Anyone with an interest in ball pythons likely knows about the sheer variety of morphs they show. With around 8,000 morph combinations in the world and more being created every year, trying to choose the one that’s right for you can easily become overwhelming. These snakes vary wildly in appearance and price, and not everyone knows where to start or what to look for. However, taking a step back and assessing the more common varieties of ball pythons may help you determine just that.
Clown Ball Python
While appearing somewhat like the original ball python, the clown morph is distinguished by its lack of dark patterning. Their sides are typically golden and patterned with rosettes and have a pronounced stripe on their back.
Lemonblast Ball Python
The lemonblast ball python sports a pastel yellow pelt. This is contrasted with their white underbellies and almost translucent, lavender detailing on the sides and head. As you may have guessed, this morph isn’t typically naturally produced. To generate this unique appearance, these snakes are created from the breeding of pastel and pinstripe ball pythons.
Albino Ball Python
As the name implies, this snake is born with the removal of any dark pigment. As is the case with any other albino animal, these snakes have ruby red eyes.
Banana Ball Python
While these snakes may appear fairly similar to their albino counterparts, it’s important to note a few distinct differences. The banana ball python lacks the defining red eyes of the albino and sports a distinct pigment of lavender among their yellow splotches.
What to Remember
Regardless of which ball python morph you seek out, they will likely have the same level of care, and similar stellar temperaments. The differences between each variety should be purely aesthetic. Unless you purchase your snake from someone particularly disreputable, your pet should be a docile, healthy animal. When looking at ball pythons for sale, you want to make sure that your distributor is feeding your potential pet (which will likely be a hatchling) once a week. Before making the final decision on any snake, make sure you do plenty of research on who you’re buying from and ensure that they’re reputable.
If you have any questions about your ball python’s care or where to acquire one, it may be wise to seek out others in the reptile-keeping community. More than likely, they will be more than happy to provide valuable advice based on experience.
Wrapping Up
Looks shouldn’t be the sole reason you seek out a pet. However, one of the primary appeals of the exceptionally popular ball python are their morphs. It’s thanks to the genetic plasticity of this animal that allows us to appreciate its special variety of beauty. Regardless of your aesthetic preferences, there is a ball python for sale out there for you. And if you happen to be stuck between two snakes, why not get them both? If you have the resources, no one said you had to stop at one.
