Years of selective inbreeding and experimentation has resulted in a cornucopia of ball python color morphs and designer patterns. All equally impressive in their own rights, new patterns and color morphs within these captive bred pet snakes are being produced every day--the rarity of which typically dictates the price tag. Be careful when purchasing any pastel variations, as good deals may not always be what they seem when dealing with live snakes. Buying from a reputable reptile dealer is extremely important, especially when purchasing your next baby ball python.

Piebald Ball Pythons

Perhaps one of the most aesthetically impressive and most sought after of the "Designer Patterns" within the ball python population was selectively bred and produced by Peter Kohl in 1997. Piebald ball pythons have an extremely impressive color pattern. Their scales contain a vivid, high-contrast array of oranges and blacks, followed by segments of scales completely lacking color pigmentation. Not to be confused with pastel, leucistic, or albino color morphs, the piebald ball python's patches of "bright white" scales sharply bordered by highly contrasting orange and black scales make this snake one of the rarest and most expensive ball pythons for sale by breeders. Often called "Pieds", some breeders have produced Piebalds that are 97% covered by these white scales.

Super Pastel Ball Pythons

Considered to be one of the first designer pattern ball pythons, this extraordinary color variation burst onto the scene in 1999 and has since been the catalyst for many new and impressive color morphs of ball pythons for sale today. The assured genetic inheritance within the offspring of two super pastels make these pet snakes very popular among breeders.

Q. Does genetic mutation in ball pythons via selective breeding lower baby ball python offspring survival rates?

A. Not necessarily. Often times you hear about the minimal survival rates of albino ball pythons in the wild. The primary reason for this is very simple. A baby ball python's best defense mechanism is its dark brown, brush-like coloration. The natural color of the snake has evolved over thousands of years to mimic its environment. With a ball python, that environment is typically underground or burrowed in the brush. Without getting too scientific, color morphs such as Pastel, leucistic, albino, and Super Pastel in Ball Pythons are selectively cross-bred by ball python breeders to enhance that particular genetic defect--often times inbreeding.

While this type of genetic mutation in ball pythons may certainly make for a beautiful live snake, it may have also result in a ball python having a weaker natural immune system and higher a susceptibility to disease. It is important that only experienced pet reptile owners consider keeping rare color ball python morphs. Please take this into consideration when buying a live snake. If you're a rookie to the reptile trade, your best bet may be to purchase a regular baby ball python from a reputable breeder instead of a Piebald hatchling. For breeding purposes, it should also be noted that the some variations, such as super pastel will, produce a clutch of 100% super pastel baby ball pythons.