Genetic Morph: Black Head
Status: Proven Dominant
When: 2002
By Whom: Ralph Davis

The Black Head is a new mutation in the ball python that was produced here in 2002. I imported in a crusty old male in 1999 who had these beautiful thick black bands and a black head. I never did anything with him as far as breeding until 2002.

I decided since he was so dark that I would breed him to a really dark female..........she really did not look like him.........but she was dark..........so I figured it couldn't hurt. I really did not pay too much attention to the breedings........I did not even mark down any of the copulations. I just let them go until the end of the season..........and that was that.

I noticed that the female was not eating for me after breeding season........and I had never palpated her to see if she had follicles..........so I just let the "not eating" thing go too......Well..........one day I lifted her hide box off of her and she was tightly coiled around 4 eggs..........and the eggs had been with her for some time...........they were dehydrated and bumpy.

I quickly set up an egg box and put the eggs in the incubator.........I marked the date that I thought they should hatch.........and that was that. The eggs recovered fine..........they plumped up and looked great............they hatched almost three weeks earlier than I had anticipated??..........obviously the female had been on the eggs longer than I thought.........but it was all good.

When I walked into the incubator and seen the heads poking out of the eggs......I knew exactly what they were........I recognized that black head.........I did not know how their bodies would look..........but I knew they had daddy's head...........well sure enough........ALL four came out of the egg looking like the father "black head" to some degree..........I was thrilled!!........this was so unexpected.

They all share that cool black head........the thick black bands........a pure white belly.....and that cool gold pin-stripe down the back. I don't know if this is a dominant or a co-dominant gene........but I would think it has to be genetic. I produced 2.2 in 2002.........I will be raising them up to breed and I will also be breeding the original Black Head male father to see what is produced.........maybe there will even be a Super Black head??

It's cool little "Dinking Around" projects like this that really get the blood pumping!!!

~~ Update ~~ I did produce more baby Black Heads in 2003!!.............this is the second year of production for this cool new mutation!!

I hope to breed Black Head x Black Head in the Winter of 05/06...........at the very latest, the following season should be "the year" to find out "if" there is a "Super Black Head"

Text by Ralph Davis