Scientific Name: Python regius
Common Name: Ball Python
Morph: Axanthic
Genetics: Color Mutation - Simple Recessive - There are three "proven strains" - The Snake Keeper Line - The VPI Line - The Jolliff Line

The Axanthic ball python has to be one of the prettiest ball pythons as a baby that I have ever seen. The way the silver/blue highlights the contrasting black and white is truly AWESOME!......These snakes lack most yellow coloration/pigment.....because of this.........they do not have the normal brown appearance of a normal ball python. When you breed and Axanthic to an Albino you will produce babies that are double het for SNOW. Breeding the Double het babies back together will give you a 1 in 16 chance of producing a Snow Ball. Axanthic lacks the yellow pigment and Albino lacks all of the darker pigments...........so when you cross the two genes, they cancel each other out............leaving an almost white snake with pink eyes. A snow is homozygous for both the Axanthic gene and the Albino gene............everything you breed it to will produce offspring that are 100% double het for SNOW.

As of the year 2002 there have been 4 Snow Balls produced in captivity. The first Snow ever produced was a "Jolliff Snow" from the Jolliff Line of Axanthic, it was a female, and it was produced by Mike Jollifff in 2001. The second Snow to be produced was a "Snake Keeper Snow" from the Snake Keeper line of Axanthic, it also was a female, and was produced by The Snake Keeper in 2001. The third Snow to be produced was another "Jolliff Snow", it was a male, and it was produced by me in 2002. The 4th and last Snow to be produced so far was a "VPI Snow" from the VPI line of Axanthic, it also was a male, and I produced it in 2002.........:)

Now that I have my Snow Ball project running with TWO MALES from to different lines.........I will begin breeding the Axanthic gene into other types of mutations...........like a Hypo/Ghost and a Platinum........I really can't think of any mutation in the ball python that would not benefit from being crossed with the Axanthic gene.

Below are some pics of the Axanthics I have in my collection and some that I have produced.......also there are some pics of the Joliff and VPI Snow Balls..............it took an Axanthic ball python to make the Snow Ball "happen" and years of hard work............scroll over the pics to see the description.