Ball pythons have captivated the reptile world and become one of the most popular pet snakes! In addition to making wonderful pets, ball pythons have slithered into the hearts of genetic fanatics thanks to their diverse color and pattern variety. In fact, thousands of different ball python morphs exist on the market today, with more being produced all of the time! Due to their “phenotypic plasticity”, or easily mutating genes, the ball python takes the crown for the animal with the most genetic variation! In this listicle, we will cover the top 10 most popular ball python morphs which have been the building blocks to countless other morph combinations!
1. Albino Ball Python:
The Albino ball python morph features a complete absence of melanin, resulting in a vibrant yellowish orange body with pinkish red eyes. This morph was one of the first to captivate breeders, making it a cornerstone of the ball python morph market. In 1992, the first captive-bred albino ball pythons hit the market for a whopping $7,500 each! Today, you can get a single gene albino ball python for around $200.
2. Banana Ball Python:
The Banana morph showcases a stunning yellow body with orangey brown patterns. This morph often displays a faded, blushing effect on its sides and “freckles” that increase in number as the snake matures. Its appealing coloration and strong internet presence on social media has earned the banana ball python quite the following and makes it a favorite among snake enthusiasts.
3. Blue Eyed Leucistic Ball Python:
The blue eyed leucistic ball python, also known as the "BEL" or "Blue-Eyed Lucy" for short, is characterized by a striking white body adorned with light yellow, cream or even purple-colored patterns. Its most distinctive feature is the piercing blue eyes, which give it an ethereal and captivating appearance. The blue eyed leucistic ball python can be made from a number of different combinations of morphs which result in a mostly white snake with doll blue eyes.
4. Pastel Ball Python:
The pastel ball python morph exhibits increased yellow pigmentation, resulting in a brighter and more vibrant appearance. The pastel coloration blends with the base color, intensifying and enhancing the overall pattern. This morph is highly sought-after due to its striking visual appeal and the outcome when the pastel gene interacts with other morphs.
5. Spider Ball Python:
The Spider morph displays a unique pattern that resembles a spider's web. Its intricate markings consist of thin, elongated lines, creating a mesmerizing effect. Although the spider ball python morph is beautiful, it is also unfortunately associated with “wobble syndrome”, which led the spider ball python to become a controversial topic in the reptile industry, and sparked debate on whether the reproduction of the spider morph is ethical.
6. Piebald/Pied Ball Python:
The pied ball python morph showcases a striking contrast between white and dark pigmentation. Pied can occur on many different morphs, and adds irregular patches of white against a backdrop of vibrant colors. Due to the versatility of the pied gene and its captivating appearance, pied ball pythons have become incredibly popular in the reptile world.
7. Clown Ball Python:
The clown ball python morph exhibits bold and vibrant patterns with a clean, white background color. Its patterns resemble jigsaw puzzle pieces, creating an eye-catching display. The clown morph is widely admired for its unique and visually striking appearance.
8. Enchi Ball Python:
The Enchi ball python morph is known for its enhanced colors and bold patterns. It intensifies and brightens the natural pigmentation, resulting in vivid yellows, oranges, and browns. The Enchi morph is cherished for its vibrant and distinct appearance and is often bred into multi-gene morph combinations.
9. Mojave Ball Python:
The Mojave ball python morph features a beautiful blend of light and dark brown colors, resulting in a rich caramel-like appearance. Its patterns consist of well-defined, elongated blotches that are more cream than a wild-type ball python.
10. Axanthic Ball Python:
The Axanthic morph is characterized by a reduction or absence of yellow pigmentation, resulting in a grayscale or black-and-white appearance. There are several different lines of axanthic ball python, each having a different appearance.This striking contrast of dark and light tones gives the Axanthic a unique and captivating allure. When crossed with other genes, this morph can create a stark contrast, such as seen on the firefly ball python!
The world of ball python morphs offers a plethora of captivating options for reptile enthusiasts. Whether you're captivated by the vibrant colors of the Albino and Banana morphs or drawn to the unique patterns of the Spider and Clown morphs, there's a ball python morph to suit every taste.
To learn more about Ball Pythons and their care, check out ourBall Python Ultimate Zen Guide! A comprehensive, over 90-page guide, all about ball pythons!
