Rare ball python morphs
Rare ball python morphs are just that, rare. Below we cover 13 ball python morphs that are classified as rare at the moment.
There are countless ball python morphs out there. Almost all of these morphs are a mix of one or more basic morphs (such as banana, piebald, champagne, and many more).
In this article, we will look at several sought-after rare ball python morphs. Before we get started, we need to learn a bit about the ball python and why it is so popular as well as what morphs are.
The ball python (Python regius), also known as the royal python, is a gentle and low maintenance python. These traits make it popular with reptile enthusiasts. It’s a great snake for all snake enthusiasts, even beginners.
For available ball pythons, check our partner XYZreptiles.com.
What are morphs?
Morphs are unique physical appearances of a reptile that differs from what the reptile normally looks like. These unique appearances are caused by genetic mutations that alter the appearance but not the species of the snakes.
New morphs don’t create a new subspecies though. Also, technically, morphs are discovered not created. Morphs are discovered randomly, however, once the morph has been discovered, the traits can be passed onto offspring.
Previously, we have looked at several basic morphs. As such, many rare ball python morphs are a mix of these basic morphs. Check out the article Ball Python Morphs for basic descriptions on all of the well-hnow basic ball python morphs.
Rare ball python morphs
1. Sunset Ball Python
The sunset ball recessive mutation is one of the more recent basic morphs discovered. Since it is a basic morph, this isn’t a mix between different mutations. The first captive-bred sunset ball pythons were bred in 2012 by BHB Enterprises.
The sunset ball has a copper-colored base with lighter colored patterns (blotches). The head is a darker shade than the rest of the body.
The sunset ball pythons are rare and difficult to find. As such they are quite expensive. Expect to pay over $1000 for a specimen. In fact, the price on average is about $4000.
2. Acid Ball Python
The acid is one of the more recently discovered morphs. This morph was discovered in 2014 by Josh Jensen.
The acid morph produces a black or dark brown background color with golden brown blotches. The underside of the snake is yellowish with a single solid black line that runs down the entire underside.
The mutation is a basic morph and is in fact one of the most recent ones discovered. The allele responsible for the acid morph is dominant and can overtake other morphs even an ivory gene.
The specimens with the acid morph gene will cost you at least $1500.
3. Banana Mimosa Ball Python
The banana mimosa ball python is one of the rarest ball python morphs you can find. In fact, finding it is near impossible. Several basic morphs go into the creation of this designer morph.
The banana ball morph gene (allele) is co-dominant. As you can imagine, the banana ball morph results in banana yellow blotches instead of the light brown blotches on the snake’s back and side. The background color is light brown.
The mimosa morph is a mix of the champagne morph gene which is co-dominant and the ghost morph gene which is recessive.
The banana mimosa ball python has the banana yellow blotches (of the banana ball python) on pale purple background with several dark speckles.
Currently, the rare banana mimosa will cost you about $5000 if you can find one. This morph was discovered in 2015.
4. Scaleless Ball Python
These odd pythons are unique indeed. First bred in 2013 by BHB Enterprises, it seems like this snake doesn’t have scales thus the morph name “scaleless”.
This morph is caused by the scaleless head co-dominant genetic mutation. As such the scaleless ball python may occur when two scaleless head ball pythons breed.
Although this python is called scaleless. It does have scales on its underside which allows it to move.
The scaleless ball python is quite expensive and costs anywhere between $2500 and $3000.
5. Dreamsicle Ball Python
This is a designer morph that was first bred in 2007 by Ralph Davis Reptiles. Also known as Lavender Albino Piebald, this morph is a mix of the recessive lavender Albino genes and the recessive Piebald.
The piebald gene produces huge patches of white on the snake’s skin. It looks as if someone took an eraser and cleaned parts of the snake’s skin away.
The ratio of white/bald to colored patches is random although the head usually has the normal patterns and colorations of a ball python.
The lavender albino morph produces blotches of bright orange on a white base and red eyes.
The dreamsicle ball python resembles a lavender albino ball python with bald patches.
This morph is expensive and usually costs anywhere between $2000 to $2500.
6. Piebald Ball Python
The piebald morph was discovered in 1997 by Peter Kahl Reptiles. This snake looks odd. It looks like a normal ball python but with parts of the patterns erased.
It has huge bald spots of white. You can say the base is white with normal colored patches that appear at random. The heads usually look normal.
The appearance of the pied is caused by a recessive color mutation.
The price of the pied is dependant on the amount of baldness present. The more bald the snake is, the more expensive it is. You can expect to pay anywher from $400 to $2000 for the rare piebald.
7. Blue-Eyed Leucistic
Leucism results in a lack of pigmentation. The blue-eyed leucistic is also sometimes called the Butter Mojave. However, the butter Mojave is not the only morph referred to as the blue-eyed leucistic.
Morphs such as Mojave, lesser, butter, Russo, specter, yellow belly, and phantom can produce this genetic makeup. Blue-Eyed Leucistic is a very rare morph to find.
Breeding this morph is also difficult. It can take up to five generations to produce. Breeding the blue-eyed leucistic seems random at best.
So far no clutch has had a 25% success rate. The BEL is a white snake with blue eyes. In fact, the blue in the eyes is the only pigmentation in this snake.
Specimens with the blue-eyed leucistic morph gene cost about $500 – 900.
8. Lavender Albino Ball Python
The lavender albino is a recessive color mutation. The lavender albino looks very much like a normal albino but with a lavender base.
This gives it a sift peculiar look. The blotches are yellow, very bright yellow. The lavender albino also has deep red eyes.
The base color and the pattern (blotches) contrast each other very well and produce a high contrast snake.
First discovered in 2001, the lavender albino now fetch prices of $500 to $800.
9. Highway ball Python
The highway morph is a unique-looking snake. It’s a mix of the gravel morph and the yellowbelly morph.
This mix results in a snake with a dark copper-brown base and yellow & golden yellow blotches. The highway has a yellow broken stripe pattern alone their spine.
Both the yellow belly and the gravel morph genes are co-dominat.
The higher the contrast between the base and the blotches the more expensive the specimen will be.
Expect to pay anywhere between $500 to $700 for one.
They are difficult to find though and you may need to do a bit of digging to find this morph.
10. GHI Ball Python
The GHI is a basic morph that was first bred in 2007 by Matt Lerer. While specimens with this morph are still rare, they aren’t as rare as they used to be during the 2010s. To find a pure GHI ball python is still relatively difficult. Funnily enough, GHI stands for “Gotta Have It”.
The GHI produces a dark snake that has a black base. The blotches on the skin are also dark (usually orange-brown to golden brown). The blotches are usually highlighted with a bright yellow outline.
A regular GHI ball python generally costs around $400, although a specimen that is a mix of GHI and another more common morph usually costs less.
11. Coral Glow Ball Python
The coral glow was first bred in 2002 by NERD (New England Reptile Distributors). The coral glow gene is co-dominant.
This morph is also called the White Smokes. The coral glow morph is similar in appearance to the banana ball.
As such instead of dark blotches, the coral glow has bright orange-yellow blotches. The base is dark lavender.
This gives an impression of a glowing snake. The coral glow also has dark specks all over the body.
The super coral glow was first bred in 2012 and is a result of breeding two coral glows. Breeding two coral glows doesn’t always produce a super coral glow.
The coral glow costs about $300 even though it has been available for decades now.
12. Butter Ball Python
The butter ball morph was first bred in 2001 by ReptMart (which have been breeding and selling reptiles for 37 years now). The butter morph gene is co-dominant.
Two butters can result in a super butter (or sometimes a blue-eyed lucy) which is a brighter paler version of the butter morph.
The butter morph alleles produce buttery yellow & caramel patterns on the back and sides of the snake. The underside of this morph is white.
The butter ball python generally cost $100.
13. Bumblebee Ball Python
The bumblebee ball is another rare morph that is a mix of the pastel and spider basic morphs. The spider gene is dominant while the pastel is co-dominant.
The spider morph produces thin black stripes and spots while the pastel morph produces a tan-yellow base.
The killer bee variant of this ball python morph produces the brightest yellow specimens with these specimens, the super pastel morph (which is gotten from breeding two pastels) is used.
These are very bright pale yellow, unlike the tan-yellow bumblebee ball python. The bumblebee also have scattered specks of white.
The gorgeous killer bee costs anywhere from $400 to $800 however, the tan-yellow bumble bee fetches prices of $175 and upwards.
Conclusion
Ball pythons are among the most popular snakes kept as pets. There are possibly thousands of ball python morphs out there. Most of these morphs are a mix of one or more morphs.
These combinations create so many different types of patterns and colors. In this article, we looked at 13 of the rarest ball python morphs out there. Since these morphs are rare, they are still quite difficult to obtain, though we linked out to some places where you can buy them.
More Ball Python Info
- Ball python care sheet
- How to create a ball python enclosure
- How to breed ball pythons
- How to handle ball python Mouth rot
- Best substrates for ball pythons
- How much do ball pythons cost?
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