#ball python scale pattern

[junnnxv]

Some necklaces I've been making :>

[nattikay]

a few people have mistaken Neynari for albino (she's actually leucistic) so here's a quick doodle of her with an actually albino Na'vi!

autistic infodumping about albinism vs. leucism under the cut (lots of cool animal pictures)

Albinism is a genetic condition that prevents the production of pigment, specifically melanin...which for mammals would be all pigment since mammals only produce melanins, but some types of reptiles, birds, etc. also have other types of pigments that are unaffected by albinism, which is why you can get, for example, an albino ball python that still has bright yellow markings. That's a tangent though, and yes I know that being aliens and all Na'vi skin is colored by "cyanin" not melanin but for simplicity's sake let's assume that the Pandoran equivalent to albinism affects cyanin the same as melanin in Earthen species, and since the Na'vi are clearly a mammalian equivalent let's assume that they don't have fancy extra types of pigment.

This lack of pigment production means that albino individuals end up with white hair/fur/feathers/scales and pinkish skin (it's unpigmented but will still appear pinkish instead of pure white because there's still red blood/muscle/etc. underneath. So, no, an albino Na'vi probably would not actually look like all those AI-generated "snow Na'vi" images floating around 😅)

It can also makes the eyes appear red or pink because without pigment in the way you can see the red of the blood vessels behind them. That said, depending on the opacity of the structures inside the eyes, this won't always be the case; if they are opaque enough you won't be able to see those blood vessels and the eyes will appear a pale gray or bluish.

Speaking of eyes, it turns out that the presence of melanin is actually pretty important in ocular development, so albino individuals often have impaired vision.

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Leucism, on the other hand, is an umbrella term that covers a range of conditions that cause partial lack of pigment in some way, shape, or form (as opposed to the total lack seen in albinism). Leucistic phenotypes can be quite varied depending on what's causing the pigment malfunction.

Some leucistic conditions cause a lack of pigment in hair/fur/feathers but not skin or eyes. This results in a white coat that is often mistaken for albino. The main way to distinguish this type of leucism from true albinism is to look at the eyes (and sometimes skin, like on the nose or pads). Leucistic conditions do not affect the eyes, so if the animal has a standard eye color for its species, it's leucistic, not albino. If it has red/pink or unusually pale grayish eyes along with pinkish skin, it's albino.

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Another leucism condition causes uneven distribution of pigment-producing cells, giving the individual normal coloration interspersed with unpigmented splotches. This condition is also known as piebald and can produce some really stunning patterns!

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Yet other leucism conditions reduce pigment production, but do not completely halt it. In other words, these individuals do produce pigments in all their integuments, just not as much as their standard-colored counterparts...so they retain most of their natural markings/patterning, but with a pale "washed-out" appearance (this is the type Neynari has!)

...so yeah, now you know :)

[kragehund-est]

it's easy to say "ban harmful breeding practices!" when the outcome is an animal you deem ugly or weird. make sure to raise awareness and bring that same energy for animals that look unremarkable or even beautiful. not all issues are as noticeable as a wheezing pug, but they can be be just as painful for the animal.

for example, unless you have some background knowledge, these animals might not look like anything special. do you recognize them?

satin coat guinea pig: these guinea pigs have glossy coats due to their hollow hairs that catch the light. that same gene also give them calcium absorption issues, leading to poor bone health and severe pain.

double merle coat aussie shepherd: when a dog has one merle gene, it has that beautiful blue merle coat aussie shepherds are famous for! if you breed together two dogs with this gene, 1/4 of their litter will inherit TWO copies of the gene, and will very likely be born deaf/blind.

british fold: these are a charming breed of cat with their ears folded over! that's because their cartilage isn't formed properly, leading to severe joint issues.

spider morph ball python: this morph (coat pattern) is known for its beautiful drippy pattern. the gene that gives them this pattern also causes the nervous system to develop improperly. many of these snakes are unable to live normally due to "spider wobble" syndrome that causes them to writhe and corkscrew uncontrollably.

scaleless bearded dragon: some enthusiasts like the unique smooth look of scaleless reptiles, unfortunately, a lizard that needs to sun itself without the natural protection of scales will end up burnt. also prone to infections, skin lesions, etc.

hybrid macaws: the ethics of breeding macaws are already extremely iffy. crossbreeding macaws? well this has most of the same issues but 10x worse. the extremely simplified argument is "we can't even breed pure macaws ethically, and you're breeding hybrids just for looks? you are scum"

[monstersandmaw]

today i read about spider ball pythons where they have an attractive-looking spiderweb pattern on their skin but unfortunately it's tied with a genetic disorder that gives them vertigo and seizures. and it got me thinking about naga royalty who similarly have royal bloodlines with beautiful colors and patterns on their scales but have inherited illnesses that run in the family like both irl human royal families and fancy ball pythons

Oooh, I like this as a piece of interesting and grounded worldbuilding!

[ohmenai]

The bestiarium of OhMenAI couldn't be complete without this specimen. A veritable symbol of fertility itself, his presence fills the room with an overwhelming virility that culminates into something profoundly existential.

I found him, the absolute marvel of Manailands, the in the very heart of the Isla Berenjena. Convincing him to step into my studio was no small feat, but oh, the reward was beyond my most drenched anticipations. A giant, towering Black male who defies all concepts of scale and dimensions, a colossus of muscle and glorious fat—a rich harmony of heft and strength.

Standing before me, a mountain of licentious splendor—a figure carved from ebon muscle and voluptuous corpulence, exuding an indecipherable magnetism. I'd made sure to set my camera to capture that glistening, life-bringing essence in exquisite detail, as usual. This oversized marvel, all majestic and unashamed, his gleaming skin adorned with a labyrinth of veins was forming mind-bending patterns of desire.

His protruding midsection jostled with every breath he took, only to be overshadowed by his gargantuan, foreskin-clad cock that hung like a dewy python, dripping juices that threatened to flood the studio floor.

His colossal nipples – round, dark, enormous celebrating discs – held authority as if they could channel the milk of creation, areole larger than you'd expect on a man, evocative and full of life, bring to mind the nurturing essence of a mother in her breastfeeding prime, juxtaposed against his beastly persona.

However, the apex of eroticism sprouted from his cock. This behemoth’s belly ensconces his Herculean phallus and bull balls, giving him a pachydermally prophetic stature. His monstrous, uncircumcised cock juts out like an obelisk, void of modesty, a monument of lust wrapped in redundant layers of taut foreskin. The dark lance emerges with a crown of a paler hue, accentuated by delicate pinkish veins that seem to hum with the heartbeat of lust.

He stands victorious, one hand raised above his head displaying his bushy armpits akin to an orangutan, showing not just hair but feral masculinity untamed. The caveman aesthetic captures every nuance of his essence, no need to adjust the ISO; this primal beast radiates light from within, from the very core of his rampant carnality.

His dick leaks an endless effusion of semen and precum, a floodgate given free reign. The eroticism reaches its peak as splashes of his pungent load drizzle down his turgid shaft. My OhMenFlex thrived on this rarity, capturing textures and flows in insane fidelity.

Here, in my studio, with every droplet cascading down his sinewy form into the forming pool of nectar at his feet, the philosophy of nature's undying call resonates. With him, the boundaries between beast and god, between carnal and divine, blur into a queer and intoxicating memento of existence’s quintessence.

[theworldibuilt4you]

...!!!

[That thing looked insane! It was like some fearsome figure out of a natural history book - but this was no artistic interpretation. This was a living, breathing animal.]

What the hell, your snakes are nuts!! I-I didn't even think snakes that big even existed anymore…

Well, here they don't, but over there things played pretty different…

[Addie realized rather quickly that the squared cream and brown markings looked awfully familiar.]

W-wait… That pattern… I've seen it before. There's this Burm guy in town that owns a flea market and he's covered in almost that… exact…

[A second realization hit them as they barely finished their first, and they moved to swiftly pick up their tail with urgent intent. While most of their scales were varying shades of green, they had a couple of patterns scattered here and there, too. Their eyes latched immediately onto a very particular spot near the middle: There, emblazoned seemingly at random like every other pattern on their body, was a single patch that looked nearly identical to those of the python on their screen. They just stared at it, processing.]

I... Forgot I'm part Burm, so I have a bit of it, too, right here...

It's like looking back in time… So weird…

[...Why did they suddenly want to see the "real" snake equivalents of all the species in their bloodline...?]

-Addie

[He seemed to chuckle at the other's reactions, Far more than he would have otherwise at just that text.]

[He seemed to be looking more fondly at the screen, too.]

"I don't think I've even shown you one of the larger ones yet.. Anacondas are massive."

[Sonny puts a finger to his lip, tentatively.]

"I hope it's not off putting to tell you a lot of people keep snakes as pets... There's a species of python called the ball python that are much smaller- Erm.. Typically about three feet or so..? Those are fairly common in pet stores... Corn snakes as well.."

[....It appears Addie wouldn't of been the only one to notice how straight forward he was staring at the screen]

"What the FUCK are you looking at..?"

[gudaho]

if you want a pet snake aside from the usual recommended ball python (readily available, comes in cool colors and patterns, good for handling, moderate size makes them easy to keep track of, not very active, a very good pick!) then i would recommend my favorite pet snakes:

the arabian sand boa: only grows abt a foot long, easy enclosure set up, goofiest fucking face, fat fucking tails, a worm that eats mice, cant be too humid though! (otherwise i would def get one of these guys)

hognose: eastern or western. cute fucking face, about 2-3 feet as adults, big ol eyes, variety of morphs, cool matte-scales, venomous but not fatal to humans+fang shape makes it difficult for them to penetrate human skin, not very fast

[snakeswagbracket]

Snake Swag Bracket Round 2

In this round we have two beautiful North American colubrids facing off! Corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) Is typically estimated as the second most popular pet snake (coming in just behind the ball python!) and due to their huge popularity there are now over 800 different morphs! Many corn snake morphs--including those found in the wild--have a checkerboard pattern of scales on their belly. The origin of their name is often thought to be either because those checkerboards look like kernels of corn, or because of their habit of making a home in places corn was stored to take advantage of the mouse buffet it attracted. Eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi) are the largest known colubrids in North America, but that's not the only way their size sets them apart! Most if not all snakes are sexually dimorphic, meaning there is a significant difference between average male and average female sizes. In most snake species, females grow to be larger than the males, but in eastern indigos it is the opposite, with males typically growing much longer than females!

[atthebell-moved]

okay yayyy zoo photos time!! big warning up top for snakes jic anyone doesnt have the tag blocked. there are lots of snake images on this post! putting everything under a readmore bc of that. hope you enjoy looking at the creatures i saw today!!

koala!!! this one was actually pretty active, usually theyre asleep when i'm there but this guy was munching

west african gaboon viper!! this is hands down one of my favorite snake species, they're so shaped and their patterning is gorgeous

don't remember the exact name but this guy is some kind of monitor lizard. eepy!!

banded king cobra & angolan python-- both beautiful snakes! the former is actually not a true cobra, which refers to the genus Naja, although there are many snakes referred to colloquially as cobras outside that genus. and the angolan python is, as you might be able to tell from its patterning, closely related to the ball python, although far less common in captivity.

cheeto

timber rattlesnake & leucistic monocellate cobra!

shingleback skinks! if it's hard to tell what might be the head and what might be the tail, that's the point-- like many lizards, they can grow back their tails, so it's beneficial to confuse predators from knowing which side to bite.

and finally, my second favorite snake (after boa constrictors), the green anaconda. this snake is almost always lying in the water like this with her head peeking out. looks like she might be in blue, meaning she should be shedding soon.

another favorite of mine from the reptile house is the boelen's python, although it's very hard to get a photo of because the exhibit is very dark and humid. here's a photo of the two that were in the exhibit previously; i'm not sure if they're still the ones there now:

[PC: Jpogi] absolutely gorgeous-- if you look closely, you can see that their scales are actually iridescent. these guys are so pretty!

okay thus concludes animal autism hours from bell hope you enjoyed

[flanphiptere]

starfruit n kiwi :)

Hi Viri my friend Viriiiiii starfruit: favorite sea creature?

THRESHER SHARK BABY!!!!!!!!

Kiwi: What’s something that fascinates you?

Snakes! I really love how cute and pretty they are! They have different scale patterns called morphs it's pretty similar to dog breeds, so there are some morphs that are "bad" to breed for too! For example, the Ball Python's Spider Morph! It causes wobbling in their heads when they get older :(

[callmequillthequeer]

UNDERTALE STORY IDEA

To start this off

In this story you’re a lamia, set in a magical rainforest. The most lush rainforest you could ever imagine. Magic everywhere, practically radiating off of everything. The whole rainforest glowed softly. Ponds and rivers were basically around every tree, in those pockets of water were smaller creatures such as fish, and other smaller creatures.

You were a human type lamia, your tail was absolutely stunning to look at, gorgeous patterns thrown throughout the large muscular tail. You blended in perfectly with the vegetation and tall trees.

This story is set in lamiatale (lamia! Dreamtale)

Your rainforest had begun being invaded by tourists, you quickly became an attraction to get more tourists. You absolutely despised it, you wanted to live in your magical rainforest without worry of some kids screaming about a snake eating a rabbit. Or cameras flashing in your face.

Meanwhile dream was living his best life on the other side of the rainforest, he had been left alone, undiscovered. And in a corner of the rainforest nightmare was content staying alone.

Nightmare looked similar to a red bellied black snake, except in replace for the red belly he had a purple hue instead, with shiny black scales with intricate designs than ran along his back to the very top of his tail.

Meanwhile dream looked similar to a banana ball python with a soft yellow hue, overall he looked a lot more approachable

Nightmare x reader and a dream x reader. Where they like fight over them. A lot of courtship

I might make this into a story. If you want to feel free too! Just let me know because I’d love to read it

(No sanscest

[starfirebird]

An interesting article on the ball python breeding industry. I would have liked to see a more extensive discussion of the welfare issues associated with large-scale breeders; I suspect the author didn't want to spend a lot of time criticizing their interviewee. However, it's well-researched overall and covers a lot of the history of breeding for morphs.

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Sorry if this is a weird question - a friend of mine just found out she has a spider ball python (he was sold to her as another morph, but when she showed me a picture, I pointed out he looked like a spider and she ended up going 'oh crap you're right'), but he doesn't appear to have any wobble or other common spider traits. I know it can show up less in some snakes than others, but is this something he might deal with more as he ages? Is there a way she can prep for that to give him the best possible care if issues do arise?

Was he sold to her as a pinstripe, by any chance? Pinstripes look a lot like spiders but they're a completely ethical, unrelated morph. To ID a snake as a pinstripe, look for an even, non-splotchy headstamp, long lines down the body, and a gentle taper into lighter belly coloration.

Compare that to a similar morph, spinner, that actually does have spider in it. The spider has a splotchy headstamp, short lines of patterning, and splotchy light belly coloration up the sides:

If he actually is a spider, there is indeed every chance that a wobble can wax and wane throughout his life. It may not be a big issue for him, but it could pop up at any time, and it could progressively worsen or periodically get better and come back again. Here's hoping that he's one of the lucky ones who almost never suffer because of it!

A lot of the spiders I've owned (all rescues, of course) had severe wobbles, so her snake hopefully will not need this level of accomodation, but here's what I recommend to prepare for, just in case:

Teach him to eat his food by taking it off the ground instead of tongs. Feeding time is often the most frustrating time for spiders, as the wobble worsens when they're excited, causing them to miss their food. Gradually keep lowering his food closer to the ground until he expects it to be on the ground - it's easier for them to aim and find food that's sitting still on the ground in front of them.

Think about how to modify the enclosure to help him stay comfortable and navigate with confidence. Shorter, thicker climbing branches are easier for spiders to hold onto.

Have a plan to make the substrate softer to avoid any bumps and scrapes if he becomes clumsy. Mixing sphagnum moss into the substrate is my go-to.

Think about shallow water dishes that he can easily get out of.

With some spidrers, I've had issues with them scraping their faces along parts of enclosures, especially screen lids and vent slats. Gluing cardboard over the trouble spots seemed to help - just don't use tape inside a snake enclosure because it can get stuck to and damage scales.

Hopefully, he will have a long, healthy, happy life with as minimal a wobble as possible! With any snake in the spider complex, though, it's important to keep track of symptoms if and when they pop up. If he does start presenting with a wobble later in life, I recommend keeping a journal of his quality of life so you can identify specific areas of frustration for him.

[vampyrobot]

heres anotha one (being annoying, sorry) do u have a favorite reptile if u like reptiles at all.. and also uh. favorite splatoon hat

I do have a favorite reptile! I like ball pythons because they have a cute little face and I think they tend to have very beautiful scale patterns.

My favorite splatoon hat…hard question, I really like the bobble hat though. When I first got into splatoon during splatoon one’s life span I always drew my sona in the bobble hat because it was easy to draw and I just liked the look of it. But I also really like the special forces beret and it was apart of my gear for literally the whole time I played splatoon 2 and for a good while in splatoon 3. I also really like the eye of justice I think it’s cool as fuck. Out of the three of these I think the bobble hat is my favorite.

[toasty-bat]

Hi! I know almost nothing about snakes can I ask if the large white blocks of colour on Pecan's scales are to do with shedding?

Oh! No worries, I honestly love talking/answering questions about Pecan :)

These big white spots are actually a part of his natural coloring! Ball pythons come in different patterns, or morphs, which can affect their scale patterns+colors!

Pecan specifically is a pied ball python, a type of morph known for having big white chunks in their patterns! As you can see, Pecan has a much more color than most pied’s, but he’s still got those white chunks that they’re known for. Another fun fact is that’s actually how I chose his name, because he’s Pecan Pie(d) :)

[fakemonconcepts]

Piethon, the pie snake Pokemon.

From python, a type of constrictor snake, and pie.

This Pokémon resembles a curled up python, styled after the IRL ball python, except it resembles a pie. The snake is tightly curled into a circular position with the dorsal scales being lighter than the ventral side and a checkered pattern like an apple pie. Its head, located near the center of the circle, is poking up slightly. The head is white like whipped cream and the nose is red like a cherry.

Evolves from Colubread.

FAIRY