Genetic Morph: Ivory, Super Yellow Belly, Super Goblin
Status: Proven Co-Dominant
When: 2003
By Whom: The Snake Keeper

Hatched in 2003 the Ivory ball python is truly something new, not only for us, but for the ball python community! Two snakes were bred together that were similar looking. We had hoped to hatch out something similar to the adults. When it was time for the clutch to hatch we were getting ready to go out of town, so we decided to open the eggs and take a look, boy were we surprised! There were two white looking snakes in the clutch! The yellow stripe was very noticeable as was the lavender coloring bordering the stripe. Once they were out we discovered that they were both males! In a way the coloring of the snake itself is something of a paradox. It has many qualities that are reminiscent of a lavender albino, but the eyes appear to be a dark blue with a deep red pupil. As they have grown they have acquired more yellow/orange coloring on the dorsal surface of the snake. More lavender has also appeared. We are very excited about this remarkable ball python and feel that it has great potential to be combined with other color mutations.

Upper text by The Snake Keeper

Lower text by Ralph Davis

As of the end of 2004 several "Ivories" have been produced from breeding "Yellow Bellies" together...........so the "Super Yellow Belly" ( homo form ) is indeed the "Ivory Ball"............"Het Ivory" = "Yellow Belly".............BUT.........with out getting too long winded here............I would only trust the "genetics" from proven lines of Yellow Bellies aka "Het Ivories"...........the YB took the ball python world by storm in 2004......everybody and their brother thought they had one in their collection........the classifieds had imported YBs for sale every other day............2004 is definitely the year of the YELLOW BELLY!!

As of November 2004.........TSK, The Bells, Amir, Doug Beard and some others have all produced "Ivories" from breeding YBs together...........talk about letting the wind out of my sails too soon.........:(........this snake is too damn awesome to be co-dom!!!....grrrrrr

I myself have "Lilly"............she is a female "Ivory" that I imported from Africa as a baby in 2003..........to the tune of $70,000.00!!........then I find out that for the past three years I have been producing "Yellow Bellies" aka "Goblin Markers"........I knew they were "weird" and I would have eventually line bred them...........I guess I should have worked a little faster on that one huh?

Many other breeders have imported in Ivories as babies, yearlings and adults over the past four years...........I do not think to date that a "true lucy" has ever been imported..........

Get yourself a Yellow Belly and "Make a Wish"...............:)

Ivory x Normal = all Yellow Bellies aka "het ivories" ( same as homo x normal = all hets )

Ivory x YB = Ivories and YBs ( same as homo x het = homos and hets )

YB x YB = Ivories, YBs and normals ( same as het x het = homos, hets and normals, with a simple recessive trait the normals and the hets look alike, so they are called 66% poss hets..........with the co-dom trait.........there are no 66% poss hets because the "hets" ( YBs ) are visible - in 4 eggs - 1 Ivory ( homo ) , 2 YBs ( hets ) and 1 normal )

YB x Normal = 50% normal and 50% YB ( same as het x normal = hets and normals, with a simple recessive trait the normals and the hets look alike, so they are called 50% poss hets..........with the co-dom trait.........there are no 50% poss hets because the "hets" ( YBs ) are visible - in 4 eggs - 2 YBs ( hets ) and 2 normals )

Yeah I know I'm a tool..........the little blurp above goes for any co-dom trait...........:P

Ivory babies have very bright yellow dorsal stripes....the yellow stripe is bordered with a purple/lavender color on each side that fades into the white...........in some cases there is also orange bordering the purple/lavender. The heads look like they were smudged with wet newspaper and the black ink stained their heads.

As Ivories mature they become much whiter with dark eyes..........the purple/lavender color fades away leaving a faint yellow dorsal stripe, some purple may stay in the tail bordering the yellow dorsal stripe.............the head still retains a little dark "smudging".

Peter Kahl's "Lucy" was believed to be the "real deal" ( pure white black eyed lucy )......she was imported in as an 800 gram animal and had already started to go through the "turning whiter stage"..........she eventually produced clutches where all Yellow Belly aka het Ivory were hatched.

See Goblin page for more info ( RDR blurp )