new ghost

[sapphire_moon]

ohhh I see. It does look like the picture on Ralph Davis site.

[Tim_Cranwill]

No trev, it's different with balls. Hypos are called ghosts, hypo+axanthic is called true ghosts.

[BoidKeeper]

Well just when you think you know what you're talking about Tim kicks you the knee!
Thanks for setting me straight,
Trevor

[justinO]

looks like a normal to me also, i have one just like that, i've heard it refered to as a "blonde" ball..... there's lots of them, they are just from a different part of africa.

When i put mine next to a normal it looks like what people are trying to pass off as axanthic these days!

Jessy

[Scales Zoo]

Trevor, the reason I said you need glasses was in reference to "it looked like a normal ball to me.

It does not look like a "normal" ball python to me at all, it is very very light, and looks, to me, very much as different as many of the genetic traits being sold for more. It will be fun to wait and here to see if it proves genetic in the future.

We've got what I would call just a normal ball, which is much lighter than a regular ball python. I've seen others like these, I think Tim has one - not sure, Tim has something, I remember when he got it.

This is our lighter one





Ryan

[Corey Woods]

It maybe a Green Ghost. A sure way to tell if they are a ghost or not is to check their sheds......if their sheds are clear like they came from a patternless snake then you have a ghost. You could have a green ghost. It's a nice looking normal until you prove it out as something genetic.

Corey

[Tim_Cranwill]

But the whole clear shed thing doesn't really make sense to me.

If the snake is HYPOmelanistic, then it has reduced black. But reduced to what degree?

If we put the amount of melanin on a scale of 1-100, albinos being 1 and a jet black ball being 100, where would each snake fall?

Statistically a normal ball would fall between say, 25-75, hypos between 2-24, IMG's or HYPERmelanistic between 76-100... does that make sense?

Anyway, I'm just rambling and thinking out loud. HYPO means reduced but is there a defined amount of reduction needed before it can be called a hypo, or does it have to be genetic?

Any thoughts, guys and gals?

[Corey Woods]

Tim,

Hypos are a decrease in black..........however, they are also an increase in yellow to give them that washed out faded look. The yellow masking over everything gives them their clear sheds.

Corey

[Tim_Cranwill]

I know what it is, Corey. It is reduced black, like I said in my second sentence. But how exactly do you know or what makes you think it's also increased yellow?

Taking out the melanin will allow the yellow/reds/whites.... all other pigments to show through. THAT makes more sense to me than hypomelanism also being linked with hyperxanthism.

[Stav.T]

Whatever it is its really nice ! Hope it proves out to be genetic.

Stav

[RandyRemington]

Let me start by saying that I've only seen a couple ghost/hypomelanistic balls briefly so I'm not expert. I have been wondering about this for years though.

I've heard that some genetic ghosts (I wouldn't bother putting a name to it if it turns out not to be genetic) might have a little dark pattern in their shed so the comments about degree are probably accurate. But if someone wants to confirm (admit ) to seeing a genetic ghost with pattern in it's shed I would like a second opinion on the subject.

As far as if ghost actually increases yellow or just lets more yellow through I don't know. However, I don't see how extra yellow could be covering up the black in the shed. I'm wondering if there isn't something weird about the layers of a ghosts skin such that the black is at the wrong layer to show up in the shed or something like that. One of the genetic ghosts I saw had some pretty strong black but it had the ghostly sheen to it and was not normal at all. I'm not sure that just reduction in amount of black is enough to account for the look and sheds of ghosts.

[Tim_Cranwill]

I have also heard that some ghost lines don't shed clear. But you would never hear that from the breeder or else it would make their line look like lesser-quality ghosts.

Interesting points, Randy.