a morph is. A morph is simply a unique physical appearance or form of a ball python that shows intricate colors and patterns that differ from the normal wildtype . For instance, a python with no dark pigmentation is said to be an albino morph.
In simple terms, a morph is a variation in color and patterns of an organism that differentiates it from a normal or wild-type animal. Sounds logical? The fun fact about a morph is it is genetically inherited, so it can be transferred from parents to offspring.
Types of Ball Python Morphs
Now, let’s discuss 7 popluar ball python morphs one by one:
1. Albino
One of the most attractive types of ball pythons is the albino ball python. They are the first ever recessive morph produced in 1992. Albinos show amelanism, which means the absence of dark pigmentation and the presence of an attractive yellowish-orange body. Owing to their ethereal and captivating appearance, albino ball pythons have ruled over snakes for decades. As albino pythons lack melanin, they show various patterns in yellow or orange shades. Whatever the pattern is, their body displays orange or dark yellow color variations. Surprisingly, this dark yellow pattern is replaced by bright yellow in adult albinos with bright red eyes.
2. Banana
With brilliant purple and orange splotches, the banana morph of the ball python displays a stunning effect, making it the favorite snake for owners. Pet enthusiasts highly admire its bright and visually striking appearance. The body is attired in a stunning orange color with a purple pattern.
What makes it so fascinating is the freckles present on the sides of the body. These small dots look appealing and increase in size as the ball python grows. In fact, the bright yellow colors distinguish them from other types of ball pythons. With respect to inheritance, it is a codominant morph, meaning that the offspring will inherit the banana trait even with a single gene from the parents.
3. Pied
Undeniably, the pied ball python is one of the most jaw-dropping morphs available. With a blend of pure white and dark patches, this snake shows a beautiful display of colors and patterns. However, the real beauty lies in their irregular white patches on a backdrop of vibrant colors. They are inherited in a recessive manner, producing a captivating and highly striking morph of ball pythons.
Compared to other types of ball python, the pied morph is rare and can be blended with common morphs such as spider or pastel. You’ll see patterns ranging from all-white to evenly distributed patches when bred with other morphs.
4. Blue-Eyed Leucistic
The blue-eyed lucy python, often known as the prized reptile, is the classic white snake of myth. Although rare, they are prevalent in the market for their distinctive doll blue eyes and paper white coloration.
Similar to albinos, they lack all pigments in their skin but showcase intensely blue eyes with a white colored body. When bred with other types of ball pythons, they produce non white pythons in response to genetic mutations. Hence, breeders can produce multiple color patterns by selective breeding them.
5. Pastel Ball Pythons
A pastel ball python is the best choice if you’re obsessed with a highly vibrant and brighter-looking slithery companion. Due to the reduced quantity of melanin, this morph appears slightly different and more vivid than other pythons. Not only this, but the base coloration also adds up to the bright color patterns of this morph.
Another exciting thing about pastel morph is they are used to produce designer snakes. This is because of their striking appearance that, when combined with other morphs, results in super pastel or much brighter patterns. Thus, breeders can quickly get more intense coloration and produce multiple variations simultaneously.
6. Clown
Have you ever seen jigsaw puzzle pieces? Like the puzzle, the clown morph shows sharp markings against a clean, tan background. Their distinctive feature is the variety of visually appealing combinations throughout the body. Due to their co-dominant inheritance, they are often bred with other types of ball pythons to produce more colorful patterns.
Their consistency to retain distinctive color patterns is the best thing about clown ball pythons. To produce more spectacular offspring, they are bred with common morphs such as pied, banana, or albino.
7. Mojave
Last but not least comes the mojave ball pythons. Named after the Mojave desert, they display eye-catching coloration with bright patterns on the body. However, they are bright-colored but can be made more intense by breeding with other morphs. Black or gold markings and white, patternless bellies usually characterize them. Whatever the color combination is, they always look beautiful and unique, especially in caramel-like appearance.
Conclusion
At this point, you’re well aware of different types of ball pythons, along with their detailed color patterns and unique characteristics. But that’s not the end of the python morphs. In fact, there are hundreds of other morphs, including cinnamon, spider, and enchi. So, why limit yourself to albino or banana patterns when you have a list of colors to choose from? Look into each morph and choose the one that best suits your taste.