Genetic Morph: Clown
Status: Proven Simple Recessive
When: 1999
By Whom: Dave and Tracy Barker ( VPI )

VPI got the first male clown as a baby from Africa in 1996. This snake was just a fabulously unique look and we needed to make more! We then received 1.2 hatchlings from Africa in 1997. After seeing these babies we felt better about the prospect of this look being inheritable. All animals originated from E.B. Noah. We produced hets from male #1 in 1998. We produced clowns from the 1.2 babies in 1999. We tested compatability of the first male to the second group in 2000. We are only aware of one other wild caught clown, a female owned by Brian Barczyk. Our animals were proven to be compatible with this single female in 2001. We think it is amazing to have only known of 4 animals out of Africa since 1996. There may be more but I have never seen a photo of another one. This is a fantastic color and pattern mutation. Perhaps the most unique looking of the morphs. Interesting to me is the "black back." The het animals at least for me have never been black backs. This is in contrast to the well known "black back" look that appears to have an influence in the next generation-or a codom black back (I'm not sure these "black backs" have ever been systematically worked out through many generations. So in essence the black back look in the clown is a recessive predictable look. This original project done by VPI has started all of the projects in the US. Breeders such as Snake Keeper, NERD, and various private breeders have purchased heterozygous animals and produced clown ball pythons. This will be a fabulous combination snake!

Text by Dave and Tracy Barker ( VPI )