Did you know ball pythons come in many different colorations, called morphs?
Are you interested in learning more about the different morphs of ball pythons?
If learning about morphs is something you’re interested in, you want to check out the GHI ball python.
Upon hearing about this morph, you might ask:
What is a GHI ball python?
A GHI ball python or a Gotta Have It python is a relative newcomer in the ball python universe, discovered by Matt Lerer in 2007. They are a very dark co-dominant morph with light highlights throughout their bodies.
If you are interested in learning more about GHI ball pythons, keep reading this article.
Table of Contents
What Is A GHI Ball Python?
When discovering more about the different ball python morphs out there, you are very likely to stumble across the GHI ball python.
These ball pythons were discovered in 2007 by Matt Lerer, a ball python breeder.
He is credited with discovering these creatures after finding them in a group of snakes available for purchase from importers.
GHI ball pythons are co-dominant morphs and have a dark body with light highlights throughout.
The pattern on these creatures makes them extremely fascinating and is a must-have for many ball python fans.
What Is A Morph?
If you are a newcomer to the snake world, you might be wondering what a morph is.
When you have a morph, this means the snake has morphed to look different than expected due to genetic mutation, but the snake remains the same breed.
But can’t a genetic mutation be bad?
Sometimes a genetic mutation, or genetic defect, is not a good thing and can cause health issues, a shortened lifespan, or even some mutations resulting in the creature’s death.
An example of a genetic defect in snakes is having one born with two heads.
This is a rare example, but it has been known to happen occasionally.
In the case of the morphs we are talking about, the mutation only affects the creature’s look and not the physical makeup.
These morphs in snakes are created to bring about an animal with a new, interesting, and unique color or pattern combination not regularly seen.
Morphs naturally occurring in the wild are extremely rare because it is not every day two snakes with the same mutation will meet, let alone mate.
But it has become a business for breeders, and they work on breeding snakes to create new and exciting colors and patterns strategically.
For some, they don’t just want to own a snake, they want something unique and rare, but the constant breeding and creation of morphs have diminished the uniqueness of some.
Some morphs are no longer considered rare because they are so readily available.
This leads breeders to reach for new and exciting combinations to find the next big thing in morphs.
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The Dangers Of Selective Breeding
You’re probably thinking, “I thought you said there were no defects in morphs.”
Being a morph is not like having a disability, and it won’t require you to change the care of the ball python from any other.
Overall you will still set up the cage in the same manner, feed the snake the same prey, and the general care will also be the same.
While it is true when we refer to morphs, we are just talking about changes in colors and patterns, and there are some dangers of selective breeding in general.
So the morph itself isn’t the problem, but some of the other characteristics passed along with breeding can lead to psychological or physical issues for the snake.
You may have heard of some breeds of dogs having specific troubles; for example, certain breeds will have hip issues.
This is a similar idea in these snakes.
A good example of this is seen in ball pythons with a spider morph.
They commonly are known to have a defect called wobble syndrome.
This is a neurological symptom causing constant shaking of the snake’s head, making it unable to make precise or even quick movements.
The snake will not develop this over time or start experiencing it one day but will have the syndrome from birth.
A snake with wobble syndrome would have difficulty putting live prey in the cage with it.
The side effects of selective breeding don’t necessarily shorten your snake’s lifespan, but it will change how it lives and alter how you care for it.
How Many Ball Python Morphs Are There?
Morphs have become increasingly popular as breeders attempt to bring new and exciting snakes to the table because breeding is a business and unique means of money.
Ball pythons are said to have at least 26 different morphs outside of the standard ball python, not including the morphs’ subspecies.
If you include the subspecies, there could be well over a thousand morphs, and part of this is attributed to the constant crossing by breeders to create something new.
Some morphs are more popular than others, and some morphs can cost a lot of money.
The most expensive ball snake morph is the lavender albino ball python sold with a price tag of $40,000.
For the more common morphs, you are likely to pay somewhere around $50.
A GHI ball python can cost anywhere from $150 to a couple of thousand dollars, depending on the morph subspecies.
Conclusion
The creation of snake morphs brings about new and beautiful snakes with fun and unique patterns and colors, and the GHI ball python is no exception.
These creatures are lookers with dark bodies and light highlights and would be a great addition to any home.
If you are looking for something different to bring into your home or add to your collection, take a look at the GHI ball python.
